Effects of compaction on the properties of pervious concrete made with local aggregates

Abstract

The global shortage of regular construction materials has encouraged researchers to discover alternatives; crushed over-burnt brick aggregate (Cobba) has been found to be a suitable option. In this study, Cobba was used in pervious concrete (PC) and the effect of compaction on the properties of the PC was examined. PC needs to have a sufficient amount of voids, but is also expected to have some strength. This study particularly focused on this bi-functional aspect through several experimental tests. Compaction was carried out with a standard Proctor hammer by varying the number of blows. For larger aggregates, PC made with 40 compaction blows showed a compressive strength (CS) and porosity of about 12 MPa and 15%, respectively, whereas, for smaller aggregates, PC made with only 25 blows showed a CS of around 16 MPa and a porosity of about 18%. Based on porosity, permeability and CS, the optimum number of compaction blows is also identified for various sizes of coarse aggregates. Finally, statistical analysis is carried out and some equations are proposed to estimate the pore parameters and strength of the PC mix made with Cobba with an accuracy of about 97–98%.