Investigation of the effect of aggregate on the performance of permeable concrete

Abstract

Presently natural resources are increasingly consumed due to rapid urbanization, so that various strategies are being investigated by engineers to protect and restore natural ecosystems all over the world. Permeable pavement, due to its high porosity and permeability, is considered as an alternative to traditional impervious hard pavements for the sake of controlling stormwater in an economical and friendly environmental way. Concrete as a construction material has been used in pavement surfaces since 1865 and during the past 20 years, permeable concrete developed into a subset of the broader family of pervious pavements. It is normally made of single sized aggregate bound together by Portland cement. Considering about influences of aggregate properties in the concrete compositions, different aggregate types and sizes were tried and their effects on the compressive strength and permeability of permeable concrete were investigated. The optimum aggregate for pervious concrete is consequently recommended.