Evaluation of skid resistance of pervious concrete slabs under various winter conditions for driver and pedestrian users

Abstract

Skid resistance of pervious concrete (PC) in comparison with traditional portland cement concrete (PCC) was investigated in the laboratory and in the field. Dry, wet, and iced PC surfaces were tested using the British Pendulum Tester (BPT) with two rubber sliders to represent driver and pedestrian users. Also, iced PC surfaces were treated with de- and anti-icing chemicals and then tested using BPT. Skid resistance values were recorded as the British Pendulum Number (BPN). PC slabs cast from one mix design in three compaction levels revealed that minimal correlation existed between PC porosity and BPN. Laboratory-cast PC slabs showed 23%, 27% and 97% higher BPN values relative to PCC slabs under dry, wet and icy surface conditions, respectively. After one icing event, the one-time application of anti- and de-icing agents on PC slabs improved their friction to the allowable BPN level using both MgCl2 and CaCl2. Field testing of five PC installations with various mix designs and surface conditions showed similar or slightly higher BPN than adjacent PCC slabs. Overall, the laboratory testing in this study showed it is possible to produce PC with significantly higher skid resistance relative to traditional concrete, the field testing revealed the importance of regular maintenance, aggregate type and mixture design on the skid resistance of pervious concrete.