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Thermal Conductivity of Pervious Concrete for Various Porosities

Article in ACI Materials Journal · April 2017

DOI: 10.14359/51689492

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ACI Materials Journal - American Concrete Institute

Thermal Conductivity of pervious concrete for various porosities

Somayeh Nassiri and Benjamin Nantasai

Biography: Somayeh Nassiri (corresponding author) is an Assistant Professor at the Department

of Civil & Environmental Engineering at Washington State University. She received her PhD from

the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA. Her research interests are pervious concrete, early-

age properties of concrete, and use of recycled materials in concrete for enhanced properties.

Benjamin Nantasai is an engineer at PNA Construction Technologies. He received his MSc degree

from Washington State University (WSU) in 2014 and his bachelor degree also from WSU in

2012. His area of expertise is pervious concrete and concrete pavement design.

Abstract (149 words)

Thermal conductivity (K) of pervious concrete specimens was measured using the heatflow meter

and the thermal needle probe methods. The two test methods were first conducted on 285.75-mm

(11.25-inch) dry square slabs with varying porosities (φ) from 19 to 36 percent. Strong linear K-φ

relationships were obtained based on both methods. On average, K for the slabs was 0.50 W/(mK),

using the heatflow meter, and 0.62 W/(mK), by the needle probe. Using the needle probe, four

percent water in the slabs resulted in a 20-percent increase in K. Hundred-mm diameter cylinders

were saw cut in half and were tested for K at the top and bottom. K-φ were obtained for the cylinder

halves using the needle probe. The mean geometric model showed a near-perfect fit for the slabs

in dry conditions. The model fit reasonably well to the top cylinders’ K and overestimated K for

bottom cylinders with a mean square error of 0.012 W/(mK).

Keywords: pervious concrete, porosity, thermal conductivity, heat transfer

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ACI Materials Journal - American Concrete Institute

INTRODUCTION

Pervious concrete is a highly porous Portland cement concrete (PCC), specifically designed to

include 15-35 percent air voids in a unit volume. These air voids are “entrapped” air pockets visible

to the naked eye, ranging from millimeters to centimeters in size and are in addition to any

“entrained” air, gel and capillary pores in the paste. This high porosity is achieved by minimizing

(eliminating) the use of fine aggregate in the mixture, and limiting the coarse aggregate size to

single-sized or grade 9.5-19 mm (3/8-¾ inch) (1). This porous structure results in high infiltration

rates of 250-5,000 cm/hr (100-2,000 inch/hr) (2), which allows for drainage of stormwater runoff.

Such high infiltration rates reduce chances of water ponding and icing on the pavement surface

and therefore prevent pedestrian slipping during the winter, hydroplaning and wet weather

accidents. This quality is desired for many pavement applications such as parking lots, driveways,

sidewalks, walking and cycling paths, and streets.

RESEARCH SIGNIFICANCE

Application of pervious concrete pavements (PCP) is growing in popularity, therefore it is critical

that heat transfer through PCP’s porous structure is understood. Temperature predictions for

pavements is critical for many design and maintenance purposes: timely application of anti-

icing/deicing agents, slab movement and proper joint spacing, and curling due to temperature

gradients are some of the applications. For this purpose, thermal properties, such as thermal

conductivity (K) need to be known. In this study, the experimental data from conductivity testing

on pervious concrete specimens using two different methods is presented for the first time. Further,

a simple theoretical model is used and validated to predict K for pervious concrete as a function of

the mixture constituents-especially porosity. The test results are consistent, the model fits the test

data well, and therefore the paper would be valuable to concrete technology.

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ACI Materials Journal - American Concrete Institute

ANALYTICAL INVESTIGATION

Thermal conductivity is the ability of the material to transfer heat through a unit-length thickness.

Conductivity is established by applying a known temperature gradient of ΔT/Δx (K/m) to a slab of

a known surface area (A). For a unit area, the amount of heat, q (W) transferred through the

thickness yields the thermal conductivity (coefficient) (K). In the differential form, the equation is

known as the Fourier’s Law, and is expressed as shown in Equation 1 (3).

