HARDENED PROPERTIES OF SELF-COMPACTING CONCRETE CONTAINING FLY ASH, SILICA FUME AND

LIME POWDER

Dilraj Singh, Rizwan Khan, S P Singh

Dr B R Ambedkar National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar, India

ABSTRACT. This paper presents a comparative study on the use of different materials as binder content in SCC and their effects on the fresh and hardened properties are checked. Different combinations of fly ash, silica-fume and lime powder are used with keeping percentage of OPC constant at 70% of total binder content. Fly ash content was kept between 0 to 30% and silica-fume and lime powder content are varied from 0 to 15%. Water to binder ratio was kept at 0.41. Workability tests like V-funnel test, Slump flow test, L-box test and J-Ring test were executed and effects of different combinations of binder content is checked. The mechanical properties of the mixes like compressive strength and splitting tensile were also checked and a relation between splitting tensile strength and compressive strength for different mix combinations was also found. Keywords: Fly ash, Mineral admixtures, Cement replacement, Self compacting concrete Dilraj Singh is a Research Scholar in the Department of Civil engineering at Dr. B R Ambedkar National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar, India. His research interest includes properties of concrete composites including durability Dr Rizwan Khan is Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering at Dr B R Ambedkar National Institute of Technology Jalandhar, India. His research interests include the analysis of off-shore structures, concrete composites. Dr S P Singh is a Professor of Civil Engineering at Dr B R Ambedkar National Institute of Technology Jalandhar, India. His research interests are fatigue behaviour of concrete composites and recycling of materials in concrete.

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INTRODUCTION Self-Compacting Concrete (SCC) is an innovative construction material that does not require vibration for placing and compaction. It is able to flow under its own weight, completely filling formwork and achieving full compaction, even in the presence of congested reinforcement. SCC is compacting itself alone due to its self-weight and is de-aerated almost completely while flowing in the formwork. In structural members with high percentage of reinforcement it fills completely all voids and gaps. SCC flows like “honey” and has nearly a horizontal concrete level after placing. The hardened concrete is dense, homogeneous and has the same engineering properties and durability as traditional vibrated concrete. Self-compacting concrete extends the possibility of use of various mineral by-products in its manufacturing and with the densification of the matrix, mechanical behavior, as measured by compressive, tensile and shear strength, is increased. On the other hand, the use super-plasticizers or high range water reducers, improves the stiffening, unwanted air entrainment, and flowing ability of the concrete. Practically, all types of structural constructions are possible with this concrete. The use of SCC not only shortens the construction period but also ensures quality and durability of concrete. This non-vibrated concrete allows faster placement and less finishing time, leading to improved productivity. Khatib (2007) [5] and Liu Maio (2010) [6] studied properties of SCC by replacing cement partially upto 80%. Replacement of cement upto 60% was found to be beneficial and gave strength value around 40 N/mm2. Barbhuiya (2011) [1] studied the utilization of an alternative material, dolomite powder in combination of fly ash, for the production of SCC. It was found that self-compacting concrete can be manufactured using fly ash and dolomite powder with acceptable fresh and hardened properties. Similarly Zhu and Gibbs (2004) [9] studied the fresh properties of SCC using Limestone and Chalk Powders. Vejmelkova et al. (2010) [8] and Khatib and Hibbert (2005) [4] studied the properties of concrete containing Metakaolin and blast furnace slag. Gesoglu et al. (2009) [3] investigated the effects of using binary, ternary, and quaternary cementitious blends of mineral admixtures on the properties of self-compacting concretes and found the optimal mix proportioning. In this study, an experimental study was done on the fresh properties of SCC containing different combinations of cement, fly ash, silica fume and lime powder. Different combinations were prepared keeping the cement content constant at 70%, varying fly ash contents from 0-30% and varying lime powder and silica fume contents from 0-15%. The hardened properties of the ten different mix combinations were checked and compared.

EXPERIMENTAL STUDY

Materials Cement: Ordinary Portland cement (OPC) (43 Grade) with specific gravity 3.15 confirming to IS 8112:1989.

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Fine aggregate: Sand made of crushed aggregates was used as fine aggregates. Specific gravity of sand was 2.67 and bulk density 1675 Kg/m3. Coarse aggregate: Locally available crushed stone aggregates of 12.5 mm nominal maximum size with specific gravity 2.64 and bulk density 1690 Kg/m3. Fly ash: Class F Fly ash obtained from Guru Gobind Singh super thermal plant in Ropar with a specific gravity of 2.33. The chemical properties of Cement and Fly ash are given in the Table 1 and Table 2.

Table 1 Chemical Properties of OPC

S. NO. CONSTITUENTS VALUE (%) IS 8112-1989

RECOMMENDATION (%)

1. Ratio of lime to silica, alumina and iron oxide 0.90% 1.02 (max.)

0.66 (min.) 2. Ratio of Alumina to Iron Oxide 1.58% 0.66 (min.)

3. Insoluble residue 1.10% 2.0 (max.)

4. Magnesia 2.60% 6.0 (max.)

5. Total Sulfur content 1.30% 2.30 (max.)

6. Total loss on ignition 1.20% 5.0 (max.)

7. Total alkali 0.49% 0.6 (max.)

8. Chloride content 0.08% 0.1 (max.)

9. CaO: 61.3%, MgO : 2.60%, SiO2 : 20.1%, Al2O3 : 6.80%, Fe2O3 : 4.30%, SO3 : 1.30%

Table 2 Chemical Properties of Fly Ash

S. NO. CONSTITUENTS %BY WEIGHT

1. Loss of ignition 1.2

2. Silica 56.5

3. Ferris oxide 11.0

4. Magnesia 5.4

5. Alumina (Al2O3) 17.7

6. Calcium Oxide 3.2

Water: Potable water for mixing and curing of concrete specimens was used. Lime powder: Lime powder having industrial name CARB 2 with specific gravity 2.18.

