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Using Pervious Concrete for Managing Storm Water Run-off in Urban

Neighborhoods: Case of Amman

Article · April 2015

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American International Journal of Contemporary Research Vol. 5, No. 2; April 2015

Using Pervious Concrete for Managing Storm Water Run-off in Urban

Neighborhoods: Case of Amman

Dania M. Abdel-Aziz
Department of Architecture
The University of Jordan
Amman 11942 Jordan
Duaa O. Al-Maani
Department of Architecture
The University of Jordan
Amman 11942 Jordan

Wael Al-Azhari, Ph.D.

Chairman / Department of Architecture
The University of Jordan
Amman 11942 Jordan

Abstract
Pervious concrete is a new concrete with high porosity which usually used for flat work applications in order to
allow water to pass through it, and by that it reduces the volume of direct water runoff from a site and increases
the quality of storm water and water pollution. Due to the high flow rate of water through Pervious concrete
pavement, rainfall can be captured and percolate into the ground, recharging groundwater, supporting
sustainable construction, reducing storm-water runoff, and providing a solution for construction that is sensitive
to environmental concerns. In urban areas especially where the land is very expensive, Pervious concrete
pavement and its sub-base may provide a good amount of water storage capacity which eliminates the need for
precipitation runoff containment strategies. This study examines the advantages of using such material to
maximize storm-water, minimize flooding and improve water filtration in Jordan by replacing a selected parking
lot area in the University of Jordan campus with Pervious concrete. The findings of this research support that
using Pervious surfaces in storm-water management is a sustainable and yet environment friendly way of water-
storming.
Keywords: Porous concrete; ImPervious surfaces; Permeable pavement; Storm water; Water quality; University
of Jordan
1. Introduction
The most widely used construction material is concrete. Modern concrete is more than simply a mixture of
cement, water, and aggregates; it contains more often mineral components, chemical admixtures, fibers, etc. The
development of these smart concrete results from the emergence of a new science of concrete and a new science
of admixtures. Concrete should evolve in the respect of the environment within a sustainable development
perspective, which means increasing the life cycle of concrete structures (Aı̈ tcin, 2000).
Many cities over the world are facing an increased neighborhood, both residential and commercial, thus the
natural water balance is altered. Storm-water management has become an important issue for municipalities and
cities. In built environments with a significant amount of imPervious surfaces and pavements, storm-water
reaches the receiving water bodies much faster, in greater volume and carries more pollutants than natural
conditions. With larger volume of surface runoff, replenishment of groundwater reduces and base flow of the
stream also decreases.

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Rapid urbanization puts pressure on cities, engineers, and researchers to explore different ways to reduce the
imPervious surfaces and to deal with storm-water management in a sustainable and environment friendly way
(Gupta and Kim, 2011).
Recent amendments to the Clean Water Act in 1999, which requires reducing the quantity of storm-water runoff
and initial water quality treatment, increased interest in developing new porous pavement materials and enhancing
the properties of currently used materials.
This research aims to identify the use of Previous Concrete in order to reduce the storm-water runoff in Jordan
and to control water pollution. It also aims to develop a base for new techniques in using Previous Concrete for
flatworks, e.g. paving roads, sidewalks or any non-structural components.
Jordan is facing a growing demand for water correlated with continuous temperature increasing and unstable
precipitation patterns that will affect the quantity and quality of water. Jordan must implement new strategies in
order to overcome these environmental challenges (UNDP, 2013). As more imPervious surfaces are added to the
landscape, such as rooftops, roads, and parking lots, more storm-water runoff is achieved. More storm-water
runoff means less rain infiltrates into the ground, thus worsening the effects of drought.
As storm-water flows across imPervious surfaces, it collects various pollutants (e.g. oil, excess nutrients, harmful
bacteria). Polluted storm water runs and pours in storm drains affecting aquatic ecosystems and drinking water
supplies. Sooner or later it will cost money, costs for a new well, higher water rates, or expensive environmental
restoration required by clean water regulations.
Pervious concrete allows water to flow through it freely. The primary goal of this research is to implement
sustainable ways to recharging groundwater, decrease storm-water runoff, improve the quality of water and
reduce flooding in winter season. Using Pervious concrete for flatworks construction such as; parking lots,
sidewalks and secondary roads in Jordan will contribute to achieve this. Figure (1, 2) illustrates flooding in
parking lots within Jordan University campus.
This research followed two main assumptions; Using Pervious concrete will help in reducing the overall runoff
from an area and will help in reducing the level of pollution contained in runoff.
Figures (1, 2): Flooding in Parking Areas in Jordan University Campus

