Enhancing Pervious Concrete Pavements: A Study on Palm Oil Fuel Ash as Cement Replacement

Pervious concrete is a sustainable solution for stormwater management, widely adopted in urban infrastructure for its ability to reduce runoff. However, the impact of using Palm Oil Fuel Ash (POFA) as a partial cement replacement in pervious concrete has not been fully explored, particularly in relation to its mechanical properties. This study addresses the gap in understanding how POFA influences the compressive, flexural, and tensile strengths of pervious concrete. The objective of this research is to assess the mechanical performance of pervious concrete when 10% and 15% of the cement is replaced with POFA. An experimental approach was used, where concrete samples were tested at 7, 14, and 28 days following ASTM standards. The results show that while POFA improves the sustainability of the concrete, it leads to significant reductions in early compressive and tensile strength. However, the 15% POFA mix demonstrated improved long-term strength development compared to the 10% mix. The study concludes that while POFA holds potential as a sustainable alternative, further optimization is required to enhance mechanical performance in structural applications.