𝜕𝜕𝜕𝜕
𝑞𝑞 = −𝐾𝐾 𝜕𝜕𝜕𝜕 (1)

For porous and multi-component materials, such as (pervious) concrete, the local volume-averaged

or effective K is dependent upon the structure and continuity of the solid matrix (paste and

aggregate), their relative amounts, and K (4). In attempting to predict the effective K for multi-

component materials, two simple theoretical arrangements are assumed for the components, series

or parallel. Effective K is then formulated in the same fashion that the total resistance of an

electrical circuit in series or parallel would be calculated based on Ohm’s Law (5, 6). PCC is a

multi-component and heterogeneous composite material that contains coarse and fine aggregate,

paste and air. Effective K of PCC greatly depends on coarse aggregate type-varying from 2.13

W/(mK) for Limestone PCC to 3.29 W/(mK) for Quartzite PCC (7). For pervious concrete, in

addition to the coarse aggregate’s K, the air void content (porosity) plays an important role in the

amount of heat conducted through the pavement. Since air has a low conductivity of 0.024

W/(mK), conductivity of pervious concrete is expected to be substantially lower than the reported

values for impermeable PCC with minimal entrapped air. Also, during rain events and snow melts,

PCP becomes partially saturated (wet). The addition of water with K of 0.63 W/(mK) to the voids

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ACI Materials Journal - American Concrete Institute

in the paste matrix and to the aggregate voids should naturally increase the effective K compared

to dry conditions.

The parallel arrangement has been used before to estimate K for PCC as a function of mixture’s

constituents and their proportions (8, 9). The same approach is applied herein to pervious concrete

by considering the air voids as one of the constituents. In doing so, it is assumed that pervious is

made of paste (cement, and fly ash mixed with water), air voids, and coarse aggregate. To use the

parallel model, these three main constituents are arranged as slabs laid perpendicular to the

direction of heat flow as shown in Fig 1. Clearly, such ideal arrangement does not describe the

physical distribution of the voids and does not consider the shape, size, inter-connectivity of the

voids. This model is a pure theoretical tool for estimating K in the absence of experimental data

(10). The equation that provides the effective K of pervious concrete in parallel arrangement is

provided in Equation 2.

𝐾𝐾𝑝𝑝 = 𝑛𝑛1 𝐾𝐾1 + 𝑛𝑛2 𝐾𝐾2 + 𝑛𝑛3 𝐾𝐾3 + ⋯ (2)

Kp is the parallel thermal conductivity of pervious concrete, n1, n2, n3, …are the volume fractions

of air voids (porosity), paste, and aggregate, and K1, K2, K3, …are the thermal conductivities of the

three constituents. The parallel model (Equation 2) in the form of the geometrical mean of

conductivities, Kg, has also provided acceptable fits to experimental data before (Equation 3) (11).

𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑝𝑝 = 𝑛𝑛1 𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙1 + 𝑛𝑛2 𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙2 + 𝑛𝑛3 𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙3 + ⋯ (3)

EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION

Materials

The mixture design for the pervious concrete used in this study is presented in Table 1. Coarse

aggregate used in the mixture was crushed Basalt with nominal maximum size 9.5-mm (3/8 inch),
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ACI Materials Journal - American Concrete Institute

specific gravity 2.95, and moisture absorption of 3.1 percent. The design density of the pervious

concrete mixture was 2,143.3 kg/m3 (133.8 lb/ft3) to yield in a target porosity of 27 percent.

Specimens

Two types of specimens were cast: 100-mm (4-inch) diameter by 200-mm (8-inch) high cylinders

and square slabs 285.75-mm (11.25-inch) width and 82.55-mm (3.25-inch) thick. Both slab and

cylindrical specimens were cast in such a way to target a wide range of porosities (15-45%) in

order to characterize K as a function of porosity (φ). To achieve the desired porosity for each

specimen, the amount of fresh mixture to be placed in each mold was pre-determined based on the

design density and known mold volume. The cylindrical specimens were cast in two lifts; upon

the placement of the desired amount of the mixture in the mold, the bottom lift was compacted

with 15 drops of a 5.5-lb Proctor hammer with a 12-inch drop height. The remaining required

weight was then placed in the mold, followed by compaction through as many number of hammer

drops as needed. This method of casting cylinders results in near-target porosities in a closely

uniformly distributed fashion. The slabs, on the other hand, were placed in one lift and were

compacted at the top with drops of the Proctor hammer to cover the entire surface area (about 33

blows). This method was followed to represent field placement and compaction of pervious

concrete pavements as closely as possible. Twenty cylinders and six slabs were cast in this manner.

