Esta pesquisa teve por finalidade estudar concretos permeáveis para uso como camada de revestimento de pavimentos em áreas de veículos leves, por meio da realização de ensaios laboratoriais de caracterização mecânica e hidráulica para três diferentes misturas com variação do diâmetro máximo de agregados graúdos. Além disso, o estudo procurou interpretar o comportamento desse material quando solicitado por cargas de veículos, a partir de análises numéricas utilizando o software EverFE para análise de placas de concreto por elementos finitos. A caracterização mecânica foi realizada com base em ensaios de resistência à tração na flexão, tração indireta por compressão diametral, compressão, módulo de elasticidade estático e módulo de elasticidade dinâmico por equipamento ultrassônico. Para determinação da condutividade hidráulica foi utilizado um permeâmetro de carga constante. As análises mecanicistas envolveram estudos de placas de concreto permeável solicitadas por um eixo simples de rodas duplas com carga de 80 kN e por um eixo simples de roda simples com carga de 22 kN, simulando, nesse caso, um veículo utilitário leve. O material estudado apresentou para um índice de vazios de aproximadamente 0,25, valores de condutividade hidráulica na ordem de 0,14 cm/s, aproximadamente, caracterizando um material com boa drenabilidade. Com relação às características mecânicas, apresentou resistência à tração na flexão de aproximadamente 2,1 MPa e módulo de elasticidade estático na ordem de 15.000 MPa, se aproximando da metade dos valores normalmente observados em concretos convencionais de uso corrente na pavimentação. Por meio da realização das análises mecanicistas, foi possível avaliar que o material estudado apresenta resistência suficiente para ser utilizado como revestimento de pavimentos para áreas de veículos leves. / The main goal of this research was to study the pervious concrete material as the surface layer for light traffic pavement by carrying out a laboratorial analysis in order to better understand the mechanical and hydraulic behavior of three different coarse aggregate gradation mixtures. Besides that, it was applied a Finite Element Analysis in order to identify the pervious concrete behavior when loaded by different vehicle loads by using the EverFE Software The mechanical characterization was developed by evaluating the tests results of flexural strength, split tensile strength, compressive strength, Youngs Modulus and the non-destructive ultrasonic test. The hydraulic conductivity was measured using a constant head permeameter. In order to carry out the mechanistic analysis, it was considered a pervious concrete slab loaded by both an 80 kN dual wheel axle, and, to simulate a light vehicle, a 22 kN single wheel axle. The studied material has shown, considering the void ratio of 0,25, values of hydraulic conductivity around 0,14 cm/s, characterizing a material with good drenability characteristics. Besides that, it presented a flexural strength of 2,1 MPa and Youngs Modulus of 15.000 MPa, reaching the half of the values commonly used in regular concretes for pavements. By using the mechanistic analysis, it was possible to assess that this specific studied pervious concrete has enough strength to be used as the surface layer of pavements loaded by lightweight vehicles.

