2006 Washington Aggregates and Concrete Association award winners -- Seattle DJC.COM

Sustainable Merit

Photo courtesy CMI Homebuilders

Pervious concrete soaks up water, eliminating the need for conventional storm water detention systems.

Stratford Place

Location: Sultan, Snohomish County
Owner/developer: CMI Homebuilders
Project team: CMI Homebuilders, general contractor; Pervious Concrete Inc., concrete contractor; Smokey Point Concrete, ready-mix supplier

This 20-home development in Sultan is being hailed as possibly the first of its kind in the state to use pervious concrete storm water technology for all of its interior roadways, parking areas, sidewalks and driveways.

Pervious concrete is a two-part system, consisting of the concrete pavement and a coarse gravel retention layer for storm water storage.

Using pervious concrete allows the development to exceed local storm water management regulations by eliminating untreated storm water and creating a zero runoff site. It also allows for direct recharge of rain water to ground water.

The developer saved about $260,000 by eliminating storm water catch basins, piping to detention areas and a detention vault. The system also allowed two more lots to be developed where the detention vault and associated structures would have been. Those lots are valued at $100,000 each.