High strength and highly permeable 3D-printed plastic gyroid TPMS structures for pervious pavement applications

Conventional pervious pavements are often constrained by low mechanical strength and insufficient infiltration capacity, limiting their long-term performance and structural reliability. To address these limitations, this study presents a laboratory-scale evaluation of 3D-printed plastic gyroid triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) porous structures intended for pervious pavement applications. The compressive and flexural strengths, rutting resistance, skid resistance and infiltration rate were assessed following ASTM and AASHTO standards. The results showed that 3D-printed pervious pavement specimens exhibited superior compressive (36.32–37.2 MPa) and flexural (4.74–4.87 MPa) strengths, surpassing those of conventional pervious pavements. Wheel tracking results showed minimal rutting before aging (0.40 mm at 6250 cycles) and moderate increases after aging due to polymer chain degradation. Skid resistance values (78–80 BPN) exceeded the TRRL threshold, ensuring adequate traction, while infiltration rates (6.50–7.43 cm/s) were significantly higher than traditional pervious pavements. This approach effectively addresses the mechanical and hydraulic limitations of conventional pervious pavements. Overall, the proposed concept shows promising a strong potential for future sustainable and high-performance pavement applications by simultaneously improving structural integrity, surface safety and drainage efficiency.