PSI - Issue 70

Charumathi Manickam et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 70 (2025) 564–571

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Traditional impermeable surfaces, such as concrete pavements, can aggravate stormwater runoff, resulting in problems including soil erosion, surface water buildup, and water pollution. Innovative techniques for sustainable drainage solutions have become more well-known to address these issues. Using Eco-friendly materials and pervious concrete is one such method for developing Eco-drainage systems. An essential component of modern drainage systems is environmentally friendly pervious concrete, a sustainable building material. Incorporating eco-friendly methods like pervious concrete will definitely increase the efficiency of drainage system. Using Recycled Concrete Aggregate reduces the need for virgin coarse aggregate, RCA provides strength very much close to virgin aggregate and it that way it reduces environmental emission 2. Evolution of drainage system Ancient drainage systems are a prime example of how inventive early societies were in controlling water resources for sustainable agriculture, wastewater treatment, and flood avoidance. These systems were mostly based on the principles of gravity flow, using a little incline to channel water toward disposal areas like rivers. Due to their longevity, locally produced materials like stone, clay, and burnt bricks were frequently utilized. To control groundwater levels, the design included subsurface drains composed of perforated pipes or clay tiles as well as surface drains, which were shallow ditches used to direct excess rainwater away from farms and communities. An early grasp of urban sanitation is highlighted by the notable development of complex sewage networks by ancient civilizations such as the Indus Valley Civilization, which connected individual homes to central drainage stations. Modern drainage engineering was made possible by these breakthroughs. Due to fast urbanization, population increase, and technical improvements, drainage systems experienced major design and construction advancements during the industrialization period. Stronger systems that could handle greater amounts of water were made possible by the introduction of long-lasting materials like cast iron, concrete, and steel, which replaced conventional clay and stone. Initially, combined sewer systems were used to manage sewage and stormwater in a single pipeline, but they frequently caused overflow problems during periods of high rainfall. As a result, discrete wastewater and stormwater management systems were created, improving sanitation. Later due to environmental impact sustainable and eco friendly drainage systems were adopted, one of which is Pervious concrete which aided in developing a drainage system for groundwater recharge. Figure 1 shows the recent advancement in drainage slab incorporating pervious concrete.

Fig. 1. Pervious concrete drainage slab (Source: compositeporousconcrete.com)

Pervious concrete gained popularity due to its environmental advantages, especially in stormwater management and lowering surface runoff in urban areas. A sustainable alternative is using porous concrete pavements, which reduce impervious surfaces, recharge groundwater, and lower the need for storm sewers, potentially reducing construction costs, by Nader Ghafoori et.al. (1995).