Assessment of innovative dented sheet liner on the improvement of hydraulic properties of pervious concrete pile

Abstract

The Pervious Concrete Pile (PCP) is a technique that has emerged as an innovative method to improve radial consolidation and the bearing capacity of soft soils. The PCP, a stiffer vertical column (pile), has voids on the surface that accelerate the radial consolidation and eventually improve soft soils' bearing capacity. Since the PCP is stiffer material, the performance does not depend on the confined soil, unlike other drains. As the rate of radial consolidation hinges on the drain's hydraulic conductivity, ensuring the permeability of PCP along its total length is essential. An innovative method of dented sheet liner has been introduced in this study to improve the hydraulic conductivity of PCP. This method was introduced to create surface roughness and regular voids along the length of PCP. Malleable material like aluminium has been dented with specified patterns as a liner on the inner surface and introduced along with conventional formwork, which shall be removed after the concrete's final setting time. A series of laboratory experiments such as compressive strength, split tensile strength, porosity, and falling head permeability tests were performed on PCP cast using dented sheet liners. The results were compared with the conventional PCP properties to establish the efficiency of dented sheet liner in improving the hydraulic conductivity of pervious concrete. The results show that using dented sheet liners, the hydraulic properties porosity and permeability of PCP have been increased up to 22.5% and 79%, respectively, with minimum reduction in the strength parameters.