Mechanical and Permeability Behavior of Porous Concrete When Using Different Aggregate Sizes and Adding Polypropylene Fiber
Menna Reyad, A. Maher ElTair, Amr El-Nemr, Daniel Jato‐Espino
Abstract
Increased stormwater runoff due to urbanization has highlighted the need for faster water removal. Porous concrete has high void content and porosity; however, it has poor mechanical properties. Its performance can be improved by changing parameters such as cement content, aggregate size, water-to-cement ratio, gravel-to-cement ratio, and additives. Contact surface area and aggregate interlock are the main factors to consider in the design of porous concrete. This study investigated the influence of varying aggregate size and adding polypropylene fiber on the density, mechanical properties, porosity, void ratio, and permeability of porous concrete. Twenty-six mixtures that combined different aggregate sizes and polypropylene fiber content were considered. The results revealed that increased contact surface area and void ratio using multiaggregate sizes provided adequate compressive strength and permeability performance. The best performance was achieved when aggregate sizes of 9.5–6.7 mm and 6.7–4.75 mm were combined at a 3∶1 ratio and 0.1% polypropylene fiber was added.