Microscopic Factors Affecting the Performance of Pervious Concrete

Abstract

The impacts of various aggregate particle sizes and cement contents on the internal structure of pervious concrete were investigated. Accordingly, test blocks with different aggregate particle sizes and cement contents were dissected and photographed. Subsequently, the captured images were processed using the ImageJ software (1.53i) to analyze the profiles of the test blocks and identify the internal mesoscopic parameters of the pervious concrete. This study discusses the relationship between microscopic parameters and macroscopic factors based on experimental results. It also fits functional equations linking the permeability coefficient with pore parameters, matrix parameters, and compressive strength. The results indicated that, as the aggregate size increased, the internal pore diameter of the pervious concrete increased, whereas the total area and width of the cement matrix decreased. This resulted in a low permeability coefficient and high compressive strength of the test block. Increasing the cement content in pervious concrete reduced the porosity and increased the width and area of the internal matrix. Consequently, the permeability coefficient decreased, and the compressive strength of the test block increased.