Os diversos e indesejáveis problemas associados à ocorrência de inundações e de picos rápidos de cheia são comuns nos centros urbanos brasileiros, sendo agravados em decorrência da crescente impermeabilização das superfícies alavancada pelo crescimento das cidades. Uma das alternativas para reduzir esses problemas consiste no uso de pavimentações drenantes, que possibilitem a infiltração e colaborem com o retardo do escoamento das águas pluviais. Dentre as opções disponíveis, vem atraindo atenção, nos últimos anos, o denominado concreto permeável, material fabricado com uma composição granulométrica selecionada (sem agregado miúdo e com partículas de dimensões similares), de forma a gerar uma estrutura de grandes poros conectados, que permite uma rápida percolação de fluidos pelo seu interior, em grandes quantidades. Levando em consideração os diferentes desafios associados à drenagem urbana, as pesquisas no LEME voltaram-se para a investigação de uma nova possibilidade de utilização do concreto permeável, como material componente dos próprios elementos dos sistemas urbanos de drenagem pluvial. Sabe-se que um dos principais problemas de funcionamento desses sistemas consiste na obstaculização de suas entradas por materiais diversos em conjunto com a diminuição da área de passagem de água nas galerias pelo acúmulo de material nas mesmas, gerando entupimento parcial ou total. Nesses casos, o uso de concreto permeável pode viabilizar a passagem de elevados fluxos, ao mesmo tempo em que constitui uma barreira à passagem de detritos e um filtro natural das águas, potencialmente evitando o ingresso de materiais, lixo e partículas sólidas no interior das galerias do sistema de drenagem. Buscando contribuir para a avaliação da ideia, o presente trabalho foi concebido tendo como foco o estudo da utilização do concreto permeável para fabricação de elementos tipo placa, em substituição às grelhas utilizadas atualmente. Para orientar tecnicamente o estudo, tomou-se como referência o Caderno de Encargos do Departamento de Esgotos Pluviais (DEP) da cidade de Porto Alegre, que estabelece as características dessas grelhas. Após um estudo preliminar para ajuste do traço e caracterização básica do concreto permeável, foram moldados seis protótipos de placas com um traço 1:4 (cimento:areia), com dimensões similares às grelhas do DEP, confeccionadas em concreto permeável. As placas foram testadas quanto à capacidade de flexão e à permeabilidade (sendo esses últimos efetuados em corpos de prova extraídos das placas). Para fins de comparação, foi ensaiada, também, uma grelha real fabricada e disponibilizada pelo DEP. Adicionalmente, foram criados, no LEME, dispositivos especiais para simular os efeitos de chuva e de passagem de água, carreando material em suspensão, para avaliar o desempenho em termos de colmatação desses elementos. Os resultados dos ensaios de resistência mecânica e de permeabilidade indicaram que os novos elementos apresentam desempenho superior às grelhas convencionais, indicando que os estudos na direção da produção de elementos drenantes em concreto permeável são promissores e devem ser continuados. Os resultados do teste de colmatação indicam, no entanto, que procedimentos de manutenção e limpeza podem ser necessários se material pulverulento bloquear os poros do concreto permeável. / Many undesirable problems associated with the occurrence of floods and rapid flood peaks are common in Brazilian urban centers and are intensified due to the increase of waterproofing of surfaces caused by the growth of cities. An alternative to mitigate these problems is the use of draining pavements that allow infiltration and collaborate with the delay of storm water runoff. Among the available options, pervious concrete has been attracting attention in recent years. This is a special concrete made with selected particle size distribution (without coarse aggregate and particles of similar dimensions) to generate a structure containing large connected pores, which would allow a fast and large percolation of fluids trough the material. Taking into account the different challenges associated with urban drainage, the research group at LEME has been investigating a new possibility for the use of pervious concrete as a constituent material of urban stormwater drainage systems. It is well known that the major problem that affects this kind of systems is the obstruction of the openings by different materials, in addition to the decrease of water flow in the galleries because of the accumulation of material inside them, causing partial or total loss of flow capacity. The use of pervious concrete can enable the passage of high flow rates, while constituting a barrier to the passage of debris and a natural water filter, preventing the entry of potentially granular material and solid waste particles inside the galleries of the drainage system. Seeking to contribute to the evaluation of this idea, the present work was designed focusing on the study of the use of pervious concrete for the manufacture of plate elements, which could be used to replace the grilles that are currently in use in sewers. In order to guide the study, the requirements of the Rain Sewage Department (Departamento de Esgotos Pluviais - DEP) from Porto Alegre were taken as a reference. After a preliminary study made to adjust and characterize the mix of pervious concrete to be used, six plates prototypes were fabricated using a 1:4 (cement:sand) proportion, with similar dimensions to the DEP grilles. These were then tested to check flexural capacity and permeability (of specimens cored from the plates). Also, using special devices created at LEME, the effects of rain and the passage of water carrying fine material in suspension were simulated, and the performance in terms of clogging of these elements was roughly assessed. For comparison, a conventional grille currently made by DEP was also tested. The results from the mechanical strength and permeability tests indicated that the pervious plates had superior performance when compared to the conventional grilles, indicating that studies toward the production of drainage elements in pervious concrete are promising and should be continued. The results from the clogging test however indicate that cleaning strategies may be necessary on the long run if fine material accumulates in the pores of the pervious concrete.

