Material design and characterization of high performance pervious concrete

•Development of high performance pervious concrete (HPPC) to advance and broaden the application of pervious concrete.•Increase of strength and durability without sacrificing the hydraulic conductivity through tailored mix design.•Use of ultra-high performance matrix for pervious concrete design.•Material characterization regarding compressive behavior, hydraulic conductivity and freeze–thaw resistance.

Continued urbanization and population growth further the growth of impervious urban areas, leading to concerning adverse environmental and societal impacts. Pervious concrete has remarkable potential to counteract these adverse impacts while providing necessary structural integrity, thus supporting continued urbanization. Broader application of pervious concrete could be achieved through increased raveling resistance and enhanced durability performance. This research emphasizes the development and characterization of high performance pervious concrete aiming at improved mechanical resistance and advanced durability properties. In pursuit of this goal an ultra-high performance cement-based matrix with compressive strengths in excess of 150 MPa (22 ksi) and high durability properties are designed and applied to the mixture design concept of pervious concrete. The research results show that compressive strength and elastic modulus increase by up to 150% and 100%, respectively, without sacrificing the hydraulic conductivity of the concrete. Furthermore, freeze–thaw tests have been carried out to compare the durability performance of conventional pervious concrete with high performance pervious concrete. Based on enhanced mechanical properties as well as improved durability, high performance pervious concrete potentially allows extending the application of pervious concrete and thus carries a vital potential in effectively counteracting the growth of impervious urban areas.