Although pervious concrete was first used in the nineteenth century, it has only recently begun to increase in popularity. As urban areas expand, the problems associated with runoff management have become more challenging. The focus on the negative environmental effects associated with pavement runoff has also increased. These two issues have spurred the recent interest in pervious concrete pavements.Pervious concrete, however, has deficiencies which limit its application as pavements. These limitations include low compressive strength, flexural strength, clogging, and other durability issues. The overall purpose of this project was to provide tools to evaluate and improve the durability and strength of pervious concrete such that it may be more confidently employed in urban roadways. The specific objectives of this project were to (a) investigate the effect of mixture design on strength of pervious concrete (including the effect of fibers), (b) evaluate effect of clogging materials on coefficient of permeability, (c) and investigate the use of the dynamic pressurization test to evaluate the durability of pervious concrete, (d) develop a simple model for predicting removal of clogging particles from pervious concrete pavement surface pores. This thesis documents the results of the laboratory testing, and presents recommendations for mixture proportioning. In addition, recommendations are provided for optimizing the balance between compressive strength and permeability.

abstract: Properties of random porous material such as pervious concrete are strongly dependant on its pore structure features. This research deals with the development of an understanding of the relationship between the material structure and the mechanical and functional properties of pervious concretes. The fracture response of pervious concrete specimens proportioned for different porosities, as a function of the pore structure features and fiber volume fraction, is studied. Stereological and morphological methods are used to extract the relevant pore structure features of pervious concretes from planar images. A two-parameter fracture model is used to obtain the fracture toughness (KIC) and critical crack tip opening displacement (CTODc) from load-crack mouth opening displacement (CMOD) data of notched beams under three-point bending. The experimental results show that KIC is primarily dependent on the porosity of pervious concretes. For a similar porosity, an increase in pore size results in a reduction in KIC. At similar pore sizes, the effect of fibers on the post-peak response is more prominent in mixtures with a higher porosity, as shown by the residual load capacity, stress-crack extension relationships, and GR curves. These effects are explained using the mean free spacing of pores and pore-to-pore tortuosity in these systems. A sensitivity analysis is employed to quantify the influence of material design parameters on KIC. This research has also focused on studying the relationship between permeability and tortuosity as it pertains to porosity and pore size of pervious concretes. Various ideal geometric shapes were also constructed that had varying pore sizes and porosities. The pervious concretes also had differing pore sizes and porosities. The permeabilities were determined using three different methods; Stokes solver, Lattice Boltzmann method and the Katz-Thompson equation. These values were then compared to the tortuosity values determined using a Matlab code that uses a pore connectivity algorithm. The tortuosity was also determined from the inverse of the conductivity determined from a numerical analysis that was necessary for using the Katz-Thompson equation. These tortuosity values were then compared to the permeabilities. The pervious concretes and ideal geometric shapes showed consistent similarities betbetween their tortuosities and permeabilities. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S. Civil Engineering 2013