Os diversos e indesejáveis problemas associados à ocorrência de inundações e de picos rápidos de cheia são comuns nos centros urbanos brasileiros, sendo agravados em decorrência da crescente impermeabilização das superfícies alavancada pelo crescimento das cidades. Uma das alternativas para reduzir esses problemas consiste no uso de pavimentações drenantes, que possibilitem a infiltração e colaborem com o retardo do escoamento das águas pluviais. Dentre as opções disponíveis, vem atraindo atenção, nos últimos anos, o denominado concreto permeável, material fabricado com uma composição granulométrica selecionada (sem agregado miúdo e com partículas de dimensões similares), de forma a gerar uma estrutura de grandes poros conectados, que permite uma rápida percolação de fluidos pelo seu interior, em grandes quantidades. Levando em consideração os diferentes desafios associados à drenagem urbana, as pesquisas no LEME voltaram-se para a investigação de uma nova possibilidade de utilização do concreto permeável, como material componente dos próprios elementos dos sistemas urbanos de drenagem pluvial. Sabe-se que um dos principais problemas de funcionamento desses sistemas consiste na obstaculização de suas entradas por materiais diversos em conjunto com a diminuição da área de passagem de água nas galerias pelo acúmulo de material nas mesmas, gerando entupimento parcial ou total. Nesses casos, o uso de concreto permeável pode viabilizar a passagem de elevados fluxos, ao mesmo tempo em que constitui uma barreira à passagem de detritos e um filtro natural das águas, potencialmente evitando o ingresso de materiais, lixo e partículas sólidas no interior das galerias do sistema de drenagem. Buscando contribuir para a avaliação da ideia, o presente trabalho foi concebido tendo como foco o estudo da utilização do concreto permeável para fabricação de elementos tipo placa, em substituição às grelhas utilizadas atualmente. Para orientar tecnicamente o estudo, tomou-se como referência o Caderno de Encargos do Departamento de Esgotos Pluviais (DEP) da cidade de Porto Alegre, que estabelece as características dessas grelhas. Após um estudo preliminar para ajuste do traço e caracterização básica do concreto permeável, foram moldados seis protótipos de placas com um traço 1:4 (cimento:areia), com dimensões similares às grelhas do DEP, confeccionadas em concreto permeável. As placas foram testadas quanto à capacidade de flexão e à permeabilidade (sendo esses últimos efetuados em corpos de prova extraídos das placas). Para fins de comparação, foi ensaiada, também, uma grelha real fabricada e disponibilizada pelo DEP. Adicionalmente, foram criados, no LEME, dispositivos especiais para simular os efeitos de chuva e de passagem de água, carreando material em suspensão, para avaliar o desempenho em termos de colmatação desses elementos. Os resultados dos ensaios de resistência mecânica e de permeabilidade indicaram que os novos elementos apresentam desempenho superior às grelhas convencionais, indicando que os estudos na direção da produção de elementos drenantes em concreto permeável são promissores e devem ser continuados. Os resultados do teste de colmatação indicam, no entanto, que procedimentos de manutenção e limpeza podem ser necessários se material pulverulento bloquear os poros do concreto permeável. / Many undesirable problems associated with the occurrence of floods and rapid flood peaks are common in Brazilian urban centers and are intensified due to the increase of waterproofing of surfaces caused by the growth of cities. An alternative to mitigate these problems is the use of draining pavements that allow infiltration and collaborate with the delay of storm water runoff. Among the available options, pervious concrete has been attracting attention in recent years. This is a special concrete made with selected particle size distribution (without coarse aggregate and particles of similar dimensions) to generate a structure containing large connected pores, which would allow a fast and large percolation of fluids trough the material. Taking into account the different challenges associated with urban drainage, the research group at LEME has been investigating a new possibility for the use of pervious concrete as a constituent material of urban stormwater drainage systems. It is well known that the major problem that affects this kind of systems is the obstruction of the openings by different materials, in addition to the decrease of water flow in the galleries because of the accumulation of material inside them, causing partial or total loss of flow capacity. The use of pervious concrete can enable the passage of high flow rates, while constituting a barrier to the passage of debris and a natural water filter, preventing the entry of potentially granular material and solid waste particles inside the galleries