Thirsty concrete

I just saw this video on Facebook and have no idea if it is nontoxic but it is a very interesting product making a multitude of ideas flash in my head integrating it into permaculture new site construction.
https://www.facebook.com/techinsider/videos/419013808296981/

I look at hard surfaces as an opportunity to concentrate water that can be captured.

 In both the spring and fall, I have many freeze-thaw cycles on a daily basis. I seriously doubt that a porous concrete would last very long in my situation. Frost is a very powerful thing and would probably blow it apart in a few seasons, the same as it does with porous bricks.

Tree root heaving, is always a problem around here. One thing that can reduce this is having a very dry environment under pavement. The porous material allows for aeration and water infiltration. Both of these properties would tend to encourage tree roots to develop under the material.

Skip - Interesting material. For those who are reluctant to click annoymous links on the tinterweb... the video shows a cement mixer emptying a large amount of water directly onto an asphalt carpark. The water is draining away within seconds through the surface. Id does look interesting, but there are some limitations not obvious in the video.

This cannot be used where there is a risk of frost - frost shattering will trash the surface in no time.

Porous surfaces are not as durable, so cannot take hard wear from traffic. You wouldn't be able to use this where vehicles turned, for example. It would still be pretty good in pedestrian areas.

The pores will fill with silt and sediment - likelyhood is the water drainage would be severely compromised within a year or two, depending on local dust conditions.

The big one for me - this same function (water infiltration) can be designed in using ponds, pools and ditches leading to a richer environment than a slab of hard surface.

In a large expanse of hard surface,   such as at the grocery store or mall, I could see this material being useful in narrow strips. It would be like a swale in an urban environment.

 If it's totally surrounded by other paving, then tree roots would not be a problem.

 A strip of gravel can serve the same purpose,  but would be a little more messy.

Dale Hodgins wrote:In a large expanse of hard surface,   such as at the grocery store or mall, I could see this material being useful in narrow strips. It would be like a swale in an urban environment.

Like a pavement... although to be effective as drainage you would want your hard surfaces to slope towards the porous, and I'm not sure your pedestrians would appreciate rivers of water flowing towards their feet.

This is most certainly not for use in areas that experience temperatures below freezing. Frost heave will absolutely destroy it. But in my past experience in South Florida, the subtropics/tropics have been the areas that have vast excess amounts of rain water that needs to be shed quickly without causing erosion.