A tecnologia de pavimento em concreto permeável surgiu como potencial solução para problemas relacionados à drenagem urbana provenientes da diminuição da área permeável de uma metrópole. Desta forma, sua utilização vem crescendo cada vez mais, inclusive no Brasil. Para avaliar o comportamento hidráulico de uma calçada em concreto permeável, o Laboratório de Mecânica dos Pavimentos da Escola Politécnica da Universidade de São Paulo (LMP-EPUSP) desenvolveu duas misturas para a aplicação em duas calçadas em concreto permeável construídas no Campus da Universidade de São Paulo. A primeira estrutura possui dimensões de 1,00 m x 8,65 m, sem manta permeável, ao passo que a segunda estrutura possui 1,50 m x 84,80 m com sua área dividida em 3 trechos que diferem entre si da seguinte forma: primeiro trecho com manta permeável e infiltração de água no solo; segundo trecho com lona impermeável e sistema de drenagem; e terceiro trecho sem manta e com infiltração de água no solo. Além da análise do comportamento hidráulico da mistura, os métodos construtivos adotados foram avaliados, desde a escolha do local até a cura do concreto. Todas as adequações do método de execução da primeira calçada para a segunda são explícitas e justificadas nesse trabalho, tais como a existência da manta permeável, que na primeira calçada não existia e na segunda surge como uma das soluções para se evitar a colmatação por bombeamento, e detalhes na compactação do revestimento, mantendo uma superfície mais regular. Feita a análise do método construtivo, essa pesquisa também apresenta diversos resultados de taxas de infiltração, em cm/s, in loco obtidos através do ensaio baseado na ASTM C-1701, além de mostrar, através de comparações com diversas referências, o grande potencial hidráulico das misturas desenvolvidas. Esses resultados mostram o comportamento hidráulico das misturas com o tempo. Das informações apresentadas, fica evidente a dependência da escolha do local para um bom comportamento hidráulico a longo prazo, além de explicitar o quão a taxa de infiltração diminui com o tempo em um pavimento construído em ambiente pouco suscetível à colmatação proveniente de árvores e em local muito suscetível. Além disso, o estudo mostra que, apesar de pequenas diferenças nos pavimentos, tais como a infiltração ou não de água no solo, e, no caso contrário, a existência de um sistema de drenagem, o comportamento hidráulico é semelhante. A mesma conclusão é obtida comparando-se os ensaios realizados em bordas e centro do pavimento. Todos os resultados mostrados e conclusões tiradas a partir desses mostram o grande potencial drenante do pavimento de concreto permeável, potencializando com a seleção adequada de materiais, local e método construtivo. / Pervious concrete pavement came as a potential solution to problems related to urban drainage, consequence of the decrease of the permeability area of a metropolis. In this way, its use has been increasing all over the world, including Brazil. In order to evaluate the hydraulic behavior of a permeable concrete sidewalk, the Pavement Mechanics Laboratory of the University of São Paulo developed two mixtures. These mixtures were made for an application on two sidewalks in permeable concrete built in the Campus of the University of São Paulo. The first sidewalk has 1.00 m x 8.65 m, without a geotextile, and the second has 1.50 m x 84.80 m, divided into 3 stretches differing from each other as follows: first section with a geotextile and infiltration of water on soil; Second stretch with waterproof tarpaulin and drainage system; And the third stretch has not a geotextile, but count with the infiltration of water on soil. In addition to the analysis of the hydraulic behavior of the mixture, the constructive methods adopted were evaluated, since the choice of the construction site, until the concrete cure. All adaptations of the method of execution of the first sidewalk to the second one are explicit and justified in this work, such as the existence of the geotextile, that in the first sidewalk did not exist and in the second it appears as one of the solutions to avoid the clogging. Another adaptation was the compaction adopted, which is more regular on the second sidewalk. After the analysis of the constructive method, this research also presents several results of infiltration rates, in cm/s, obtained through the test based on ASTM C-1701, besides showing, through comparisons with several references, the great potential Hydraulic of the mixtures applied. These results show the hydraulic behavior of the mixtures over time. From the information presented, the dependence on the choice of site for a good long-term hydraulic behavior is verified, it is also evidente how much the rate of infiltration decreases with time in a pavement built in a site next to trees and another types of vegetation. In addition, this research shows that the little differences in the methods results in little differences in the infiltration rate, but the hydraulic behavior remains similar. The same conclusion is obtained by comparing the tests performed at the edges and center of the pavement. All presented results and conclusions shows the great potential of the mixtures developed by the LMP-USP, which can be enhanced though the suitable materials selection, construction place and constructive method.

