Hydrodynamic characteristics of a new permeable pavement material produced from recycled concrete and organic matter
Résumé
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the hydrodynamic characteristics of a new material to be used for permeable and purifying pavements in urban areas. The new material is a mixture of crushed concrete, to provide structural support, and a compost mix intended to retain and biologically treat stormwater pollutants. The first part of this study was to evaluate the hydraulic conductivity of the material at different mixing ratios to define the range of materials suitable for urban drainage applications. The second part of the study involved using tracing experiments to quantify the effects of the pollutant transport mechanisms occurring during the water infiltration process. These experiments were conducted under steady state flows condition using a conservative tracer (NaCl). The results demonstrate that while the addition of compost significantly reduced the permeability of the concrete mix, it was still suitable for use as a paving material in an urban environment. The increased residence time of the stormwater pollutants due to the addition of the compost mix was shown to have a positive effect on the biological treatment of the stormwater pollution.