Strength-permeability Model of Pervious Cement Concrete

High permeability is an important characteristic of pervious concrete. For the existing permeability testing devices of pervious concrete, the specimen sidewall leakage is serious due to the large numbers of open pores on the surface of specimens. To solve the problem, a new permeability testing method for pervious concrete was developed and a composite sidewall structure with waterproof daub, flexible rubber cushion and rigid sleeve sidewall was proposed. Meanwhile, the strength and permeability of pervious cement concrete are incompatible with a reciprocal relationship. However, limited research has been conducted on the relationship between them. Effects of water-cement ratio (W/C), aggregate-cement ratio and porosity on the properties of pervious concrete, including strength and permeability, were studied. Furthermore, strength-porosity model, permeability-porosity model and strength-permeability model were established. Tests reveal that: a) There is an optimum W/C of pervious concrete, at which strength reaches the maximum; b) The relationship between the strength and W/C shows a downward quadratic curve, and the permeability is proportional to porosity and aggregate-cement ratio; c) The relationship between strength and permeability of pervious cement concrete can be well fitted with the Lorentzian function, and the strength decreases when the permeability increases, but the rate of reduction decreases gradually. The optimum combination of strength and permeability should be determined based on the specific engineering requirements in design.