14th International Symposium on New Technology for Urban Safety of Mega-Cities in Asia

(USMCA 2015), 29-31 October 2015, Kathmandu, Nepal

Steel fiber-reinforced pervious

concrete for urban roads
TAN Kiang Hwee, Professor
LIM Emiko, PhD Candidate
FWA Tien Fang, Professor

Dept of Civil & Environmental Engrg

National University of Singapore
 BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE
• Due to climate change,
many urban cities are
subjected to flash flooding
during heavy rainfall
• Pervious concrete (near
zero-slump, open graded)
pavement provides solution
• Objective is to investigate
use of discrete hooked-end
steel fibers in pervious
concrete to improve
strength w/o compromising
on porosity & permeability

© Tan KH, NUS 2

 TEST PROGRAM
• Mixture proportion
– C = 367 kg/m3; CA = 1560 kg/m3 ; W = 110 kg/m3
– W/C = 0.3, C/CA = 4.25
– ASTM Type I ordinary Portland cement
– 2 sizes of CA (natural crushed granite)
• size 89 (9.5 to 1.18 mm) and size 67 (19.0 to 4.75 mm)
to ASTM C 33-11a, specific gravity = 2.65
– Comb polymer SP = 800 ml/100 kg C

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 – Steel fibers: 1 – 2.5%
Steel Fiber Length Diameter Aspect Tensile Strength
Type (mm) (mm) Ratio (N/mm2)
3D-S 30 0.50 60 1130
3D-L 60 0.75 80 1100
4D 60 0.92 65 1500
5D 65 0.92 65 2250

3D-S Fiber (1 hooked-end)

3D-L Fiber (1 hooked-end)

4D Fiber (1.5 hooked-ends)

5D Fiber (2 hooked-ends)

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 Test Specimens and Procedures

Compressive test Flexural test Porosity & permeability

Constant head permeameter Sound absorption

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 Physical and mechanical properties of
steel fiber pervious concrete
4.5
4.4 1%
5D-a 1.5%
4.3 5D-b
Flexural Strength (MPa)

1.75%
4.2
2%
4.1 2.25%
4 4D-a
3.9 4D-b
3.8
3.7
3.6
3.5 a - small aggregates
3.4 b - large aggregates 3D-b 3D-a
3.3
4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Permeability (mm/s)

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 28
5D-a 1%
Compressive Strength (MPa) 26 5D-b 1.5%
1.75%
24 4D-b
2%
22 2.25%
2.5%
20
18
16
3D-b 3D-a
a - small coarse aggregates 4D-a
14
b - large coarse aggregates
12
14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28
Porosity (%)
CA size (mm) 3D Fibers 4D Fibers 5D Fibers

a (9.5) 1.5 – 2.25% 1 – 2.25% 1–2%

b (19.0) 1.5 – 1.75% 1–2% Nil

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 Clogging characteristics

0.6-1.18 mm soil

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 Sound absorption characteristics

The PC, PF and PA samples all had a porosity of about 20%.

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 CONCLUDING REMARKS
• The incorporation of 1.5% of steel fibers by volume of
concrete was found adequate in achieving the target strength
of 3.6 MPa, permeability of 10 mm/s, and porosity of 20%.
• Pervious concrete was less susceptible to clogging compared
to porous asphalt with the same porosity; incorporation of
steel fibers up to about 2% did not affect the results.
• Steel fiber reinforced pervious concrete possessed superior
sound absorption characteristics compared to porous asphalt.

© Tan KH, NUS

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