A tecnologia de pavimento em concreto permeável surgiu como potencial solução para problemas relacionados à drenagem urbana provenientes da diminuição da área permeável de uma metrópole. Desta forma, sua utilização vem crescendo cada vez mais, inclusive no Brasil. Para avaliar o comportamento hidráulico de uma calçada em concreto permeável, o Laboratório de Mecânica dos Pavimentos da Escola Politécnica da Universidade de São Paulo (LMP-EPUSP) desenvolveu duas misturas para a aplicação em duas calçadas em concreto permeável construídas no Campus da Universidade de São Paulo. A primeira estrutura possui dimensões de 1,00 m x 8,65 m, sem manta permeável, ao passo que a segunda estrutura possui 1,50 m x 84,80 m com sua área dividida em 3 trechos que diferem entre si da seguinte forma: primeiro trecho com manta permeável e infiltração de água no solo; segundo trecho com lona impermeável e sistema de drenagem; e terceiro trecho sem manta e com infiltração de água no solo. Além da análise do comportamento hidráulico da mistura, os métodos construtivos adotados foram avaliados, desde a escolha do local até a cura do concreto. Todas as adequações do método de execução da primeira calçada para a segunda são explícitas e justificadas nesse trabalho, tais como a existência da manta permeável, que na primeira calçada não existia e na segunda surge como uma das soluções para se evitar a colmatação por bombeamento, e detalhes na compactação do revestimento, mantendo uma superfície mais regular. Feita a análise do método construtivo, essa pesquisa também apresenta diversos resultados de taxas de infiltração, em cm/s, in loco obtidos através do ensaio baseado na ASTM C-1701, além de mostrar, através de comparações com diversas referências, o grande potencial hidráulico das misturas desenvolvidas. Esses resultados mostram o comportamento hidráulico das misturas com o tempo. Das informações apresentadas, fica evidente a dependência da escolha do local para um bom comportamento hidráulico a longo prazo, além de explicitar o quão a taxa de infiltração diminui com o tempo em um pavimento construído em ambiente pouco suscetível à colmatação proveniente de árvores e em local muito suscetível. Além disso, o estudo mostra que, apesar de pequenas diferenças nos pavimentos, tais como a infiltração ou não de água no solo, e, no caso contrário, a existência de um sistema de drenagem, o comportamento hidráulico é semelhante. A mesma conclusão é obtida comparando-se os ensaios realizados em bordas e centro do pavimento. Todos os resultados mostrados e conclusões tiradas a partir desses mostram o grande potencial drenante do pavimento de concreto permeável, potencializando com a seleção adequada de materiais, local e método construtivo. / Pervious concrete pavement came as a potential solution to problems related to urban drainage, consequence of the decrease of the permeability area of a metropolis. In this way, its use has been increasing all over the world, including Brazil. In order to evaluate the hydraulic behavior of a permeable concrete sidewalk, the Pavement Mechanics Laboratory of the University of São Paulo developed two mixtures. These mixtures were made for an application on two sidewalks in permeable concrete built in the Campus of the University of São Paulo. The first sidewalk has 1.00 m x 8.65 m, without a geotextile, and the second has 1.50 m x 84.80 m, divided into 3 stretches differing from each other as follows: first section with a geotextile and infiltration of water on soil; Second stretch with waterproof tarpaulin and drainage system; And the third stretch has not a geotextile, but count with the infiltration of water on soil. In addition to the analysis of the hydraulic behavior of the mixture, the constructive methods adopted were evaluated, since the choice of the construction site, until the concrete cure. All adaptations of the method of execution of the first sidewalk to the second one are explicit and justified in this work, such as the existence of the geotextile, that in the first sidewalk did not exist and in the second it appears as one of the solutions to avoid the clogging. Another adaptation was the compaction adopted, which is more regular on the second sidewalk. After the analysis of the constructive method, this research also presents several results of infiltration rates, in cm/s, obtained through the test based on ASTM C-1701, besides showing, through comparisons with several references, the great potential Hydraulic of the mixtures applied. These results show the hydraulic behavior of the mixtures over time. From the information presented, the dependence on the choice of site for a good long-term hydraulic behavior is verified, it is also evidente how much the rate of infiltration decreases with time in a pavement built in a site next to trees and another types of vegetation. In addition, this research shows that the little differences in the methods results in little differences in the infiltration rate, but the hydraulic behavior remains similar. The same conclusion is obtained by comparing the tests performed at the edges and center of the pavement. All presented results and conclusions shows the great potential of the mixtures developed by the LMP-USP, which can be enhanced though the suitable materials selection, construction place and constructive method.

Orientador: Maria da Consolação Fonseca de Albuquerque / Resumo: Inúmeros problemas sociais e ambientais são causados pela impermeabilização dos solos em decorrência da urbanização descontrolada e sem planejamento. O pavimento em concreto permeável aparece como uma forma de mitigação de enchentes, devido à sua característica de permitir a infiltração total ou parcial de água proveniente de precipitações. O objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar um traço eficiente e empregá-lo de maneira efetiva em uma calçada, para promover a captação total de eventos pluviométricos ocorridos no local e observar, com o decorrer do tempo, a eficiência de manutenção periódica na superfície do pavimento permeável quanto à colmatação. Foram experimentadas três proporções de misturas: 1:3,5; 1:5 e 1:6,5, sendo que em nenhuma foi utilizado agregado miúdo. Também foi observado o comportamento das misturas com duas granulometrias de agregados graúdos de 9,5/25,0 e 4,75/12,5. Ensaios destrutivos e não destrutivos foram realizados, entre eles: resistência à compressão axial, tração por compressão diametral, tração na flexão e taxa de infiltração. A mistura mais eficiente e escolhida para a construção da calçada foi a de teor 1:5, com a utilização do agregado de faixa granulométrica 4,75/12,5. Testes estatísticos ―t Student” foram utilizados para comparar os resultados obtidos na presente pesquisa com trabalhos semelhantes. A calçada foi dimensionada para ter eficiência de caráter pluviométrico, de acordo com incidência pluviométrica regional e mecânico através de análi... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Uncounted social and environmental problems are caused by the waterproofing of soils as a result of uncontrolled and unplanned urbanization. The pervious concrete pavement appears as a form of flood mitigation due to its characteristic of allowing total or partial infiltration of water from rainfall. The aim of this work was to study an efficient mixture and to use it effectively on a sidewalk, to promote the total retention of rainfall events occurring locally and to observe the efficiency of periodic maintenance on the pervious pavement surface, regarding clogging over time. Three proportions of mixtures were tested: 1:3.5; 1:5 and 1:6.5, in which none fine aggregates was used. Furthermore, the behavior in the mixtures of two coarse aggregates gradations of 9.5/25.0 and 4.75/12.5 was observed. Destructive and non-destructive tests were performed, such as: compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, flexural strength and infiltration rate. The most efficient and chosen mixture for the construction of the sidewalk was 1:5, with the use of the aggregate size 4.75/12.5. ―Student’s t‖ statistical tests were used to compare the results obtained in the present research with similar works. The sidewalk was dimensioned to have rainfall efficiency, according to regional rainfall incidence, and mechanical efficiency, through analysis in the EverFE computational program, followed by calculation of fatigue life. The permeability rate of the pavement was monitored weekly over time,... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

