Pervious Concrete, Inc.

Michael Bledsoe (President)
206-940-8900 (Mobile)
425-308-5555 (Office)
206-525-2800 (Fax)
mbledsoe@perviouscrete.com

 Pervious Concrete, Inc.
P.O. Box 1579
Snohomish,
WA 98291-1579

2008 WACA Excellence in Concrete Construction (EIC) Award

PCI received its second "Excellence In Concrete" award from the Washington Aggregates and Concrete Association (WACA) at the industry's annual banquet on May 1, 2008.  The award was a tie for second place in the Sustainable Merit Category.

Each year, WACA formally recognizes professional accomplishments in the outstanding use of Ready Mix Concrete throughout Washington State.

This year, our award was for a project at the West Hylebos Wetlands Park.

West Hylebos Wetlands Park

This project is not about land development.  In fact, it is just the opposite.  This project is about non-development and preservation.

Hylebos Wetlands Park is located amidst the sprawl of Federal Way, Washington's fifth largest and one of its fastest growing cities.  It is a primeval forest bog surrounded by arterials, residential housing and commercial development.

This park is one of the region's most unusual natural treasures.  It is one of five or fewer such bogs left in the entire Puget Trough.  The West Hylebos contains every kind of wetland there is, from cedar swamp to open marsh, while its predominant type is peat bog.  It is a living conservatory of a broad range of rare or locally rare plants, animals, and birds with an unusually rich diversity of individual species. 

The Hylebos is a fragile, pristine oasis of natural beauty has been protected by its designation as a part of the Washington State Park system, then as a Federal Way City Park, and now it is protected by pervious concrete.

In 2006, the Federal Way Parks Department undertook an eco-friendly project to provide Hylebos with a parking lot that would not threaten the health of the wetlands with storm water runoff and pollutants from the visitor cars. The new parking lot was constructed with pervious concrete which allows water to filter through it down to a soil layer that naturally breaks down the pollutants, thereby protecting this precious natural area. This pervious concrete also reduces flooding and means cleaner water for the West Hylebos Wetlands and Hylebos Creek.


Denny Building

The environmentally friendly elements of the park show the City's commitment to taking care of the environment and its parks.  The structural engineering firm of ESM Consulting Engineers, LLC specified pervious concrete for the parking lot.  Pervious Concrete, Inc. was selected to install the pervious concrete, and in turn Pervious Concrete, Inc. selected Miles Sand and Gravel for the pervious concrete mix.

Most of the time, concrete products are associated with the construction of something new, such as developments, buildings, structures, or pavements.

At Hylebos, the pervious concrete is associated with protecting something old.  In addition to the natural wetlands in the park, two of the oldest buildings in Western Washington are located right next to the pervious concrete parking lot.  The larger building is one that David Denny used for a real estate office in the 1880s.  The smaller building is called the Barker Cabin which is the oldest 19th century building the historical society could find still standing in the Federal Way area.

At Hylebos, pervious concrete was used for a pure reason.  At Hylebos, pervious concrete is used to protect a fragile, pristine natural environment rather to gain points toward approval of a new project.  When the environment needs protection for its own sake, pervious concrete is the product of choice.

Pervious Concrete vs. Asphalt
Pervious Concrete vs. Asphalt

Quarter Illustrating Pervious Concrete
Quarter Illustrating Pervious Concrete