Mechanical Properties of Granite-Gravel Porous Concrete

Abstract

The need for porous concrete has become increased due its ability to control surface water, increase the rate of recharging groundwater, and reduce pollution of the ecosystem. Granite is a coarse aggregate that is quite expensive when compared with gravel in Nigeria. Therefore, this research is aimed at optimizing blended granite and gravel in the production of porous concrete. Samples of blended granite-gravel porous concrete of varying mix proportions were produced using cement to aggregate mix ratio of 1:4. The samples were tested for their porosity, workability and compressive strengths. The data collected were analyzed with the aid of Design Expert 10.0. It was observed that the optimal combination for the granite-gravel blended porous concrete is 12% granite, 88% gravel, and a water-cement ratio of 0.66%. This combination gave a porous concrete with a compressive strength of 48.4 N/mm2, percentage porosity of 6% and a compacting factor of 0.91. These values when compared to that of the control specimen revealed that the optimal mix gave a porous concrete with higher porosity, higher workability and a better compressive strength.