Impact of Water Level Variation on Mechanical Properties of Porous Concrete

Rabin Lamichhane, Gokarna Bahadur Motra, Thaman Bahadur Khadka (), Y. X. Zhang (), Prabin Pathak and Shikhar Pandit
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Rabin Lamichhane: Department of Civil Engineering, Pulchowk Campus, Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University, Lalitpur 44600, Nepal
Gokarna Bahadur Motra: Department of Civil Engineering, Pulchowk Campus, Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University, Lalitpur 44600, Nepal
Thaman Bahadur Khadka: Department of Civil Engineering, Pulchowk Campus, Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University, Lalitpur 44600, Nepal
Y. X. Zhang: School of Engineering, Design and Built Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia
Prabin Pathak: Building Structure, Arup Melbourne, Docklands, VIC 3008, Australia
Shikhar Pandit: Department of Civil Engineering, Pulchowk Campus, Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University, Lalitpur 44600, Nepal

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 9, 1-14

Abstract: This paper investigates porous concrete and the influence of water level variations and porosity on the mechanical, physical, and hydraulic properties of porous concrete. The effect of different void percentages and various water levels on the properties of porous concrete was studied. Fabricated specimens with targeted porosities of 20% and 25% were subjected to a series of tests to evaluate their compressive strength, hydraulic conductivity (permeability), and porosity. The permeability of the specimens was assessed using a falling head permeameter to ensure effective water percolation. Porosity was quantified through a volumetric method, providing insights into void content. Both cubical and cylindrical specimens were used for all tests, along with compression tests under both air-dried and oven-dried conditions. The results showed that the maximum compressive strength occurred under oven-dried conditions for both cubical (7.05 MPa, 5.58 MPa) and cylindrical (8.36 MPa, 4.81 MPa) specimens, with 20% and 25% porosities, respectively. The compressive strength was found to be low in air-dried samples and increased with higher water levels, peaking at the 40% water level. Furthermore, the porosity exhibited a significant correlation with the reduction in density, affecting the mechanical properties. For the cylindrical and cubical samples, the dry density decreased by 16.03 kg/m 3 and 20.85 kg/m 3 and the permeability increased by 0.41 mm/s and 0.84 mm/s, respectively, for every 1% increase in porosity. The results showcased the effect of water level variation on porous concrete properties as well as its promising ability to infiltrate water. This promotes the development of sustainable pavement systems by minimizing surface runoff and aiding groundwater recharge.

Keywords: porous concrete; groundwater recharge; mechanical properties; water level; porosity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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