Evolution of Pervious Concrete Pavement at the Ministry of Transportation Ontario, Canada

As part of the Ministry of Transportation Ontario (MTO) drive to pursue innovation and have the “greenest” roads in North America, MTO is actively pursuing the use of pervious concrete pavement. Pervious concrete provides many environmental benefits and is recognized as a stormwater management best practice. There is also strong interest from the Ontario municipal sector, conservation authorities and “green” innovators in rapidly incorporating pervious concrete into their designs. The Ministry is currently investigating and trying to address concerns with pervious pavement durability, the potential for clogging, impact of traditional winter maintenance practices and users’ acceptance of surface finish. The Ministry of Transportation Ontario (MTO) has completed two pervious concrete commuter parking lots and is currently working on a third. Field performance, construction practices and test methods are being studied for their effectiveness. Based on MTO experiences to date, an Ontario Provincial Standard Specification has been developed. This paper summarizes the construction observations, lessons learned and laboratory performance data from the Ministry’s work to date.