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Founded in 1904 and headquartered in Farmington Hills, Michigan, USA, the American Concrete Institute is a leading authority and resource worldwide for the development, dissemination, and adoption of its consensus-based standards, technical resources, educational programs, and proven expertise for individuals and organizations involved in concrete design, construction, and materials, who share a commitment to pursuing the best use of concrete.
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Home > Tools > Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is porosity and is it related to permeability of concrete? A. Porosity is a measure of the volume of voids in concrete. Permeability is the rate of flow of moisture through concrete under a pressure gradient. Permeability depends not only on porosity but also on the connectivity of the pores. High porosity concrete might still have low permeability if the pores are not interconnected. Conversely, concrete with lower porosity but well-connected pores could have high permeability. For example, using aggregates of different sizes in pervious concrete to product the same porosity has resulted in different permeability values. References: SP-1(02); ACI 201.1R-08; ASTM C1202 Topics in Concrete: Concrete Fundamentals; Durability; Permeability
Q. What is porosity and is it related to permeability of concrete?
A. Porosity is a measure of the volume of voids in concrete. Permeability is the rate of flow of moisture through concrete under a pressure gradient. Permeability depends not only on porosity but also on the connectivity of the pores. High porosity concrete might still have low permeability if the pores are not interconnected. Conversely, concrete with lower porosity but well-connected pores could have high permeability. For example, using aggregates of different sizes in pervious concrete to product the same porosity has resulted in different permeability values.
References: SP-1(02); ACI 201.1R-08; ASTM C1202
Topics in Concrete: Concrete Fundamentals; Durability; Permeability
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