THE EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF INFILTRATION RATE ON ECO-CONCRETE PAVING BLOCK MODEL

This study application is the eco-concrete paving blocks utilization, as the pavement surface layer in reducing runoff, urban drainage loads, as well as replenishing the water table. These are the positive implication of rainwater infiltration into the soil through the gap between pavers. The study purposes are to evaluate the infiltration pattern characteristics with variables: paving shapes, rainfall intensities, slopes, and paving block laying patterns; to analyze and assess the variables that have the most influence on infiltration capacity; then perform water balanced validation on the eco-concrete paving block with Horton model. This research is an experimental study, conducted at the Manado State Polytechnic material testing laboratory. To obtain the qualitative infiltration data from different eco-concrete block shapes, it was developed an infiltration test apparatus, which was equipped with a modified rainfall simulator. To find the infiltration capacity, the qualitative infiltration data are analytically analyzed. Furthermore, the infiltration capacity is validated by the Horton model. The influence level of each variable on the infiltration capacity was analyzed by using a statistical regression method with the SPSS statistical v.21 software in the data processing process. The results showed that the infiltration pattern characteristic was not affected by slopes at rainfall intensity up to 175 mm/hour. However, the infiltration pattern was highly affected by the slope at an intensity of 275 mm/hour for all paver types being tested. The laying pattern was greatly affected by the infiltration pattern, while the three-diamond paving shape gives the highest infiltration volume. Furthermore, each variable influence level on infiltration volume was: the rainfall intensity was 43.4%, laying pattern of about 13.4%, paving block shapes and slopes were 12.3% and 1% respectively. Through the T-Test was found that the infiltration capacity values through the laboratory testing and the Horton model were statistically no different. Thus, can be concluded that the infiltration capacity results through the laboratory testing by using developed infiltration test apparatus are acceptable. Furthermore, a gap reduces constant (kgr) was developed through this study. The constant is presented for reducing the infiltration capacity gap between the laboratory testing and the Horton model.