All specimens were cured in closed (capped) molds for seven days in laboratory conditions at

ambient temperature of around 22˚C (72˚F). After this period, specimens were demolded and were

tested for porosity and continued to cure in air until testing for conductivity.

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ACI Materials Journal - American Concrete Institute

ITEMS OF INVESTIGATION

Porosity

Upon demolding at seven-day age, φ was determined for each specimen, following the procedure

in the American Standard for Testing and Materials (ASTM) (12). In this method, the total air void

content is estimated as the difference between the total volume of the specimen and the volume of

the displaced water when the specimen is fully submerged under water, following Equation 4.

𝑀𝑀𝑤𝑤 −𝑀𝑀𝑑𝑑
𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴 𝑉𝑉𝑉𝑉𝑉𝑉𝑉𝑉 𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶 = (1 − ) (4)
𝜌𝜌𝑤𝑤 ·𝑉𝑉

Mw and Md are the mass of a submerged and dry specimen, respectively, g, 𝜌𝜌w is the density of

water, g/cm3, and V is the volume of the specimen, cm3. Three dimension measurements at

different locations were taken on each specimen using a caliper to capture any potential variation

in dimensions. Fig. 2-a shows the average of the three φ estimates for slab specimens together with

the corresponding standard deviations. The six slabs resulted in average φ of 19, 21, 24, 26, 31,

and 36 percent with minimal variations. For the cylindrical specimens, φ was first characterized

for the specimens in whole, followed by saw cutting the cylinders at mid-depth. Porosity of the

top and bottom halves was then established following the same procedure described above. Fig 2-

b shows φ of the whole specimen versus φ of top and bottom halves. The whole cylinders’ φ ranged

from 16 to 23 percent. The linear regression fit to the data shows that the top halves compacted to

83 percent of the whole φ plus five percent, and the bottom halves, yielded in 97 percent of the

whole φ plus two percent. This shows that the cylinders were reasonably uniformly compacted

throughout depth, however the bottom cylinders were more closely compacted to the whole φ. This

behavior is expected, since some of the compaction energy is transferred to the bottom halves,

when the cylinder is being compacted at the top, resulting in more compaction of the bottom half.

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ACI Materials Journal - American Concrete Institute

Further to this discussion, the bottom halves show slightly higher variation in compaction with a

coefficient of variation of 0.137 versus 0.121 for the top halves.

Thermal Conductivity

Thermal conductivity of the slab specimens was determined using two methods, 1) heatflow meter

(13), and 2) thermal needle probe (14). FOX 304 heatflow meter, by LaserComp TA instruments,

(Fig. 3) was used to measure K of slabs following the first method. In this method, the steady-state

heat transfer through a flat slab specimen is measured using a heat flow meter apparatus. The

apparatus used in this study applies four heat steps to the top and bottom plates. The heat steps are

50, 40, 30, and 20°C (122, 104, 86, and 68˚F) for the top plate, and 75, 65, 55, 45°C (167, 149,

131, and 113˚F) for the bottom plate respectively, as recommended in the manufacturer’s user

manual. Conductivity is estimated by measuring the temperature gradient and heat fluxes at both

plate locations, and using the Fourier’s law in Equation 1.

The results of the four tests conducted on each slab is presented in Fig. 4 as a function of porosity.

As seen in Fig. 4, the four tests on each slab resulted in consistent K values with minimal

variability. Further, since air has a low K compared to the other constituents in the mixture, a strong

linear declining trend is noticed in K for more porous slabs. The relationship between K based on

heatflow method (Kheatflow) and φ is provided in Fig. 4. Average Kheatflow ranges between 0.36

W/(mK) at a high φ of 36 percent, and 0.55 W/(mK) for the lowest φ of 19 percent, with a total

average value of 0.64 W/(mK). These values for K are substantially lower than those reported for

non-pervious PCC in the literature (7). This comparison implies that the high air content of

pervious concrete substantially reduces the amount of heat transferred by conduction.

