Draining capability of single-sized pervious concrete

Abstract

Six mixtures of single-sized pervious concrete were prepared with three different types of aggregates (dolomite, diabase, and steel slag from a Croatian landfill near the town of Sisak) and with two different aggregate fractions (4–8 mm and 8–16 mm). Each pervious concrete mixture contained 10% of sand from the Drava River. The hydrologic properties of the pervious concrete mixtures are compared in order to define the aggregate type that will ensure the best drainage properties. The draining capability was tested by three methods: the constant head and falling head methods on the small samples, and the standard test method for testing the infiltration rate of in-place pervious concrete by ASTM C 1701-09. The possibility of pervious concrete application as a surface layer in pavement construction in the European area is estimated according to the achieved mechanical properties. The optimal aggregate type for preparing pervious concrete from the hydrologic point of view is diabase because of its sharp grain edges, which allow the water to pass smoothly through the pore system. None of the studied mixtures satisfied the set criteria on the mechanical properties of concrete for the surface layer of pavements in the European area. However, it is observed that the coarser aggregate fraction will result in better hydraulic and mechanical properties of pervious concrete.