WALDORF, MD -- The Maryland Department of Natural Resources took a major step in sustaining the natural resources in Maryland, opting for environmentally-friendly pervious concrete paving during renovations at Tuckahoe State Park on the Eastern Shore. The 1,800 square feet of pervious concrete for handicapped parking and a walkway was installed and finished by Hyde Concrete of Annapolis. The project was completed in two days.
The Tuckahoe Creek, located along the border of Caroline and Queen Anne's County, runs the length of the park and is bordered by wetlands. In addition to its 60-acre lake for fishing and boating, the park includes 20 miles of scenic nature trails, campsites and pavilions. As the park is situated in low-lying areas, DNR faces the challenge of staying mindful of the environment, yet still needing to install and maintain paved surfaces for access to facilities. After observing how pervious concrete performed in other areas, the Maryland Park Service decided to go with pervious concrete for the specific areas in a recent renovation project, noted Tuckahoe State Park Ranger John Ohler.
"The Park Service is considering pervious concrete as an option for any new repair or construction paving project going forward. It is a wise option, because of its environmental benefits and green qualities, and so Maryland Park Service is always looking for more places to use pervious concrete," said Ohler.
Supplied by C&D Concrete, the pervious concrete pavement permits rain to pass through the pavement and directly into the soil which replenishes groundwater, eliminates runoff into local watersheds and satisfies EPA regulatory requirements.
Unlike asphalt, pervious and conventional concrete contains no petroleum-based materials. Composed of sand, gravel or stone, cement and water, concrete is made using materials that are generally mined locally.
