Graphical user interface (GUI) for gradation of aggregate in pervious concrete pavements based on particle packing approach

Abstract

ABSTRACT Pervious concrete, a unique type of concrete utilised in pavement construction, plays a crucial role in addressing environmental concerns like groundwater recharge and stormwater runoff. This concrete variant eliminates most or all fines in the mix, creating interconnected void spaces that facilitate the percolation of water at higher rates. The goal is to strike a balance between porosity, strength and permeability, ensuring the pavement to withstand loads while effectively managing water flow. In this study, it is attempted to develop aggregate gradation for the desired percolation rates of concrete matrix using two Particle Packing Models (PPM), viz. Compressible Packing Model (CPM) and Modified Taufer Model (MTM). The results of PPM are compared with IRC 15:2017 aggregate grading specifications. This study is also extended to determine compressive and flexural strengths for different porosities of aggregate system and w/c ratios using the relations established from the literature. For a pervious concretes with a constant water-to-cement (w/c) ratio of 0.50 and an aggregate packing density of 0.7 for Pavement Quality Concrete (PQC), it was observed that with increase in porosity from 15% to 25%, the compressive strength decreased by 40.66% and the flexural strength decreased by 22.96%. A Graphical User interface (GUI) is developed for the gradation of aggregates to simply the process of proportioning through experimentation.