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.

Each of the studies conducted herein is related to best management practices for stormwater pollutant removal. This thesis is divided into two chapters. Chapter One details the development and functionality of a novel stormwater detention pond outlet, the solid state skimmer. The device is a perforated riser having no moving parts that is capable of draining detention ponds primarily from the topmost orifices. We found that such a device is capable of reducing effluent turbidity and sediment concentrations compared to a traditional riser outlet. Chapter Two describes a water quality monitoring study performed to show that a pervious concrete detention system can remove stormwater pollutants from parking lot runoff. The stormwater flowed across asphalt paving before infiltrating into the pervious concrete and an aggregate sub-base below. We sampled the runoff before it entered the pervious and after it passed through the detention system and found significant decreases in several pollutants.

Pervious concrete pavement has the capacity to perform as two types of infrastructure: a pavement; and a stormwater management solution. It is a low impact development as it does not alter the natural hydrological cycle when implemented, unlike a conventional impermeable pavement. This research represents some of the initial investigations into pervious concrete pavement in Canada. The two research hypotheses of this research were the following: 1. Pervious concrete pavement can be successfully planned, designed, constructed and maintained in Canada for successful performance based on surface evaluations of permeability rate and surface condition. 2. Verification that the subsurface drainage capabilities of pervious concrete pavement are as described in literature and can be quantified using instrumentation. Through monitoring of the design, construction, performance and maintenance of five field sites across Canada and various laboratory pavement slabs, the behaviour of pervious concrete pavement in freeze-thaw conditions has been evaluated. This thesis presents the findings from the various phases of the life cycle of pervious concrete pavement: planning; design; construction; and maintenance. An interpretation of the performance of pervious concrete pavement both from the perspective of the surface and subsurface is included. The various field sites led to pervious concrete being used in areas exposed to static or parked traffic and areas with slow moving traffic. At the two sites that included static and slow moving traffic, the permeability performance was better in the areas of static traffic than those with moving traffic. Each of the field sites had a unique mix design and some had multiple variations of one basic mix design. The relationship between the void content and hardened density of the pervious concrete cores was linear with none of the cores being visually identified as outliers. Substantial deterioration in pavement structure performance was identified at one site. Other field sites showed changes in structural capacity over the monitoring timeline. However, no locations of substantial decreases in structural capacity were identified. The surface condition of the sites over the analysis period indicated that compaction to the surface during construction was helpful in constructing a quality pavement. The results of the project indicated that pervious concrete will crack when joints are not included and may also crack similarly to conventional impermeable concrete pavements if joints are spaced too widely or do not match joints of adjacent pavement. Washing the pervious concrete pavement surface with a large hose or garden hose was found to be the most effective in improving permeability across a site and also in increasing the permeability of the pervious concrete. The initial permeability of the pervious concrete pavement was found to influence future performance. Freeze-thaw cycling and moisture were found to alter the internal structure of pervious concrete. However, did not generally lead to surface distress development. The application of sand as a winter maintenance method decreased the permeability, as did the use of a salt solution. However, neither winter maintenance method led to the permeability rates of laboratory slabs dropping below an acceptable level. All three slabs loaded with a salt solution deteriorated to a point where the slabs had failed. The initial permeability of the field sites proved to be important and although some sites started with what appeared to be very high permeability rates, these sites were successful in the multiple year evaluation in maintaining adequate permeability rates. The types of surface distresses that developed in the cores and slabs in the laboratory were generally not substantially worse at the field sites, suggesting that pedestrian and vehicle traffic do not necessarily escalate distresses caused by the Canadian climate and corresponding winter activities. The subsurface drainage that was quantified by the instrumentation included in three field sites confirmed observations from the surface of the pavement and exceeded other expectations. Two field sites exhibited limited drainage capabilities on the surface of the pervious concrete pavement, one shortly after construction, and the other within a year following construction. The subsurface analysis quantified and confirmed that moisture was not able to drain completely vertically through the pavement structures at these two sites due to the limited access in the pervious concrete pavement surface. In comparison, the subsurface drainage at another site surpassed the assumed behaviour of pervious concrete pavement structures. The pavement structure in general at this site was highly permeable and this was identified as moisture was not observed to be collecting in the bottom of the storage base layer at any time or for any period of time. The successful overall drainage performance of this site demonstrates the ability to effectively use pervious concrete pavement in Canada.