Second, the slabs were tested for K by the thermal needle probe method in accordance with ASTM

D5334. RK-1 Rock needle probe along with the KD2 Pro Analyzer by Decagon Devices was used.

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ACI Materials Journal - American Concrete Institute

The 60-mm (2.33-inch) deep and 4-mm (1/6-inch) diameter RK-1 needle probe is designed to

measure K of rock, and concrete by the needle probe procedure (14). The needle probe is cable of

applying heat impulses to the specimen while measuring the temperature. According to the

standard, a known voltage and current is applied through the probe, while measuring the

temperature during a 10-minute period. The test is repeated five times and conductivity is

computed from the analysis of the temperature-time series data during the heating or cooling cycles

(14). RK-1 has an accuracy of ±10% for K ranging 0.2 – 6.0 W/(mK), and ±0.02 W/(mK) for K

from 0.1 to 0.2 W/(mK). After this period, the result of conductivity test is saved in the KD2 Pro

datalogger (that is) connected to the needle probe. The probe is a portable and easy-to-use device

that can be used on any shape specimens and in the field. The results from the heatflow method

will be used as a base to evaluate the RK-1 needle probe results for the slabs. RK-1 needle probe

will then be used to characterize K for the cylinder specimens.

See Fig. 5-a for a photo of the test setup at the surface of the slab using the needle probe. To capture

the potential variability in the continuity of the solid phase in the slab when using RK-1 Sensor,

the test was repeated at five locations. In doing so, five locations were drilled on the slab, according

to a layout presented in Fig. 5-b. As seen in the schematic, the test locations are spread across the

slabs to spatially cover the specimen surface area.

The results of the five locations for each slab using the needle probe is added to Fig. 4. The results

of the two methods show agreement, with around 20 percent disparity. Also, it is evident in Fig. 4

that the needle probe is able to capture the effect of increase in φ on conductivity. The Kprobe –φ

relationship shown on Fig. 4 is strong, as reflected in the high coefficient of determination (R2) of

0.76. A relatively wide range is observed in Kprobe for the five test locations on each slab. This

variation is expected as the shape, size and interconnectivity of the pores as well as concentration

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ACI Materials Journal - American Concrete Institute

of paste and aggregate vary across the slab. The relationship between average Kheatflow and average

Kprobe is provided in Equation 5 with a high R2 of 0.89. For consistency and to allow for comparison

between specimen types, all Kprobe in this paper are presented after being converted to Kheatflow using

Equation 5 and are denoted as K.

Kheatflow = 0.8225*Kprobe – 0.019 (5)

Since PCPs are mainly used for stormwater management applications, it makes sense to measure

the slabs’ conductivity also under wet conditions. The slabs were moist cured in a fog room at 100

percent relative humidity and a controlled temperature of 22°C (73˚F) until their weight stabilized.

Comparison of the wet weight of the slabs to their dry weight (Table 2) showed an increase of

around 450 g (1 lb) on average for each slab (four percent by weight of the slabs on average).

Thermal conductivity was then measured in the same test locations shown earlier in Fig. 5, using

the thermal needle probe. Average K for each slab is presented in Fig. 6 in comparison to the dry

test results. As expected, the addition of water with a high K of 0.63 W/(mK) compared to low K

of 0.026 W/(mK) for air increased pervious concrete’s K by about 20 percent on average.

RK-1 needle probe was also used to characterize K for the cylindrical specimens. Cylindrical PCC

specimens are commonly cast as part of acceptance testing programs, however their shape restricts

them from being tested in the heat flow apparatus according to ASTM C518. Thermal needle probe

method can provide a rapid estimate of K of cylinders. RK-1 needle probe was used to test for

conductivity at the center location of the top and bottom surfaces of each cylinder. Since cylinders

were cast in two lift, and the needle probe is only 60-mm (2.33-inch) deep, the cylinders were cut

at mid-depth to obtain a more accurate K-φ relationship. The porosity of the half-cylinders was

used in relation with the measured K at the top or bottom, correspondingly.

