Pervious concrete is becoming more common as a storm-water management tool in freeze-thaw climates. One of the main concerns or obstacles preventing a more widespread application is the aspect of freeze-thaw durability, whether perceived or actual. This paper describes a series of tests designed to determine the specific role coarse aggregate has on the freeze-thaw durability of pervious concrete using the ASTM C666A procedure. 17 different coarse aggregate samples were obtained from locations across the United States and Canada. Pervious concrete mixtures were placed using a mixture proportion previously determined as freeze-thaw durable. The range of durable aggregate gradations clearly defined a gradation specification and suggestions are made for optimizing the gradation with a small portion of sand. Mixtures with excellent freeze-thaw performance contained either granite or highly durable river gravel. The impact of aggregate angularity on mixture proportions and ultimate yield is also discussed.

Portland cement pervious concrete (PCPC) has been increasingly used in concrete pavements during recent years. In addition to strength and permeability, abrasion durability is another important property of PCPC. In this study, three laboratory abrasion test methods were investigated for their potential capability of evaluating the abrasion and raveling resistance of PCPC. The three tests are the Cantabro test, the loaded wheel abrasion test, and the surface abrasion test. To evaluate the three test methods, eight PCPC mixtures containing different sizes of coarse aggregates and additives were tested. The comparison of the three abrasion tests indicates that all three tests were fairly effective in differentiating between the PCPC mixtures. However, the results from the Cantabro test may not reflect the abrasion resistance of the mixtures because the failure of the specimens was caused by impact rather than abrasion. With studded wheels and increased wheel load, the loaded wheel abrasion test exhibited best sensitivity and sufficient repeatability. The surface abrasion test successfully differentiated the control mix from other mixtures, but failed to differentiate between the mixtures containing latex and/or fiber, which may be attributed to the unfavorably low weight loss values from this test.