Analysis of the Properties of Compacted and Uncompacted Permeable Concrete, for its application in road structures

Abstract

This research was to analyze and compare the characteristics of pervious concrete with a design compressive strength of 260 kg/cm2 with a total of 10 different mixtures such as: 8 concrete mixtures (4 compacted and 4 uncompacted, with coarse aggregate (3/8”, 1/2” and 3/4”) excluding fine aggregate); and 2 mixtures (1 compacted and 1 uncompacted, with 3/4” coarse aggregate and 10% fine aggregate), producing a total of 32 permeable concrete specimens. In addition, 3 standard specimens of conventional concrete with 1/2” aggregate measuring 15cm x 30cm were produced, with the same design strength. Subsequently, after 28 days of age, permeability and indirect tensile strength tests were performed on the 35 specimens. The results showed significant variations in terms of permeability and tensile strength in the compacted and uncompacted specimens. In conclusion, this study provides a series of alternatives for the design of permeable concrete which can be used according to the specific requirements of each project. However, the analysis with respect to conventional concrete reveals that the most suitable permeable concrete to meet the structural requirements would be non-compacted concrete with 1/2” coarse aggregate and 3/8” without fine aggregate, which in turn ensure an adequate permeability coefficient.