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ACI Materials Journal - American Concrete Institute

Results for K for top and bottom halves are presented in Fig. 7 with respect to their porosity. As

mentioned previously, the tests were repeated five times at one location. The results of the five

repeats were consistent and therefore only the average values are shown in Fig. 7. The declining

trend in K-φ is again evident for cylinders with higher φ. The line fitted to the top halves has a less

steep slope compared to that of the bottom halves, this behavior could be due to the wider range

in φ for the bottom halves, as discussed previously. The bottom halves show a wider range in K,

0.37-0.58 W/(mK), this range for top halves is 0.46-0.62 W/(mK). This behavior could be due to

a higher number of bottom halves with 𝜑𝜑 greater than 22 percent compared to the top halves, given

that the disparity between the top and bottom values increases at higher 𝜑𝜑 values.

On average, K for bottom halves is 0.49 W/(mK), and 0.56 W/(mK) for top halves. The range in

K for the top halves is. The average K for half cylinders-especially bottom halves- are consistent

with the average K of 0.49 W/(mK) obtained previously for the slabs using the needle probe, using

Equation 5.

COMPARISON OF PREDICTIONS AND EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS

Slab Specimens

The mean geometric parallel model presented previously in Equation 3 provided the best fit to the

experimental data for the slabs. Thermal conductivity values used for the cement paste, dry Basalt

rock, and air were assumed as 0.98 (15), 1.69 (3), and 0.026 W/(mK), based on available test

results in the literature. Note that an exact match for the paste in this study with 20 percent fly ash

replacement at w/cm 0.24 was not found in the literature. The closest match for the paste mixture

design found in the literature used Type V cement at w/cm 0.25, which had K = 0.98 W/(mK) at

20°C in dry conditions (15). Thermal conductivity for Basalt rock was reported to vary from 1.69

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ACI Materials Journal - American Concrete Institute

to 2.11 in the reference (3), since the aggregate used in this study was porous with a high moisture

absorption, the lower bound of this range was used for K of Basalt. To account for the changes

made to density in order to achieve the desired porosity for each specimen, the volume fraction of

coarse aggregate was adjusted from the mixture design in Table 1, proportionally to the slab’s

porosity. The volume of paste was then defined as the subtraction of the volume of aggregate and

air from unity. Table 2 presents the volume fractions used for each slab. Fig. 8 shows the predicted

versus measured values for the dry slabs. As seen in Fig. 6, the data points are closely situated

around the line of equality and the predictions show a near perfect match to the measured K values

for the dry slabs. The mean square error (MSE) of the model is 0.002 W/(mK).

In an attempt to fit the same model to the experimental data for the wet slabs, water was added as

another parallel component, using 0.63 W/(mK) for K of water at room temperature. See Table 2

for adjusted porosity (voids partially filled with water) and the volume fractions of water for each

slab. The results are added to Fig. 8 for comparison. The predictions are close to the experimental

data for two of the slabs and under-predicted by maximum of 0.1 W/(mK) for the other three slabs

with higher porosities. MSE of the model is 0.005 W/(mK). Overall, it is expected that the model’s

predictions for the wet condition is not as good as the dry condition. The addition of water as one

of the variables in the model is a simplistic approach. In reality, the water not only wets and

partially fills the large air pockets in the pervious concrete but also fills both the aggregate and the

paste’s various pores, depending on the exposure duration, which alters each constituents’

conductivity.

Cylindrical specimens

The same procedure described in Table 2 was used to estimate the volume fractions for the

cylinders. Using the same conductivity for the constituents in the mixture, the effective K was

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ACI Materials Journal - American Concrete Institute

predicted for the top and bottom halves of the cylindrical specimens. The good of the fit of the

model to the experimental data can be evaluated in Fig. 9. The predicted K for the top halves follow

the line of equality closer than the bottom halves. The MSE for the top halves is only 0.003 m/Wk.

however, K is over-estimated for all bottom halves; average predicted K for bottom halves is 0.60

W/(mK), while the measured value is 0.49 W/(mK), with MSE 0.012 W/(mK).

