Application of Sterculia foetida petiole wastes in lightweight pervious concrete

Sterculia foetida is a deciduous wild plant found in tropical and sub-tropical regions. Its petioles, after naturally falling off the plant, are a kind of sustainably regenerative waste. In this study, to reduce environmental hazards due to incineration or decomposition, they are used as raw materials to make an environmentally friendly lightweight pervious concrete (LWPC). Eight types of petiole lightweight pervious concrete (PLWPC) were made to investigate the effects of water to cement ratios (W/C), petiole length distributions, sand to cement ratios (S/C) of coating materials, and the thickness of mortar and cement paste layers on their properties. The specific mechanical properties of each PLWPC sample were also tested and compared with other LWPC specimens. The results showed that petioles can provide ductility and reduce the density of pervious concrete. The specific compressive strength, specific flexural strength, and water permeability coefficient of PLWPC can range from 8.34 to 9.95 kPa/(kg/m(3)), 1.64-3.28 kPa/(kg/m(3)) and 1.44-3.00 cm/s, respectively. Furthermore, the compressive strength of PLWPC with a total void ratio of about 40-53% can still reach 9-13 MPa. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.