Pervious concrete is a low impact, environmentally friendly and sustainable paving option for low volume, low speed applications. Pervious concrete has been in use in warm climates for decades however use in freezethaw
climates such as Canada has been limited. The Centre for Pavement and Transportation Technology (CPATT) at the University of Waterloo, the Cement Association of Canada and industry members have partnered
together to advance and better understand the performance of pervious concrete in Canada. The project includes laboratory and field testing at locations across Canada. The ability to produce a material that will
continue to perform in the future is the goal and is being evaluated from the material selection stage through to rehabilitation methods. Material choices and construction methods are being analyzed in current placements to determine what techniques produce sustainable pervious concrete. Performance in the field and accelerated testing in the laboratory is ongoing to assess the effects of freeze-thaw cycles, various loading and
winter maintenance. Permeability rehabilitation techniques are being carried out on the field test areas and the results will be essential in planning future maintenance programs. The permeability of the test sites is presented in this paper including rehabilitation methods used to increase the permeability rates. The methods evaluated to date are simple and practical for personal use to larger scale applications. Rinsing of the surface using a low pressure water source proved to be effective in renewing permeability without damaging the surface. Sweeping of the surface alone or in conjunction with other rehabilitation methods was effective as well. The sites included in this project are performing well with no distresses developing due to freeze-thaw cycling at this time. Distress development appears to be a function of mix design characteristics and construction practices, which are both providing valuable information for the future use of pervious concrete pavement in Canada. The objective of this project is to develop a sustainable pervious concrete that is suitable for the Canadian freeze-thaw climate.