Hydraulic Performance of Pervious Concrete Based on Small Size Aggregates

Abstract

The paper aims to study the impact of clogging on pervious concrete mixes and explore a simple method to calculate permeability and clogging using the falling head method in a fabricated unit. The materials used are cementitious materials and aggregates, along with superplasticizers. The cementitious materials used are OPC Grade 53 cement and micro Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (μGGBS). Two separate narrow aggregate gradations are used: 2.36–4.75 mm and 4.75–6.30 mm. The water-binder ratio is taken as 0.25, and the aggregate-binder ratio is taken as 3.33. The compressive strength, permeability, and clogging potential of pervious concrete are calculated. The average permeability for 2.36–4.75 mm and 4.75–6.3 mm is 4.78 mm/s and 8.16 m/s, respectively. The clogging materials used are clay and sand with a concentration of 5 g/l. The introduction of clay slurry reduces the permeability by 69.8% and 74.9%, respectively, and with sand, it decreases by 74.7% and 71.7%, respectively, in its first cycle. The permeability response for such small aggregates is different from the standard coarse aggregates. The paper compares the study’s compressive strength, porosity, and permeability with the existing literature. It concludes that the maximum clogging occurs when the clogging material is introduced to the specimen for the first time. The degradation of permeability depends on the clogging particle’s particulate size and the concrete matrix’s pore size. The smaller aggregates in pervious concrete are not recommended in areas of high siltation.