CONCLUSIONS

Thermal conductivity (K) of pervious concrete slab specimens with varying porosities (𝜑𝜑) were

determined using the heatflow meter method. A strong linear K-φ relationship showed evident

decline in K with increased 𝜑𝜑. The minimum K was obtained at 0.33 W/(mK) for the highest 𝜑𝜑 of

36 percent, and the maximum K was 0.64 W/(mK) for the lowest 𝜑𝜑 of 19 percent, on average K

was 0.50 W/(mK) for all slabs.

The tests were repeated using a thermal needle probe, resulting in a linear relationship between the

results from the two methods. The slabs were then tested under wet conditions using the needle

probe method to simulate the pervious concrete slabs in the field in rainy conditions. Absorption

of about four percent (by weight) of water resulted in about 20 percent increase in K.

To further expand the results to cylindrical specimens, more tests were run on top and bottom

halves of 100-mm cylinders using the needle probe method. The results showed acceptable

agreement with those obtained for slab specimens, showing that cylinders can be used to determine

K. The mean geometric model fit the experimental data for slabs in both dry and wet conditions.

The model’s predictions were in agreement with the measured K for the dry slabs, with a mean

square error (MSE) of 0.002 W/(mK). For the wet slabs, the MSE increased to 0.005 W/(mK). The

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ACI Materials Journal - American Concrete Institute

model predicted K for the cylinders’ top halves with MSE of 0.003 W/(mK), while it overestimated

K for bottom halves, MSE = 0.012 W/(mK).

The experimental data and the K-φ relations in this study can be used for the same aggregate type

and for porosities within the range included in the experiments to extrapolate K for other pervious

concrete mixtures. When using the mean geometric model, the best estimates for volume

proportions of the concrete constituents needs to be derived based on the mixture design. Thermal

conductivity of the constituents need to be defined carefully based on available literature. More

elaborate models that can consider the effect of pore’s size and interconnectivity as a result of the

compaction energy are suggested for future research.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors gratefully acknowledge Decagon Devices for providing the RK-1 Rock Needle probe

for the test conducted in this study. The funding for the project was partially provided by the Center

for Environmentally Sustainable Transportation in Cold Climates (CESTiCC). Mr. Reza

Bahzadpour is acknowledged for running some of the RK 1 tests.

REFERENCES

1. American Concrete Institute Committee 522. Report on Pervious Concrete, Report No.

522R-10, 2010.

2. Eisenberg, B., K.C., Lindow, D.R., Smith. Permeable Pavements: ASCE, 2015.

3. Eppelbaum, L., Kutasov, I., and A., Pilchin. Applied Geothermics, SpringerLink, DOI:

10.1007/978-3-642-34023-9, 2014.

4. Kaviany, M. Principles of Heat Transfer in Porous Media (Mechanical Engineering Series).

Springer-Verlag, New York, NY, 1991.

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ACI Materials Journal - American Concrete Institute

5. Carson, J.K. Prediction of Thermal Conductivity of Food. Massey University, Palmerston

North, New Zealand, 2002.

6. Bart, G.C.J. Thermal Conduction in Non Homogeneous and Phase Change Media. The

Delft University of Technology. Netherlands, 1994.

7. Khan, M.I. Factors Affecting the Thermal Properties of Concrete and Applicability of Its

Prediction Models, Building and Environment 37, 607 – 614, 2002.

8. Nassiri S. Establishing Permanent Curl/Warp Temperature Gradient in Jointed Plain

Concrete Pavements. University of Pittsburgh. 2011.

9. Choktaweekarn, P., Saengsoy, W., and S., Tangtermsirikul. A Model for Predicting

Thermal Conductivity of Concrete, Magazine of Concrete Research, 61, No. 4, May, 271–

2802009.

10. Zimmerman, R. W. Thermal Conductivity of Fluid-Saturated Rocks. Journal of Petroleum

and Engineering, 3, 1989, 219-227.

11. Robertson EC. Thermal Properties of Rocks. US Geological Survey; 1988. Report No.

2331-1258.

