Clogging phenomenon in Pervious Concrete (PC): A systematic literature review

Abstract

Pervious concrete (PC) has gained important ground in civil construction in recent years due to its advantages in managing surface runoff. Numerous studies have been developed to characterize the material mechanically and hydraulically and verify compliance with standards. However, there are still some gaps in the knowledge about the hydraulic behavior of PC over time and how its properties vary with the materials that may accumulate in the internal pores. This last phenomenon is known as clogging and is one of the main factors to cause the loss of hydraulic serviceability of this material. This hinders its diffusion around the world since the process of this phenomenon is neither completely known nor contemplated in the standards. Therefore, considering these gaps in knowledge, this review intends to clarify the most important aspects of the phenomenon of clogging and contribute to the knowledge of the mechanism of permeability decrease of the material. Moreover, this paper seeks to identify which variables influence permeability variation over time and to present the models proposed to predict permeability degradation in PC, as well as some maintenance methodologies to permeability recovery. • Porosity change during clogging is essential for the prediction of PC permeability. • Clogging is related to obstruction of the pores and loss of permeability. • The slow clogging rate is the most damaging for the hydraulic performance. • Clogging models are viable to predict the degradation of hydraulic performance. • The permeability recovery is linked to the type of cleaning method implemented.