Mechanical Properties of Pervious Concrete

In recent times, major cities around the world have experienced frequent flooding due to the combination of increased rainfall and reduced permeable surface areas. As a consequence, the drainage system gets overloaded and flash flooding becomes inevitable, thus causing disruption to the road transport. In order to overcome such issues, an engineered solution is needed. The solution is "Pervious Concrete", a special type of concrete having a high void content which ranges from 15% to 35% and is instrumental in recharging groundwater and reducing storm water run-off. Also, considering the environmental effects of Portland cement, it is essential in the concrete industry to minimize the use of cement in the production of both structural and non-structural concrete. One way to reduce cement consumption is to use fly ash as a cement replacement material because of the pozzolanic reactivity of fly ash. This paper reports the results of an experimental investigation into the various mechanical properties of pervious concrete. The various mixes containing cement with varying percentages of fly ash as binding material were used. Although it may seem tough to balance the demand for sustainable development with the need to preserve our natural resources, but with the results obtained so far, this balance can be easily achieved.