12. ASTM C1754 / C1754M-12, Standard Test Method for Density and Void Content of

Hardened Pervious Concrete, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, 2012.

13. ASTM C518-15, Standard Test Method for Steady-State Thermal Transmission Properties

by Means of the Heat Flow Meter Apparatus, ASTM International, West Conshohocken,

PA, 2015.

14. ASTM D5334-14 Standard Test Method for Determination of Thermal Conductivity of

Soil and Soft Rock by Thermal Needle Probe Procedure, ASTM International, West

Conshohocken, PA, 2014.

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ACI Materials Journal - American Concrete Institute

15. Kim, K H, Jeon, S E, Kim, J K, and S., Yang. An Experimental Study on Thermal

Conductivity of Concrete, Cement and Concrete Research 33 (2003) 363–371.

TABLES AND FIGURES

List of Tables

Table 1. Pervious Concrete Mixture Proportioning.

Table 2. Inputs used in the mean geometric model to predict thermal conductivity for slabs.

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ACI Materials Journal - American Concrete Institute

Table 1. Pervious Concrete Mixture Proportioning.

Constituents Amount kg/m3 (lb/yd3)
Saturated Surface Dry Coarse Aggregate 1563.3 (2,635)
Type I/II Cement 337.0 (568)
Class F Fly ash 59.3 (100)
Water 95.5 (161)

Table 2. Inputs used in the mean geometric model to predict thermal conductivity for slabs-
1 W/(mK) = 1.7307 × Btu/(hr ft °F).
Vwat
Kagg Kpaste Kair Kwater Vagg (n2)1 Vpaste (n3)2 Predicted Measured
φ (n1) (n4)3
(W/(mK)) (W/(mK)) (W/(mK)) (W/(mK)) fraction fraction Kg (W/(mK)) KHeatflow
fraction
Dry slabs
1.69 0.98 0.026 - 0.188 0.47 0.34 0 0.64 0.64
0.213 0.46 0.33 0 0.58 0.55
0.240 0.44 0.32 0 0.52 0.56
0.261 0.43 0.31 0 0.48 0.41
0.308 0.40 0.29 0 0.40 0.47
0.355 0.37 0.27 0 0.33 0.36
Ave = 0.44 Ave. = 0.43
Wet slabs
1.69 0.98 0.026 0.63 0.1674 0.471 0.341 0.021 0.68 0.67
0.196 0.456 0.330 0.017 0.61 0.64
Not available
0.245 0.429 0.311 0.015 0.50 0.61
0.292 0.402 0.291 0.016 0.42 0.56
0.35
0.340 0.374 0.271 0.016 0.42
0.46 0.52
1
Vagg = Vagg-mix design * (1-φ)
2
Vpaste = 1- φ – Vagg
3
Vwater = (wet slab weight – dry slab weight)/ unit weight of water
4
Vair wet slabs = Vair dry slab – Vwater for wet slabs

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ACI Materials Journal - American Concrete Institute

List of Figures

Fig. 1- Schematic presentation of parallel model for pervious concrete.

Fig. 2- Porosity of (a) slab specimens, and (b) cylindrical specimens, characterized following
ASTM C1754 procedure.
Fig. 3- Dry slab placed in the Heat Flow Meter for conductivity test in accordance with ASTM
C518.
Fig. 4- K-φ relationship for slabs determined by Heat Flow Meter and RK-1 Needle probe.
Fig. 5- (a) thermal needle probe testing of wet slab, (b) slab drilling plan for thermal needle probe
-dimension are in inch = 25.4 mm.
Fig. 6- K-φ relationship for slab specimens in dry and wet conditions, determined by RK-1 Needle
probe and converted to KHeatflow using Equation 5.
Fig. 7- K-φ relationship for top and bottom halves of cylindrical specimens, determined by RK-1
Needle probe and converted to Heatflow using Equation 5.
Fig. 8- Fit of mean geometric mean parallel model to experimental K data for dry and wet slabs.
Fig. 9- Fit of geometric mean parallel model to experimental K data for top and bottom halves of
cylindrical specimens measured by RK-1 Needle probe and converted to Heatflow using Equation
5.

