A new study published in the International Journal of Pavement Engineering explores the potential of a specialized type of concrete to mitigate the urban heat island (UHI) effect. The research, titled “Experimental investigation of the performance of lightweight pervious concrete for pavement applications,” focuses on a solution that integrates lightweight aggregates and phase change materials (PCMs) into pervious concrete. This combination creates a thermal energy storage system within pavements, which could help regulate temperatures in bustling urban environments and reduce associated problems like increased energy use and air pollution.
The comprehensive study, led by Emad Yaghmour and a team of researchers, examined the effects of lightweight aggregates on the mechanical and thermal properties of pervious concrete. The team tested various concrete mixes, altering factors like aggregate type, replacement ratios, and water-to-cement ratios to understand how these variables affect the concrete’s performance. They discovered that while using aggregates with a higher crushing resistance—like LWA2—decreased the concrete’s compressive strength and other mechanical properties, it significantly increased its thermal energy storage capacity.
According to the findings, this type of lightweight pervious concrete is best suited for low-traffic applications such as sidewalks, bicycle paths, and urban squares. The study demonstrated that the mix containing LWA2 exhibited the highest thermal storage capacity. This promising result suggests that this innovative material could play a key role in making cities more sustainable and comfortable by acting as a passive temperature regulator.
Read the full paper here: https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/GIDC4WTMSSYKGQBSSIFZ/full?target=10.1080/10298436.2025.2531193#abstract