Date: February 12, 2015

News - New Pervious Concrete Maintenance Guide Released

This month the National Ready Mix Concrete Association officially released an updated Pervious Concrete Pavement Maintenance and Operations Guide (sometimes referred to as porous concrete) intended for property owners and managers that replaces the original guide distributed in 2006.  A maintenance log is included and recommended to be completed and filed with the owner or property manager.

The guide goes over routine and periodic Pervious Concrete maintenance as well as what needs to be done if deep cleaning or unclogging is required.  After major rainstorms, check out the surface areas to see that they are draining correctly. Routinely make sure surface is clean of debris using a leaf blower or dry vacuum.    

As the saying goes (and this is the key to remember with pervious): an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. 

Periodic maintenance is as essential as cleaning out your gutters.  If you don’t clean out your gutters in the fall, you are sure to experience drainage issues come wintertime if there is a considerable amount of snowfall.  The same is true for Pervious Concrete surfaces.  Inadequate drainage equals trouble with freeze-thaw cycles and has been the culprit for many failures of pervious surfaces.  Make a point to insure Pervious Concrete voids are free and clean of non-compressible materials that may prevent draining.  If periodic maintenance is not preformed, you may find yourself using a pressure washer or specialized concrete cleaning machines or vacuums. 

When going into the winter months, some key points mentioned in the guide are as follows:

  • Deicing chemicals such as magnesium chloride, calcium magnesium acetate or potassium acetate and agents that contain fertilizer ingredients such as ammonium sulfate and ammonium nitrate should never be used.
  • Calcium chloride impregnated sand can be used for deicing after the first year.
  • Coarse sand (minimum 1/8”) or small crushed aggregate can be used as an anti-skid material as long as the area is vacuumed after the winter season.
  • Snow plows should have a polyurethane edge when being used for snow removal.  Front end loaders or skid loaders should not be used.  Snow blowers are your best bet.











Other news articles from February 2015