Impact of polyvinyl alcohol fiber on the mechanical performance of pervious concrete model material with glass beads skeleton

Pervious concrete has been studied for nearly five decades, yet its wide-spread application is hindered by insufficient strength and long-term performance, particularly in flexural strength for pavement ap plications. To address this, the incorporation of fibers has gained attention as a means to enhance the properties of pervious concrete (PC). The impact of fibers on pervious concrete is complex, primarily due to the material's inherent anisotropies. Incorporating fibers may enhance the strength of the cementitious matrix and facilitate bridging across voids, thereby positively affecting the overall strength of the pervious concrete. However, the incorporation of fibers can also disrupt the distribution of aggregates, resulting in modified pore structures that may negatively affect strength, highlighting a potential interference effect of the fibers. This study specifically examines the impact of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers on PC, utilizing glass beads to standardize aggregate geometry. The mechanism of fiber reinforcement will be compared with some existing standards. Notably, the isolated impact of fiber addition on PC was identified by mitigating interference effects using control volume method. Results indicate that while PVA fibers negatively affect the strength and ductility of the cement paste, they do reinforce PC with similar porosity. Additionally, Discrete Element Method (DEM) was utilized to simulate the impact of fiber addition on pervious concrete model material with glass beads skeleton.