Mechanical, Hydraulic, and durability characteristics of sustainable pervious concrete incorporating GGBFS and PPF

Pervious concrete (PC) emerged as a sustainable option for urban water management, integrating rainwater infiltration with structural function. However, its effectiveness is primarily dependent on the proper balance between strength and permeability. The present study examines the combined impact of ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) and polypropylene fibers (PPF) on the mechanical, hydraulic, durability, and environmental aspects of Portland cement (PC). A total of thirteen mixtures were produced by partially supplementing ordinary PC with GGBFS at 10%, 30%, and 50% by weight, while incorporating PPF at 0.1–0.3% by volume. The ratios of water to binder and aggregate to binder have been maintained at 0.30 and 4.2, respectively. Experimental findings show that GGBFS improves permeability by increasing porosity; however, compressive strength reduces with higher replacement levels. On the other hand, PPF enhances marginally flexural and splitting tensile strength while showing little influence on compressive strength and porosity. The environmental assessment confirmed that GGBFS substitution significantly reduces embodied CO₂ emissions-by up to 45.4% compared with reference OPC mixes. Overall, the study shows that combining GGBFS and PPF can make PC a viable solution while lowering its environmental impact. In particular, replacing 30% of cement with GGBFS and adding fibers presents a satisfactory balance between strength, permeability, and sustainability in accordance with the ACI 522R-10. This approach offers a practical way to build greener pavements without losing performance.