Queen Anne’s County Public Works Initiates Pilot Project in Green Technology Using Pervious Concrete

Queen Anne’s County Department of Public Works in cooperation with the Maryland Ready Mix Concrete Association and Chaney Enterprises, hosted a Pervious Concrete Certification Workshop and Field Demonstration on May 30, 2008.  Over thirty contractors, technicians and engineers from across eastern Maryland participated in the event, which included a review course, examination and field-installation for contractor certification. 

 

Pervious concrete is a unique, cutting-edge application of stormwater management and sustainable development.  It is specifically designed and constructed with a void structure which allows rainwater to run through the pavement and seep into the ground below, thereby filtering & reducing runoff, recharging ground water and reducing the need for costly stormwater management devices.  Recognized as a green technology, pervious concrete is a Best Management Practice (BMP) recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the County’s newly completed Environmental Site Design (ESD) Manual for addressing stormwater regulations.

 

The pavement constructed at Public Works is among the finest examples of fully-functional pervious concrete in the State of Maryland and the first installed on the Eastern Shore.  The installation was selected to host industry research and testing on experimental curing materials and newly proposed ASTM testing standards.  A pilot project for Public Works, the pavement will be monitored for durability and performance over time.  The workshop and field demonstration was the first Installer Certification testing held in the State of Maryland.

 

Pervious concrete follows rain gardens, trapezoidal channels and other Best Management Practices implemented by Queen Anne’s County in an effort to lead with water quality measures designed to improve the Chesapeake Bay.