of the drainage system. Seeking to contribute to the evaluation of this idea, the present work was designed focusing on the study of the use of pervious concrete for the manufacture of plate elements, which could be used to replace the grilles that are currently in use in sewers. In order to guide the study, the requirements of the Rain Sewage Department (Departamento de Esgotos Pluviais - DEP) from Porto Alegre were taken as a reference. After a preliminary study made to adjust and characterize the mix of pervious concrete to be used, six plates prototypes were fabricated using a 1:4 (cement:sand) proportion, with similar dimensions to the DEP grilles. These were then tested to check flexural capacity and permeability (of specimens cored from the plates). Also, using special devices created at LEME, the effects of rain and the passage of water carrying fine material in suspension were simulated, and the performance in terms of clogging of these elements was roughly assessed. For comparison, a conventional grille currently made by DEP was also tested. The results from the mechanical strength and permeability tests indicated that the pervious plates had superior performance when compared to the conventional grilles, indicating that studies toward the production of drainage elements in pervious concrete are promising and should be continued. The results from the clogging test however indicate that cleaning strategies may be necessary on the long run if fine material accumulates in the pores of the pervious concrete.

La presente tesis consiste en presentar una propuesta sostenible que ayude en el control y almacenamiento del agua de lluvia para evitar inundaciones y daños producidos en los estacionamientos de los hospitales en la ciudad de Arequipa. Se evaluaron dieciocho diseños de mezclas, nueve realizados con agregado grueso Huso 7 y los otros nueve con Huso 67. Para los diferentes diseños se cambió el porcentaje de agregado fino, la relación agua/cemento y la dosis de los aditivos. Por cada diseño de mezcla se elaboraron nueve probetas destinadas al ensayo de resistencia a la compresión, tres por cada edad, ensayadas a los 7, 14 y 28 días; se utilizaron 2 vigas de 6”x6”x20” para determinar el Módulo de Rotura y 2 probetas de 4”x8” para hallar la tasa de permeabilidad, para lo cual se necesitó realizar una réplica del permeabilímetro expuesto en el ACI 522. Los resultados de todos los ensayos serán presentados y comparados entre sí para determinar el grado de influencia de los mismos. Además, también se realizará un análisis costo beneficio por metro cuadrado para determinar qué tanto varía el costo del concreto permeable en comparación con el concreto convencional. Finalmente, se realizará un análisis cuantitativo entre los dieciocho diseños de mezcla y el concreto convencional. Para así determinar cuál es la mezcla óptima que cumpla con los requisitos necesarios para ser implementado en los estacionamientos de los hospitales en Arequipa y pueda competir en el mercado con el concreto convencional. / The present thesis consists of presenting a sustainable proposal that helps in the control and storage of rainwater to avoid floods and damages produced in the parking lots of hospitals in the city of Arequipa. Eighteen mix designs were evaluated, nine made with coarse aggregate Spindle 7 and the other nine with Spindle 67. For the different designs, the percentage of fine aggregate, the water / cement ratio and the dose of the additives were changed. For each mix design, nine specimens were prepared for the compression resistance test, three for each age, tested at 7, 14 and 28 days; 2 beams of 6 ”x6” x20 ”were used to determine the Modulus of Break and 2 specimens of 4” x8 ”to find the permeability rate, for which it was necessary to make a replica of the permeabilimeter exposed in the ACI 522. The results of all the tests will be presented and compared with each other to determine the degree of influence between them. In addition, a cost benefit analysis per square meter will also be performed to determine how much the cost of pervious concrete varies compared to conventional concrete. Finally, a quantitative analysis will be performed between the eighteen mix designs and conventional concrete. In order to determine which is the optimal mix that meets the necessary requirements to be implemented in hospital´s parking lots in Arequipa and can compete in the market with conventional concrete. / Tesis

