Abstract

With a current population of about 1.4 million people, Rajkot, India is considered among one of the fastest growing cities in the world. However, a high growth rate and expansion of city limits has led to urban development discounting the consequence of existing natural water courses. Covered natural courses, hard basaltic rock, and little to no stormwater management have resulted in flooding with rainfall intensities of as little as 100 mm (4in). This study investigated a pervious concrete system as a potential solution for stormwater management in Rajkot. Collaboration among city officials, a governmental organization, a local structural engineer, and a U.S. university resulted in the evaluation of the suitability of local materials in producing pervious concrete mixtures. The primary focus of this phase of study was to demonstrate the design, batching, and environmental benefits of pervious concrete. A small pervious concrete pavement (PCP) test section was constructed along with test specimens to measure compressive strength, hydraulic conductivity, porosity, and water quality before and after flow through the PCP test section. Demonstration of the pervious concrete system showed good infiltration capability, potential of improving water quality, applicability for light traffic pavements, and future interest in a field application.