Source: (http://mr.arabiaweather.com/)

2. Theoretical Background
2.1. Pervious Concrete
Porous pavement is found to be an effective measure to mitigate the impact of urbanization on the environment
and to develop a more environmentally friendly infrastructure. It will not require any additional space; in parking
lots, sidewalks, and driveways and yet provides multiple benefits, i.e. promotes infiltration, reduces peak flows
and runoff volume, improves water quality, and reduces thermal pollution, thus helping to maintain ecological
balance (Gupta and Kim, 2011).

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Using such materials which allow water to leak into the ground (see Figure (3)), helps contribute to the ground
water table and reduces the impact on the storm water drains. One such material that can be used to construct
porous pavements and porous urban surfaces is “Pervious concrete.” This type of concrete has high permeability
and can replace asphalt or low permeability concrete used for non-structural components in our urban built
environments (Gupta and Kim, 2011).

Figure (3): Pervious Concrete Cylinder Showing Water Passing Through

Source: (Obla, 2007)

2.2. Materials
Pervious concrete, mainly consists of the usual Portland cement, water and coarse aggregates (either single-sized
coarse or grading between 19 and 9.5 mm). It also contains a paste to fill the voids. These ingredients give
concrete a porosity of 15 to 35%. Typical Pervious concrete mix designs used in the United States consists of
cement, single-sized coarse aggregate, and a water to cement ratio ranging from 0.27 to 0.43 (Sriravindrarajah et.
al, 2013).
Pervious concrete can be made without chemical admixtures, but it is not uncommon to find several types of
chemical admixtures added to influence the performance in a favorable manner (Tennis et al., 2004) (Obla, 2007)
(Cheng et al., 2011). Moreover, it is possible to change in the mix design for Pervious concrete to allow the use of
recycled concrete as aggregates and industrial wastes, e.g. silica fume (Gupta and Kim, 2011).
2.3. Applications
Pervious concrete was first used in 1852, but it started to gain interest recently because of Federal Clean Water
Legislation in the USA. This legislation forces municipalities to develop and implement strategies which include
a combination of structural and/or non-structural best management practices (BMPs) (Ravindrarajah Yukari,
2010).
Other applications that take advantage of the high flow rate through Pervious concrete include drainage media for
hydraulic structures, parking lots, tennis courts, and greenhouses. Its high porosity gives it other useful
characteristics; it is thermally insulating (for example, in walls of buildings) and has good acoustical properties
for sound barrier walls.
Most of the reported use of Pervious concrete in the USA is in pavements and sidewalks, but in Europe it has
another function as it used as a structural material (Malhotra 1976). Applications include walls for two-story
houses, load-bearing walls for high-rise buildings (up to 10 stories), in fill panels for high-rise buildings, sea
groins, roads, and parking lots. Table (1) lists examples of applications for which Pervious concrete has been used
successfully.

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Table (1): Applications for Pervious Concrete

Low-volume pavements Tree grates in sidewalks
Residential roads, alleys, and driveways Well linings
Sidewalks, pathways and patios Artificial reefs
Parking lots Hydraulic structures
Low water crossings Swimming pool decks
Tennis courts Pavement edge drains
Foundations/floors for greenhouses and zoos Groins and seawalls
Sub-base for conventional concrete pavements Slope stabilization
Source: (Tennis et al., 2004)
2.4. Properties
As mentioned before, differences in Pervious concrete mix and its placement techniques demonstrate a wide range
of compressive strength, void ratio, and permeability. The properties of Pervious concrete (void ratio,
compressive strength, unit weight, permeability and flexural strength) are summarized in Table (2) (Suleiman et
al., 2006).
Table 2: Pervious Concrete Properties from the Literature

Source: (Suleiman et al., 2006)

*NA = not available
2.5. Requirements
Pervious concrete requires appropriate construction technique in order to ensure its structural adequacy, hydraulic
performance, and minimum clogging potential since it has a relatively stiff consistency. The use of a vibrating
screed is important for optimum density and strength. After screeding, the material usually is compacted with a
steel pipe roller. Tools like bullfloats, darbies, etc. cannot be used in finishing Pervious concrete because those
tools tend to seal the surface. Joints, if used, may be formed soon after consolidation, or installed using
conventional sawing equipment. Curing with plastic sheeting must start immediately after placement and should
continue for at least seven days (Tennis et al. 2004).
2.6. Advantages
Pervious concrete system can have many impacts on the environment including (Sustainable Concrete Canada,
Ltd.);
 Eliminating the high cost of underground piping systems.
 Helping healthy tree growth without breaking pavement surfaces since it allows water, air and nutrients to pass
to tree roots.
 Increasing the quantity of water retained on site and penetrate into aquifers thus promoting healthy water levels
which sustain our streams and drinking water.
 Eliminating the expense of curbs and gutters while making sites more handicap accessible.