The pervious concrete system and its corresponding strength are as important as its permeability characteristics. The strength of the system not only relies on the compressive strength of the pervious concrete but also on the strength of the soil beneath it for support. Previous studies indicate that pervious concrete has lower compressive strength capabilities than conventional concrete and will only support light traffic loadings. This thesis investigated prior studies on the compressive strength on pervious concrete as it relates to water-cement ratio, aggregate-cement ratio, aggregate size, and compaction and compare those results with results obtained in laboratory experiments conducted on samples of pervious concrete cylinders created for this purpose. The loadings and types of vehicles these systems can withstand will also be examined as well as the design of appropriate thickness levels for the pavement. Since voids are supposed to reduce the strength of concrete 1% for every 5% voids(Klieger, 2003), the goal is to find a balance between water, aggregate, and cement in order to increase strength and permeability, two characteristics which tend to counteract one another. In this study, also determined are appropriate traffic loads and volumes so that the pervious concrete is able to maintain its structural integrity. The end result of this research will be a recommendation as to the water-cement ratio, the aggregate-cement ratio, aggregate size, and compaction necessary to maximize compressive strength without having detrimental effects on the permeability of the pervious concrete system. This research confirms that pervious concrete does in fact provide a lower compressive strength than that of conventional concrete; compressive strengths in acceptable mixtures only reached 1700 psi. Extremely high permeability rates were achieved in most all mixtures regardless of the compressive strength. Analysis of traffic loadings reinforce the fact that pervious concrete cannot be subjected to large numbers of heavy vehicle loadings over time although pervious concrete would be able to sustain low volumes of heavy loads if designed properly. Calculations of pavement thickness levels indicate these levels are dependent on the compressive strength of the concrete, the quality of the subgrade beneath the pavement, as well as vehicle volumes and loadings.

Use of pervious concrete pavement as a method of stormwater management has shown great promise in previous studies. Reduction in runoff, water quality improvements, and long-term economic benefits are but a few of its many advantages. Regulatory agencies such as the St. Johns River Water Management District require further research into the performance of pervious concrete pavement before granting credits for its use as a best management practice in controlling stormwater. As a part of a larger series of studies by UCF's Stormwater Management Academy, this thesis studies the hydrologic mass balance of pervious concrete pavement in sandy soil common in Florida. In order to conduct this study, a field experiment was constructed at the UCF Stormwater Field Lab. The experiment consisted of three 4-foot tall cylindrical polyethylene tanks with 30-inch diameters. All three tanks were placed into the side of a small embankment and fitted with outlet piping and piezometers. The test tanks were assembled by laying a 6-inch layer of gravel into the bottom of each tank, followed by a layer of Mirafi geofabric, followed by several feet of fine sand into which soil moisture probes were laid at varying depths. Two of the tanks were surfaced with 6-inch layers of portland cement pervious concrete, while the third tank was left with a bare sand surface. Mass balance was calculated by measuring moisture influx and storage in the soil mass. Data collection was divided into three phases. The first phase ran from August to November 2005. Moisture input consisted of normal outdoor rainfall that was measured by a nearby rain gauge, and storage was calculated by dividing the soil mass into zones governed by soil moisture probes. The second phase ran for two weeks in March 2006. Moisture input consisted of water manually poured onto the top of each tank in controlled volumes, and storage was calculated by using probe readings to create regression trendlines for soil moisture profiles. The third phase followed the procedure identical to the second phase and was conducted in the middle of April 2006. Data tabulation in this study faced several challenges, such as nonfunctional periods of time or complete malfunction of essential measuring equipment, flaws in the method of calculating storage in phase one of the experiment, and want of more data points to construct regression trendlines for soil moisture calculation in phases two and three of the experiment. However, the data in all phases of the experiment show that evaporation volume of the tanks with pervious concrete surfacing was nearly twice that of the tank with no concrete. Subsequent infiltration experiments showed that pervious concrete pavement is capable of retaining a portion of precipitation volume, reducing infiltration into the underlying soil and increasing total evaporation in the system.

