The conventional use of asphalt and concrete mixture is something which is commonly used for constructing roads and building pathways. Concrete is not eco-friendly and it is also not natural. The binding of the material is strong and stays for a long time but at the same time, it has many disadvantages. One of the major disadvantages is that it wastes the water falling on it and causes heat island effect. On uneven surfaces, if puddles form then the water does not percolate in the ground but stays there. This, in turn, harms the surface and the material wears off with time creating a fault.
Porous concrete materials and products are a new and natural way of building paths and roads. It does not harm the environment and the material used is eco-friendly. Porous concrete materials are applied in the same way as the conventional material. It excludes the fine grain which binds the concrete materials closely making it impermeable. The cement used is the same, but elimination of the fine particles makes the concrete porous. This permeability of the surface adds many advantages to it.
There are many characteristics of porous concrete materials and products but the main feature is the permeability i.e. it allows water to percolate through it. The seeping of water through the ground prevents water run-off. These porous concrete materials are not exactly like the permeable paving. They are not as porous as the permeable paving but are quite similar to them.
The Material used for Porous Concrete-
There are many materials used for making the concrete porous and permeable. Most of the materials are natural and recyclable. Combining all the materials in a proper ratio is an important part of the whole process. If the mixing of the elements is not calculated, the result achieved will not be useful. Therefore, the mixing process is done in many steps and more than one sample is made of the material. Different ratios of the materials are put together and samples are formed.
This is done because different places need different types of porous concrete. It depends on the environmental condition of the place and the climate it experiences. Silica fume, fly ash, and blast furnace are some of the materials used in porous concrete materials and products. All these products are recyclable and are naturally obtained.
Places of Application-
Porous concrete materials and products are widely used for building pathways. These are modern-day enhancements, which have been developed to benefit the environment. The conventional asphalt concrete, which is impermeable has replaced the porous concrete materials. The permeable pavement system is used for pedestrian footpath and elevation in front of the buildings and apartments. Garden pathways and indoor pathways of houses are being made of permeable paving. In the same way, the roads and tracks are being made out of porous concrete.
These porous concrete materials and products are advantageous in another way which is the heat island effect. The heat island effect is the temperature effect on the ground. Open areas in the cities and towns experience direct sunlight. The conventional concrete and asphalt do not have spaces between the particles. Therefore, there is no space for air to pass through. This results in the rise in temperature of the area and causes heat island effect. The porous concrete prevents this from happening, as the particles have space between one another. And, the heat gets transferred to the ground.
Conclusion-
The porous concrete materials and products are more or less similar to the conventional materials only with the difference that they are permeable. Therefore, they are beneficial to the environment. There are many advantages of it but the labor cost in building such roads or tracks are almost similar. They look better and lasts longer than the conventional asphalt and concrete materials.
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