Pervious concrete pavement has the capacity to perform as two types of infrastructure: a pavement; and a stormwater management solution. It is a low impact development as it does not alter the natural hydrological cycle when implemented, unlike a conventional impermeable pavement. This research represents some of the initial investigations into pervious concrete pavement in Canada. The two research hypotheses of this research were the following: 1. Pervious concrete pavement can be successfully planned, designed, constructed and maintained in Canada for successful performance based on surface evaluations of permeability rate and surface condition. 2. Verification that the subsurface drainage capabilities of pervious concrete pavement are as described in literature and can be quantified using instrumentation. Through monitoring of the design, construction, performance and maintenance of five field sites across Canada and various laboratory pavement slabs, the behaviour of pervious concrete pavement in freeze-thaw conditions has been evaluated. This thesis presents the findings from the various phases of the life cycle of pervious concrete pavement: planning; design; construction; and maintenance. An interpretation of the performance of pervious concrete pavement both from the perspective of the surface and subsurface is included. The various field sites led to pervious concrete being used in areas exposed to static or parked traffic and areas with slow moving traffic. At the two sites that included static and slow moving traffic, the permeability performance was better in the areas of static traffic than those with moving traffic. Each of the field sites had a unique mix design and some had multiple variations of one basic mix design. The relationship between the void content and hardened density of the pervious concrete cores was linear with none of the cores being visually identified as outliers. Substantial deterioration in pavement structure performance was identified at one site. Other field sites showed changes in structural capacity over the monitoring timeline. However, no locations of substantial decreases in structural capacity were identified. The surface condition of the sites over the analysis period indicated that compaction to the surface during construction was helpful in constructing a quality pavement. The results of the project indicated that pervious concrete will crack when joints are not included and may also crack similarly to conventional impermeable concrete pavements if joints are spaced too widely or do not match joints of adjacent pavement. Washing the pervious concrete pavement surface with a large hose or garden hose was found to be the most effective in improving permeability across a site and also in increasing the permeability of the pervious concrete. The initial permeability of the pervious concrete pavement was found to influence future performance. Freeze-thaw cycling and moisture were found to alter the internal structure of pervious concrete. However, did not generally lead to surface distress development. The application of sand as a winter maintenance method decreased the permeability, as did the use of a salt solution. However, neither winter maintenance method led to the permeability rates of laboratory slabs dropping below an acceptable level. All three slabs loaded with a salt solution deteriorated to a point where the slabs had failed. The initial permeability of the field sites proved to be important and although some sites started with what appeared to be very high permeability rates, these sites were successful in the multiple year evaluation in maintaining adequate permeability rates. The types of surface distresses that developed in the cores and slabs in the laboratory were generally not substantially worse at the field sites, suggesting that pedestrian and vehicle traffic do not necessarily escalate distresses caused by the Canadian climate and corresponding winter activities. The subsurface drainage that was quantified by the instrumentation included in three field sites confirmed observations from the surface of the pavement and exceeded other expectations. Two field sites exhibited limited drainage capabilities on the surface of the pervious concrete pavement, one shortly after construction, and the other within a year following construction. The subsurface analysis quantified and confirmed that moisture was not able to drain completely vertically through the pavement structures at these two sites due to the limited access in the pervious concrete pavement surface. In comparison, the subsurface drainage at another site surpassed the assumed behaviour of pervious concrete pavement structures. The pavement structure in general at this site was highly permeable and this was identified as moisture was not observed to be collecting in the bottom of the storage base layer at any time or for any period of time. The successful overall drainage performance of this site demonstrates the ability to effectively use pervious concrete pavement in Canada.

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.