Portland Cement pervious concrete's ability to permit water infiltration has encouraged its use as a stormwater management tool. However, the material has suffered historically poor support due to a number of factors, including failures due to poor mix design and improper construction techniques, concern about lesser structural strength, concern about poor long term performance due to clogging of surface pores and undefined credit for stormwater management. This study focuses on long term performances of pervious concrete parking lots and their stormwater management credit. Before stormwater management credit could be estimated, it was necessary to develop a testing device to gather information from existing pervious concrete parking lots currently in use. Eight parking lots were examined to determine the infiltration rates of the pervious concrete, as well as to verify the soil makeup beneath pavement. A total of 30 cores were extracted from pervious concrete parking lots and evaluated for infiltration rates. Three of the sites had a pervious concrete section that included a gravel reservoir. Infiltration rates were measured using the application of an embedded single-ring infiltrometer. In an attempt to provide an estimate of credit, a mass balance model was created to be used for simulation of the hydrologic and hydraulic function of pervious concrete sections. The purpose of the model is to predict runoff and recharge volumes for different rainfall conditions and hydraulic properties of the concrete and the soil. The field derived hydraulic data were used to simulate infiltration volumes and rainfall excess given a year of rainfall as used in a mass balance operated within a spreadsheet. The results can be used for assessing stormwater management credit.

The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the clogging potential of installed pervious concrete systems, to analyze rehabilitation techniques and develop construction specifications for the construction of portland cement pervious concrete specific to the state of Florida. Currently, a consistent statewide policy has not been established in reference to credit for storage volume within the voids in pervious concrete and the coarse aggregate base. For this reason a current and updated assessment of pervious pavement is needed to benefit from the advantages of pervious pavement use in low traffic volume areas. Initially by modeling a pervious concrete system in a field laboratory with test cells of typical Florida soil conditions and groundwater elevations and combining these data with field data from multiple sites of long service life, a Florida specific construction methodology has been developed. It is hoped that by developing a more standardized design criteria for pervious pavements in Florida a statewide acceptance of portland cement pervious pavement can be achieved and credit can be earned based on the volume of stored stormwater. This study of field sites was subsequently expanded to include locations in the southeastern United States. Pervious concrete has suffered historically poor support due to a number of factors, including concern about poor long term performance due to clogging of surface pores. Eight existing parking lots were evaluated to determine the infiltration rates of pervious concrete systems that have had relatively no maintenance. Infiltration rates were measured using an embedded single-ring infiltrometer developed specifically for testing pervious concrete in an in-situ state. The average infiltration rates of the pervious concrete that was properly constructed at the investigated sites ranged from 0.4 to 227.2 inches per hour. A total of 30 pervious concrete cores were extracted and evaluated for infiltration rates after various rehabilitation techniques, including pressure washing, vacuum sweeping and a combination of the two methods, have been performed to rehabilitate the infiltration capability of the concrete. By evaluating the effectiveness of these rehabilitation techniques, recommendations have been developed for a maintenance schedule for pervious concrete installations. In most cases it was found that the three methods of maintenance investigated in this study typically resulted in a 200% or greater increase over the original infiltration rates of the pervious concrete cores. It is therefore recommended that as a general rule of thumb one or a combination of these rejuvenation techniques should be performed when the system infiltration rates are below 1.5 inches per hour to maintain the infiltration capability of pervious concrete pavements.

