Mathematical modeling of mechanical and physical properties of ecological pervious concrete containing recycled aggregates

The proper treatment of river slopes is a tough issue regarding ecological and environmental governance. Ecological pervious concrete (EPC) that alleviates soil erosion and promotes plant growth thereafter is proposed to solidify the river slope. Herein, 31 groups of EPC with varied water-to-binder ratios (w/b), recycled aggregate (RA) dosages, aggregate particle sizes, and admixtures were prepared to investigate the effects of these factors on the compressive strength, continuous porosity, and pH value. Results show a w/b of 0.24 and an RA content of 25 % enables EPC to achieve a compressive strength of 13.2 MPa and a continuous porosity of 24.7 % when the aggregate size composition is 35 % 10–16 + 65 % 16–20 mm. The EPC exhibited the highest strength under the 5–25 mm aggregate size, yet the resulting continuous porosity was only 22.6 %. Moreover, GBFS exerts a critical role in compressive strength and continuous porosity, with 15 % of GBFS resulting in higher compressive strength in EPC. Upon further optimization of the EPC, GBFS contributes most significantly to both continuous porosity and compressive strength. A 15 % incorporation of GBFS leads to a higher compressive strength of the EPC. The aluminum potassium sulfate contributes 73.64 % to the pH value, neutralizing alkalinity in EPCs. In addition, a 5-11-1 GA-BP neural network is established to model the experimental data, yielding an R2 value of 0.98 and a mean absolute error (MAE) of 1.35 MPa. •Recycled aggregates are applied in ecological pervious concrete (EPC).•The mechanical properties and pH value of 31 groups of EPCs are studied.•EPC is more suitable for plant growth with a water-to-binder ratio (w/b) of 0.24 and 25 % recycled aggregate replacement.