Pervious Concrete as an Alternative for Non-structural Drainage to the Amazon Region: From Properties to Applications in Watersheds

Abstract

The urbanization process of the urban centers in the Amazon occurred quickly and without planning. Belém, one of the main cities in the region, suffers from intense flooding due to urbanization growth and the disorderly occupation of floodplains. The objective was to evaluate the producing of pervious concrete that meets the mechanical and hydraulic performance criteria for permeable pavement molded on site and to simulate the replacement of the entire public walkway system of a hydrographic basin in Belém in order to verify if this measure would alter the permeability of the basin and meet minimum requirements of at least 25% permeable area. The properties of three mixtures of pervious concrete with aggregates of different grading were evaluated. The permeability and flexural strength of all blends were higher than the minimum required for use as a permeable pavement for light vehicle traffic. The simulation showed that replacement of the public walkway by permeable pavement increased the permeable area of the watershed from 19 to 23%, changing from a poor condition to an acceptable level. The results indicate the potential to improve the performance of drainage systems through the wider use of permeable pavement associated with traditional structural measures.