Permeable Paver Using Blast-Furnace Slag for Strength and Drainage
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for paving materials that combine high strength with water permeability to address environmental concerns such as stormwater management and heat island reduction, while also being cost-effective and compliant with LEED standards, as existing permeable pavers often lack durability and aesthetic versatility.
Innovation Solution
The development of permeable pavers made from granulated blast-furnace slag, sand, gravel, and cement, which provide high compressive strength and controlled permeability, allowing for efficient water infiltration and drainage, and can be manufactured locally using existing equipment, enabling easy installation and removal without on-site mixing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If permeable paving materials are used to allow water infiltration, then water permeability is improved, but compressive strength deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The paver is designed with a porous structure containing voids and cavities that allow water to permeate through the material. The porous concrete matrix enables water infiltration while maintaining structural integrity through the interlocking paver design and appropriate porosity control.
Solution Approach 2:
The paver utilizes a composite material system combining porous concrete with an interlocking structural design. The combination of cementitious materials with controlled porosity creates a composite system that achieves both permeability and strength requirements.
2Strength
If interlocking paver design is used to provide high compressive strength, then strength is improved, but water permeability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The interlocking paver is constructed from porous concrete material that contains intentional voids and permeable pathways. This allows the rigid interlocking structure to maintain strength while the porous matrix enables water infiltration through the paver body.
Solution Approach 2:
The paver performs multiple functions simultaneously: the interlocking edges provide mechanical strength and structural stability, while the porous concrete matrix provides water permeability. This multi-functional design resolves the contradiction between strength and permeability.
3Reliability
If clay pavers are used to provide durability and resistance to fading, then reliability is improved, but water permeability deteriorates due to vitrified closed pores
Solution Approach 1:
Unlike vitrified clay pavers with closed pores, this invention uses porous concrete material with open interconnected voids that allow water to permeate through the material while maintaining durability through the cementitious matrix and interlocking design.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the pore structure parameter from closed vitrified pores in clay to open interconnected pores in concrete, enabling water permeability while maintaining durability through appropriate mix design and curing of the cementitious material.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The permeable pavers achieve high compressive strengths of up to 8000 psi, exceed the required water permeability standards, and contribute to environmental sustainability by reducing stormwater runoff and heat island effects, while being cost-effective and aesthetically versatile.
Implementation Method 1
permeable pavers that allow moisture to permeate and drain therethrough
Implementation Method 2
porous pavers that allow moisture to permeate and drain therethrough
Implementation Method 3
This rapid cooling, often from a temperature of around 2,600° C., is the start of the granulating process. This process causes several chemical reactions to take place within the material, and gives the slag its cementitious properties.
Implementation Method 4
contribute to environmental sustainability by reducing stormwater runoff and heat island effects
Data Source
AI summary
A permeable paver that has water permeability of on average about 1 inch per hour and compressive strength of an average of about 8000 psi, the paver manufactured by forming a mixture comprising blast-furnace slag, sand, gravel and Portland cement into predetermined sizes, shapes and colors as desired utilizing a hydraulic-type or equivalent compacting block forming machine.