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 Preventing pollutants from reaching watercourses which frequantly occur with regular storm water systems
during heavy rainfall events.
 Reducing the heat island effect common with development in urban areas when conventional pavement systems
are utilized.
 The use of Pervious concrete may lead to LEED credits since it reduces storm water pollution at the source,
eliminate or reduce the size of storm sewers, and control storm water runoff.
 According to Tennis et al (2004) Pervious concrete play a noticeable role in reducing noise, minimizing the heat
island effect in large cities, and improving skid resistance.
2.7. Challenges (Disadvantages)
Many problems related to the pervious concrete need to be studied in order to improve its performance and life,
Such as (Gupta and Kim, 2011):
 Clogging: sometimes small sized material such as sand and dirt which carried by storm water, may reduce the
effectiveness of the drainage and permeability of the concrete. This issue can be solved by repeated power
washing the slabs in order to unclog the concrete pores.
 Abrasion resistance: Pervious concrete has poorer mechanical properties than conventional concert. Pervious
concrete is oversensitive to abrasion failure caused by the surface course being worn off or crushed under traffic
loads.
 Freeze and thaw: If Pervious concrete is exposed to very low temperature, there is a big chance that the concrete
would undergo extensive freeze-thaw cycles if the placement was fully saturated. This may cause pressure on
the thin cement paste surrounding the aggregates and accordingly loss of durability. Recently, many researchers
such as Kevern et al, (2008) are developing this kind of concrete to overcome this challenge.
2.8. Environmental Benefits
As mentioned earlier, Pervious concrete pavement provide a useful storm-water management tool since it collects
oil, anti-freeze, and other automobile fluids that can be washed into streams, lakes, and oceans when it rains.
Moreover, Pervious concrete collects what is known as the “first flush” of rainfall and “treat” the pollution prior
to release.
Due to its environmental benefits; it helps earning a credit point in the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership
in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). It also helps in lowering heat island effects in urban areas due to
two main points; the amount of absorbed heat from solar radiation is smaller than usual pavements (since its light
color), and the relatively open pore structure of Pervious concrete stores less heat (Ibid).
Pervious concrete pavement is ideal for protecting trees in a paved context; since Pervious concrete surfaces
prevent air and water getting to the roots and adjacent trees while permitting full use of the pavement.

3. Methodology
This section presents the methodology of the research. It consists of four sections; the first section presents data
collection procedures. The second section identifies the variables of the research. Data analysis is mentioned in
the third section and the fourth section discusses the scope and limitations of the research.
3.1. Data Collection Procedures
Setting and Process; firstly a suitable area in the JU campus will be selected in order to do the research, the
reason for choosing this area lies in its information-richness with respect to the purposes of the study; since
dimensions, area and rainfall average are easy to obtain. Then Concrete and asphalt will be replaced by previous
concrete on parking lots, concrete pavement, sidewalk and pathways with the 15-35 % void ratio. Finally, climatic
data of Amman and specifically the Jordan University area will be collected, listed in the Figure (4) below
(highlighted in yellow):

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Figure (4): Mean Monthly and Yearly Rainfall Amount, mm

3.2. Variables of the Research

Dependent variables: Water Runoff.
Independent variables: (1) Site dimensions and area, (2) Climatic variables: Latitude and longitude position,
Rainfall (listed in Figure (10)).
Constant variables: Previous Concrete void ratio (15 -35) %
3.3. Site Details
The site is a parking lot area located in front of Admission and Registration Unit, inside the JU Campus as shown
in Figure (5). Schematic illustration of the site is illustrated in Figure (6).
Figure (5): Site Location on JU Campus

Source: Google earth

Figure (6): Schematic of Selected Parking

Source: Researchers.
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3.4. Construction Process

