An understanding of the mechanical response of pervious concretes as a function of material design and
pore structure parameters is essential for effective utilization of this material. A methodology to proportion
pervious concrete mixtures of desired porosity using high or low cement paste contents is provided
in this paper along with the compressive response of these mixtures. The compressive stress–strain relationships
demonstrate: (i) a consistent trend of decreasing peak stresses and strains at peak stress with
increasing porosity, (ii) a reduction in strains at peak stresses with reducing paste contents, and (iii) a
rapid drop in the post-peak response with reducing porosity. The compressive energy absorbed by the
pervious concrete specimens is found to scale linearly with compressive strength and can be related to
the porosity and critical pore sizes in the material.