El concreto permeable es un concreto especial, el cual permite el paso del agua a través de su estructura gracias al alto porcentaje de vacíos que posee a diferencia del concreto tradicional. Esta cualidad del concreto permeable permite acabar con la falta de permeabilidad en las estructuras tradicionales de concreto evitando las fallas estructurales debido al encharcamiento y escurrimiento del agua. En esta investigación se realizó el diseño de mezcla del concreto permeable con una resistencia de 210 kg/cm2, aplicando el método ACI 522.R para poder aplicarlo como una alternativa de carpeta de rodadura en pavimentos. Para ello se realizaron diferentes diseños de mezcla en laboratorio hasta encontrar el diseño óptimo para obtener una resistencia a la compresión de 210 kg/cm2, el diseño de mezcla elegido contaba con las siguientes características: relación agua/cemento de 0.38, porcentaje de vacíos de 13%, 1.5% de aditivo Superplastificante y 7% de arena. Para validar la investigación se realizó la construcción de un prototipo con el diseño elaborado en laboratorio con un área de 2.00 m2 (1.00m x 2.00m). Al concreto en estado fresco se le analizaron sus características de consistencia, densidad y contenido de vacíos; en el estado endurecido se realizaron los ensayos de compresión, permeabilidad y flexión, además de aplicarle una prueba de carga. Los resultados indicaron que el diseño de mezcla usado en el prototipo con resistencia a la compresión de 261.58 kg/cm2 y permeabilidad de 0.01744 m/s puede usarse como alternativa de superficie de rodadura para un pavimento. / Pervious concrete is a special type of concrete which allows the passage of water through its structure due to its high percentage of voids unlike traditional concrete. This quality of pervious concrete allows to end the lack of permeability in traditional concrete structures thus preventing structural failures due to flooding and water runoff. This research will seek to find a mix design for pervious concrete to apply it as an alternative road surface for pavements. To verify the above, different mix designs were performed in laboratory to find the design that give us a compressive strength of 210 kg/cm2, the chosen design had the following features: water - cement ratio of 0.38, 13% air content, 1.5% additive superplasticizer and 7% of sand. To validate the research, a prototype was built with the chosen mix design, this prototype had an area of 2 m2 (1m x 2m). The fresh concrete was analyzed for its consistency, density, and void percentage; the hardened concrete was analyzed for its compressive strength, permeability and flexural strength, finally the prototype was load tested. The results indicated that the mix design used in the prototype with compressive strength of 261.58 kg/cm2 and a permeability of 0.01744 m/s can be used as an alternative rolling surface for pavements. / Tesis

Loaded wheel tester (LWT) is a common testing equipment usually used to test the permanent deformation and moisture susceptibility of asphalt mixtures by applying moving wheel loads on asphalt mixture specimens. It has been widely used in the United States since 1980s and practically each Department of Transportation or highway agency owns one or more LWT(s). Compared to other testing methods for pavement materials, LWT features movable wheel loads that allow more realistic situations existing on the actual pavement to be simulated in the laboratory. Due to its potential of creating a condition of repetitive loading, the concept of using LWT for characterizing the properties of pavement materials were promoted through four innovative or modified tests in this study. (1) The first test focuses on evaluating the effect of geogrids in reinforcing pavement base courses. In this test, a base course specimen compacted in a testing box with or without geogrids reinforced was tested under cyclic loading provided by LWT. The results showed that LWT test was able to characterize the improvement of the pavement base courses with geogrids reinforcement. In addition, the results from this study were repeatable and generally in agreement with the results from another independent study conducted by the University of Kansas with similar testing method and base materials. (2) A simple and efficient abrasion test was developed for characterizing the abrasion resistance of pervious concrete utilizing LWT. According to the abrading mechanisms for pervious concrete, some modifications were made to the loading system of LWT to achieve better simulations of the spalling/raveling actions on pervious concrete pavements. By comparing the results from LWT abrasion tests to Cantabro abrasion tests, LWT abrasion test was proved effective to differentiate the abrasion resistances for various pervious concretes. (3) Two innovative LWT tests were developed for characterizing the viscoelastic and fatigue properties of asphalt mixtures in this study. In the test, asphalt beam specimens are subjected to the cyclic loads supplied by the moving wheels of LWT, and the tensile deformations of the beam specimens are measured by the LVDTs mounted on the bottom. According to the stress and strain, the parameters associated to the viscoelastic and fatigue properties of the asphalt mixture can be obtained through theoretical analyses. In order to validate the concepts associated with the above mentioned tests, corresponding conventional tests have also been conducted to the same materials in the study. According to the comparisons between the conventional and the LWT tests, the LWT tests proposed in this study provided satisfactory repeatability and efficiency.