The effects of crushed and recycled aggregate in pervious concrete

Abstract

Malta is highly dependent on artificial production of potable water, with 57% being produced by Reverse Osmosis plants. Furthermore, heavy rainfalls in Malta contribute to a large amount of surface runoff and flooding problems, due to the large amount of impermeable area. As a result, the rainwater, which is a valuable resource, is wasted and ends up in the sea. This dissertation attempts to combine these two problems and find a solution by producing pervious concrete pavements with recycled concrete aggregates. A series of mixes with two different types of aggregates were produced, varying the a/c ratio, the w/c ratio and the compaction method, with the ideal mix design used for the construction of a trial pervious concrete pavement. Laboratory and field data were compared. Results eventually led to the conclusion that a mix design made with natural crushed aggregate is strength oriented while a mix design made with RCA is permeability oriented.