The construction of the site will be accomplished in three major phases: excavation and asphalt removal, sub-base
fill, and the concrete placement.
1. Excavation: The existing asphalt (44.35m * 61.91m) as shown in Figure (7) below will be cut to form straight
edges. The site will be excavated to 30cm deep from the top of the asphalt surface. Area A and B are 0.5m
outside the parking boundaries. Area A and B will be excavated also to accommodate a water collection
system.
Figure (7): Schematic of Selected parking with area A & B

Source: Researchers
Sets of perforated pipes will be placed under area A and B, As illustrated in Figure (8). Then the site will be filled
with 15cm thick pervious concrete slab. The pipes (as illustrated in Figure (9)) are 7.5 cm diameter, 20cm length,
and made from PVC with two rows of perforations for each of the pipes. The spacing of the perforations is 15cm
apart, and the perforations themselves are approximately 1.25cm diameter. The perforated pipes will be located
above the excavated area (A+B). These pipes will lead through connections reaching a holding tank for the
infiltrated water.
Figure (8): Schematic Section Showing the Placement of Perforated Pipes under area A/b

Source: http://www.sci.sdsu.edu/SERG/techniques/subirrigation.html

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Figure (9): PVC Perforated Drain Pipe

Source: http://www.lifeandhome.com/perforated-pvc-sewer-and-drain-pipe-4-x-10-feet.html

2. Sub-base fill: Once the excavation is complete, 15cm of fractured clear crush with a maximum aggregate size
will be set above the sub-grade. This layer should be compacted and measured to gain a uniform depth
throughout the placement. This layer is important as it acts as a storage medium and as a filtration system for
water passing through the Pervious concrete and as a sub-base for receiving the Pervious concrete layer. See
Figure (10).
Figure (10): Sechmatic Section Showing the Layers of the Proposed Parking Ground

Source: http://www.mandalaconcrete.com/Perviousconcrete.htm
3. Concrete placement: The Pervious concrete will be brought from Lafarge Concrete Jordan. The properties of
the concrete mix as reported by the supplier are given in Table (3). A 15 cm of Pervious concrete will be
placed on top of the compacted clear crush, see Figure (10).
Table (3): Properties of Pervious Concrete.
Strength (MPa) Slump (mm) Nominal MSA Void Content
(mm) (%)
Flexural Compressive 150 14 15-30%
1-3 MPa 10-25MPa

Source: (LCJ, 2013)

4. Data analysis
4.1. Calculations and Measurements
Rainfall in University of Jordan, as shown in Figure (10), is 476mm, the area of the parking lot, as shown in
Figure (13), is 2745.71 m2. Then the rainfall in the selected area will be 1306.96 m3. While the chosen
permeability of Pervious concrete is 30%- derived from the company specification as shown in Table (4) - the
volume of the collected water will be 392.1 m3.

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Wc = A* Rf * PCpermeability
- Wc : Collected water
- A: site area
- Rf : Rainfall
- PCpermeability : permeability of Pervious Concrete

Pervious concrete is approximately 4%-15% higher than regular concrete (Justice, 2008), but higher installation
costs can be off-set by elimination of the need for regular drainage system (curbs, gutters, storm drains and large
retention ponds).
5. Conclusions
Using Pervious concrete will contribute to improving storage capacity at the University of Jordan campus; since
the selected parking lot with 2746m2 area is capable of collecting about 392 m3, this also will definitely reduce
flooding and maximize water filtration. Although the selected site is small and flat without giving consideration
to slope and topography but it is a useful indication to measure the efficiency of using the previous concrete on
larger scale areas. But water pollution calculations and the "first flush" are neglected in our study since they are
hard to monitor.
Thus Pervious concrete surfaces can improve safety during rainstorms by eliminating ponding and glare at night,
spraying, and risk of hydroplaning.

References
Aı̈ tcin, P. C. (2000), Cements of yesterday and today: concrete of tomorrow. Cement and Concrete
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Cheng, A., Hsu, H. M., Chao, S. J., and Lin, K. L. (2011), Experimental study on properties of Pervious concrete
made with recycled aggregate. International Journal of Pavement Research and Technology, 4(2).
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Urban Neighborhoods: A Pilot Study. Third International Conference on Sustainable Construction
Materials and Technologies.http://www.claisse.info/Proceedings.htm
Justice, K. (2008), Pervious Concrete The Concrete That Drinks. Pervious Concrete Contractor
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