A Comprehensive Guide on Porous Concrete Materials and Products
Porous concrete materials and products make use of the same materials used for conventional concrete. The significant difference is that the fine aggregate is removed entirely and the narrow size distribution of the aggregate creates hardened properties. Proportioning of these materials and products is different, and one needs to pay special attention to placing, compaction, and curing methods.
When working with porous concrete materials and products, the procedures used are different and under tight controls to give the best results. It is essential to use quality porous concrete materials and products and in right proportions that meet the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) storm water regulations.
When working with porous concrete materials and products
The objective behind creating porous concrete materials and products to achieve a void content that allows a natural percolation of water. The void content depends on the characteristics of the materials and products used their proportions and how they have been consolidated. The void content of the pervious is typically designed for the 15% to 30% range. Different trial batches are verified to ensure that the porous concrete materials and products achieve the characteristics targeted. The alternating possibility should be checked in accordance to the content. Sometimes the final results are a lot different from those expected, and this is because of the workability of the mixture. Volumetric considerations, proportioning guideline, and certain software are used to make the necessary calculations and develop trial batch mixture proportions.
Different porous concrete materials and products
Porous concrete materials and pavement technology are making more efficient use of land and replacing the storm water management devices. There are different materials and products used for making the porous concrete. It is essential to test these materials and their properties beforehand to gauge their performance.
- Cementitious materials: The pervious concrete makes use of Portland cement and blended cement along with supplementary cementitious materials. Cementitious materials are tested for their porosity, strength, setting time and permeability.
- Aggregate: The aggregate content can be coarse and fine. This is how you can identify what quality will serve the purpose you are buying it for. While the fine aggregate content is restricted in pervious concrete, the coarse aggregate is used for a narrow gradation. Larger aggregates create a rougher surface while narrow grading is looked upon to be important. The smallest-sized aggregate is considered apt for aesthetic reasons.
- Chemical Admixtures: Chemical admixtures are added to attain special properties. As pervious concrete is known to set rapidly, hydration-stabilizing admixtures are used to slow down the faster setting. However, it is essential to follow the recommendations of the manufacturer when using admixtures with porous concrete materials and products.
- Water: The ratio between water and cement is typically between 0.27 and 0.36. Water-to-cement ratio carries an essential link to strength. However, as the entire paste content is lower than the voids content between the aggregate, one may not get an increased overall strength by making the paste stronger. Thus, the content of water is tightly controlled. Experts know how to use the right amount of water with porous concrete materials and products to get that sheen on the mixture and without flowing off of the aggregate.
Successful and desired results rely on the mixture design and the properties of the particular porous concrete materials and products. The permeable concrete carries a unique property of high porosity that allows the water to trickle through and thus recharge groundwater by reducing the runoff from the surface. The permeable concrete is commonly used in residential streets, traffic areas, driveways, parking lots and pedestrian walkway. Moreover, pervious concrete can be reused as fill material, and as it can be recycled and reused, it is environmentally friendly.