Impact Of The Sikacem Superplasticizer Additive And Steel Fiber On The Mechanical Properties Of Permeable Concrete

Styp Quiroz Rios R.; Joel Tarrillo Olivera E.; Andrés Emilio Gaona Abanto E. · Proceedings of the LACCEI international Multi-conference for Engineering, Education and Technology (2026) · DOI: 10.18687/laccei2026.1.1.1361

Resumen

Permeable concrete is a sustainable material for stormwater management in urban environments; however, its high porosity limits its mechanical strength. This study evaluated the combined effect of the superplasticizer SikaCem (15% reduction in water content) and DRAMIX® 3D steel fibers (15 kg/m3) in permeable concrete designed for a compressive strength of f'c = 180 kg/cm2, according to ACI 522R-10. An experimental methodology was adopted, comparing conventional and modified mixes through compressive strength, flexural strength, and permeability tests at 7 and 28 days of curing. The results showed a moderate increase in mechanical performance: at 28 days, the modified mix reached a compressive strength of 186.31 kg/cm2 (an approximate increase of 1.8%) and a flexural strength of 59.73 kg/cm2 (an increase of approximately 6.0%) compared to the control concrete. These increases should be interpreted with caution due to the small sample size and the lack of inferential statistical analysis. Permeability decreased from 0.030 m/s to 0.019 m/s (an approximate reduction of 36.7%), remaining within the functional ranges reported for permeable pavements, although demonstrating a trade-off between infiltration capacity and mechanical strength. Overall, the results suggest that the incorporation of superplasticizer and steel fibers constitutes a viable alternative for sustainable urban paving subjected to light to moderate traffic, provided that this trade-off is explicitly acknowledged and the findings are validated in subsequent studies with larger sample sizes.

Instituciones: Universidad Privada del Norte