Arocho-Irizarry, Marleisa

Profile Picture

Filters

20181
Reset filters

Settings

Citations

Publication Search Results

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    Publication
    Pervious concrete: Lab-scale optimization and field application
    (2018-05) Arocho-Irizarry, Marleisa; Hwang, Sangchul; College of Engineering; Morales Vélez, Alesandra; Silva Araya, Walter; Pagán Trinidad, Ismael; Department of Civil Engineering; Hughes, Stephen
    Pervious concrete pavements mimic the way the natural land surfaces filter and clean the water that falls on them, allowing a gradual discharge of water into the stormwater outlet, decreasing the necessity of detention/retention ponds, permitting groundwater recharge, reducing pollutants from runoff, and improving water quality. These geomimetic attributes of pervious concrete pavements are known to enhance roadway safety and population’s quality of life. For these reasons, the design of the pervious concrete mixture, as well as the design of Pervious Concrete Area 1, was developed, proposed, and constructed. The area was monitored for hydrologic properties and water quality parameters to ensure environmental sustainability via stormwater runoff control. Furthermore, Pervious Concrete Area 1 functioned as a bicycle parking area to enhance the student’s livability on campus. An optimization of a pervious concrete mixture with conventional concrete materials as main ingredients was performed. To reduce the environmental burdens of solid waste management, coal fly ash was utilized as an ingredient in pervious concrete production. The optimization of the mixture was done using Response Surface Methodology in order to find a mix design having the highest compressive strength while achieving the target permeability. The optimum variable settings were found at 21.4% fly-ash-to-binder and 36% water-to-binder, with compressive strength and permeability responses at 15 MPa and 4.5 mm/s, respectively. The values were within range for the National Ready Mix Concrete Association and American Concrete Institure specifications for pervious concrete pavement. The performance of pervious concrete pavement as if it were implemented at field was assessed by a lab-scale experiment. Two systems, integrating two Best Management Practices each, were developed for the control of urban stormwater runoff and water quality enhancement. It was demonstrated that the integrated approach of two combined green infrastructures: pervious concrete pavement followed with bioretention basin, is an effective urban stormwater management for a greater runoff reduction and water quality enhancement. Because weather parameters have an influence upon the pervious concrete mixture during placement, the addition of chemical admixtures was necessary. The effects of chemical admixtures on the optimized pervious concrete mixture were analyzed and the appropriate dosages of admixtures for field implementation were chosen. A ratio of 1.3 wt.% of binder was fixed for a concrete color admixture while the dosages of water reducing admixture and hydration controlling admixture were chosen taking into consideration the Material Safety Data Sheets recommendations as well as the weather parameters, visual inspection, hand squeeze test and inverted slope cone test. It was found that the minimum admixture addition suggested by their respective Material Safety Data Sheets produced a negative effect on the response results. However, it should be noted that the mixture designed was based on field implementation for a sunny day, not for casting in cylinders. Based on a hydrological study performed in the area under study, the design of Pervious Concrete Area 1 was done, with volume reduction of stormwater runoff flowing downstream and water quality enhancement as the main objectives. A characterization of the pervious concrete mixture, infiltration rate tests and appropriate maintenance to Pervious Concrete Area 1 were performed. Hydrologic characteristics of stomwater events and runoff were monitored, as well as the physio-chemical parameters. It was confirmed that pervious concrete pavements systems are capable of a complete phosphorous removal and an extensive inactivation of fecal coliforms.