PERVIOUS CONCRETE — The concrete that drinks?

Luke Gascho, Executive Director of the Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center in Wolf Lake (Noble County) is excited about the Center’s new walkways. Merry Lea is one of the first places in this area of the state to incorporate this innovative new product into it’s facility.

Wood-Land-Lakes Coordinator Kathy Latz helped bring this product to our area of the state by suggesting the use of pervious concrete at Merry Lea to Rich Gardner of the Indiana Ready Mixed Concrete Association (IRMCA) and facilitating meetings between the two organizations.

Pervious concrete is concrete that allows water to flow through it, while still functioning as a conventional pavement. “It has been exciting to watch rain fall on the walkways and see it go straight through rather than running off,” Gascho commented. The concrete has a 15-25% void structure and allows 3-8 gallons of water per minute to pass through each square foot. This is far more than is generated during most rain events

IRMCA has hailed this as “The answer to many Phase II Stormwater Control Problems.” It has also been approved by the EPA as a Best Management Practice. Typically, if a soil type has sufficient percolation to support a septic tank system, it will be allowable for pervious concrete.

“I like the concept that the water runs through the concrete, which slows down the runoff,” said Gascho. “It also provides some filtering of the water as it passes through the concrete and six inches of gravel.”  Concrete pours in other areas of the country have proven that the concrete will hold up in more severe climates, and stand up to multiple freeze/thaw cycles.

If you visited the Indiana State Fair last year, you may have glimpsed this new product if you walked down the Indiana Conservation Partnership’s Pathway to Water Quality. The entrance showcased Pervious Concrete.

To learn more about pervious concrete and possible installation at your facility, see IRMCA’s website at www.irmca.com, talk to Kathy Latz at the Wood-Land-Lakes' office (260.665.3211, ext. 5), or visit the new walkways at the Merry Lea Center to see the finished product!