Foamed aggregate pervious concrete – An option for road on peat

Abstract

Foamed aggregate is a novel controlled density material developed for road construction on peat. This paper reports recent findings of the mix design and test method of pervious concrete. The high porosity allows water to pass through it, thereby allowing the recharging of water into designated retention ponds. Road on peat are designed to be above the most frequent flood levels. The water permeability of the concrete was determined with constant head water permeability test. The study is to establish an economical method for construction on problematic soils. The proprietary foamed aggregate of density between 900kg/m3-1200 kg/m3 was experimented. Since controlled density foamed aggregate is designed to co-exist with peat, a more durable road with less maintenance is expected. The self leveling foamed concrete of density about 1200 kg/m3 is to be placed on the foamed aggregate with tyres and geosynthetics as a special provision for lateral restraint. It is hoped that more intensified research into the exploitation of used tyres for sustainable construction on problematic soil will lead to improved quality of life and conservation of the environment.