Applying Performance Engineered Mixture Design to Permeable Concrete

The scope of research and application related to permeable pavements has recently broadened. The desire to significantly reduce the environmental impact of large paved areas makes the permeable pavement concept more desirable (American Concrete Institute, 2018). Although research and interest are increasing, the actual application of permeable pavement is still very limited and has not reached the airfield arena. In airfields, permeable pavement could possibly be used for aircraft aprons - which currently require substantial measures to control stormwater runoff. Permeable pavements are typically used in low-traffic-volume / lightly loaded applications; questions remain regarding a permeable pavement’s ability to hold the load of an aircraft. In the highways arena, there is a greater emphasis on pavement performance, resulting in a shift from prescriptive specifications to performance specifications for pavements (Ahlstrom, 2018). Performance Engineered Mixtures (PEM) are recently developed performance specifications proposed by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO, 2018). PEM’s specifications and new technology for testing aim to improve durability and increase sustainable efforts within concrete pavements. This project seeks to apply new PEM technology and testing to permeable concrete, and to assess the feasibility of applying permeable concrete to airfield pavements.