Air voids, nair, Kair

Paste, npaste, Kpaste

Aggregate, nagg, Kagg

Fig. 1- Schematic presentation of parallel model for pervious concrete.

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ACI Materials Journal - American Concrete Institute

40%
35%
35%
31%
30%
Porosity

26%
25% 24%
21%
20%
20%

15%

10%
1 2 3 4 5 6

Slab No.

(a)

30%

Top: y = 0.83x + 0.053

R² = 0.32
25%
Bottom: y = 0.97x + 0.022
R² = 0.36
Top or Bottom Porosity

20%
Top Porosity
Bottom Prosity
1:1 line
15%
Linear (Top Porosity)
Linear (Bottom Prosity)
10%
10% 15% 20% 25% 30%
Whole Porosity

(b)
Fig. 2- Porosity of (a) slab specimens, and (b) cylindrical specimens, characterized following

ASTM C1754 procedure.

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ACI Materials Journal - American Concrete Institute

Hot and cold

Pervious concrete plates

Fig. 3- Dry slab placed in the heatflow meter for conductivity test in accordance with ASTM C518.

1.00
Heatflow meter
0.90 Sensor probe

0.80 Kprobe = -1.25φ + 0.76

R² = 0.76
0.70
K, W/(mK)

0.60

0.50

0.40
Kheatflow = -1.52φ + 0.93
0.30 R² = 0.67

0.20
15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%
Porosity

Fig. 4- K-φ relationship for slabs determined by heatflow meter and needle probe- 1 W/(mK) =

1.7307 × Btu/(hr ft °F).

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ACI Materials Journal - American Concrete Institute

(a) (b)

Fig. 5- (a) Thermal needle probe testing of wet slab, (b) slab drilling plan for thermal needle probe

-dimensions are in inch- 1 inch = 25.4 mm.

0.80

0.70
y = -1.1192x + 0.869
R² = 0.9603
0.60

0.50 Wet

Dry
K (W/mK)

0.40
y = -1.4578x + 0.8731
Linear (Wet)
R² = 0.9325
0.30
Linear (Dry)

0.20

0.10

0.00
0.10 0.15 0.20 0.25 0.30 0.35 0.40 0.45 0.50

Porosity

Fig. 6- K-φ relationship for slab specimens in dry and wet conditions, determined by needle probe-

1 W/(mK) = 1.7307 × Btu/(hr ft °F).

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ACI Materials Journal - American Concrete Institute

0.65

0.60 K = -0.66φ + 0.63

R² = 0.23
0.55

0.50
K (W/mK)

0.45 K = -1.41φ + 0.73

R² = 0.50
0.40

0.35
Bottom Half

0.30 Top half

Linear (Bottom Half)

0.25
Linear (Top half)
0.20
10% 15% 20% 25% 30%
Top or Bottom Half Porosity

Fig. 7- K-φ relationship for top and bottom halves of cylindrical specimens, determined by needle

probe- W/(mK) = 1.7307 × Btu/(hr ft °F).

0.80
Dry slabs Wet slabs 1:1 line
0.70

0.60
Predicted K (W/mK)

0.50
y = 1.016x + 0.011
0.40 R² = 0.80

0.30 y = 1.81x - 0.52

R² = 0.92
0.20

0.10

0.00
0.00 0.10 0.20 0.30 0.40 0.50 0.60 0.70 0.80

Measured K (W/mK)

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 ACI Materials Journal - American Concrete Institute

Fig. 8- Fit of mean geometric model to experimental K data for dry and wet slabs- W/(mK) =

1.7307 × Btu/(hr ft °F).

0.80

0.70 y = 0.72x + 0.24

R² = 0.49
0.60
Predicted K (W/mK)

0.50 Bottom Half

y = 0.66x + 0.21
R² = 0.21 Top Half
0.40
1:1 Line

0.30 Linear (Bottom

Half)

0.20
0.20 0.30 0.40 0.50 0.60 0.70 0.80

Measured K (W/mK)

Fig. 9- Fit of geometric mean parallel model to experimental K data for top and bottom halves of

cylindrical specimens measured by needle probe method- W/(mK) = 1.7307 × Btu/(hr ft °F).

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