Modelling pervious concrete under compression loading – a discrete element approach

Abstract

With the increasing popularity of pervious concrete as a pavement material, researchers and concrete manufacturers have paid more attention to research needs. Pervious concrete is currently used in low traffic volume areas such as parking lots, footpaths and driveways. This is because it generally has lower strength than conventional concrete. This paper aims at developing a computational model to simulate the behaviour of pervious concrete under compression. Since compressive strength is one of the most important properties for concrete, a virtual model will provide a better understanding of its mechanical performance, which in turn will improve both the mix design and the material strength in the future. The discrete element method was applied and the results of calculations based on particle flow analysis are compared to the experimental data.