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Silica Fume: Silica Fume named SF88 with specific gravity 2.2. Super-Plasticizer: Modified Poly-carboxylates type Super-plasticizer of commercial name Sika Viscocrete 20-HE manufactured by Sika. Relative density of Super-Plasticizer was 1.08 at 30°C.

Mix Design and Combinations

The mix proportions of the different materials used are given below in the Table 3. This mix design was prepared after modifications of the mix design got from Su Nan’s (2001) [7] Mix design method.

Table 3 Mix proportions used (Kg/m3)

CEMENT FLY ASH FINE AGGREGATES

COARSE AGGREGATES

WATER SP DOSAGE

420 180 882 530 246 4.20

Ten different combinations of binders were prepared keeping the all other parameters constant, as given in Table 4.

Table 4 Combinations of Binders Used (%)

MIX NO. OPC (%) FLY ASH (%) LIME POWDER (%)

SILICA FUME (%)

M1 70 30 0 0 M2 70 25 5 0 M3 70 20 10 0 M4 70 15 15 0 M5 70 25 0 5 M6 70 20 0 10 M7 70 15 0 15 M8 70 20 5 5 M9 70 10 10 10

M10 70 0 15 15

Testing the Properties of Fresh concrete

For determining the self-compacting properties; slump flow, T50cm time, J-ring flow, V-funnel flow times and L-box blocking ratio tests were performed [12]. In order to reduce the effect of workability loss on variability of test results, fresh state properties of mixes were determined within a period of 30 min after mixing. The order of testing was as below, respectively. 1. Slump flow test and measurement of T50cm time; 2. J-ring flow test and measurement of difference in height of concrete inside and outside the J-ring; 3. V-funnel flow tests, Time just after filling completely and 5 min T5min; 4. L-box test.

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Strength and Durability Properties

Compressive strength of the test specimens was checked at 7, 14, 28, 56 and 90 days of curing and the tensile strength was checked at 7, 14, 28 and 56 days of curing. Water absorption of the concrete samples was also checked to check the durability properties of SCC samples.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

Properties of Fresh Concrete

The results show that the self-compacting concrete was assumed to be having good consistency and workability for all the ten mixes at a constant w/p ratio of 0.41 and at constant SP dosage of 1.0% of weight of cement. Strength Properties

Compressive Strength Compressive strength results are sub-divided into three portions. First the mixes containing only Lime powder, second the mixes containing only Silica fume and third the mixes containing both Lime powder and Silica fume. The reference mix M1 is combined with all the three mix combinations. Lime powder mixes

Figure 1 Compressive strength of Lime mixes at different ages of curing

0

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30

40

50

60

M1 M2 M3 M4

7 Day 14 Day 28 Day 56 Day 90 day

Compressiv

e Strength (M

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CO

MPR

ESSI

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STR

ENG

HT

(MPA

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As from Figure 1, it is observed that the compressive strength reduces as the fly ash is replaced by the lime powder. The mix M4 with 15% replacement of fly ash shows the least compressive strength for 7, 14, 28, 56 and 90 days of curing. The decrease in strength for mix M4 was about 19% than the reference mix M1 at 28 days of curing. Similarly, the decrease in strength for M2 and M3 mixes was found to be 3.4% and 10% respectively at 28 days of curing. It may be due to the less cementious properties of the lime powder as compared to fly ash. Silica fume mixes

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40

50

60

70

M1 M5 M6 M7

COM

PRES

SIVE

STR

ENGT

H (M

PA)

7 Day 14 Day 28 Day 56 Day 90 day

Figure 2 Compressive strength of Silica fume mixes at different ages of curing

Figure 2 shows the variation in the strengths at different ages of curing for mixes containing Silica fume. The 5% replacement of fly ash with the Silica fume shows high early age strength than the reference mix but the later age strength of latter is more. It is observed that 10% Silica fume mix has higher strength as compared to the 5% replacement of the same. The mix with 10% Silica fume shows higher compressive strength than other Silica fume mixes. It can be concluded that that 10% SF mix (M6) is an optimum mix showing 40% higher strength than the reference mix M1 at 28 days of curing. In general, the addition of Silica fume significantly increases the early age compressive strength of the SCC mixes. Lime powder and Silica fume mixes

Figure 3 shows the variation in the strength of various combinations of Silica fume and Lime powder. When fly ash is replaced by Silica fume and Lime in mix M8, M9 and M10, there was an increase in the early age strength but later age strengths of the mixes were comparatively less than reference mix M1.

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0

10

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M1 M2 M3 M4

COM

PRES

SIVE

STR

ENGT

H (M

PA)

7 Day 14 Day 28 Day 56 Day 90 day

Figure 3 Compressive strength of Lime powder + Silica fume mixes at different ages of curing

This is due to the fact that at early ages, Silica fume gives higher strength due to quick hydration process. But at later ages, the fly ash is more effective in giving higher strengths Splitting Tensile strength

Splitting tensile strength results were quite similar to that of compressive strength results of all the mixes.

CONCLUSIONS 1. SCC containing the specified replacement levels of different binders as proposed in this

investigation was found to be complying with all the workability requirements as per EFNARC (2002). It was found to have good consistency and workability for all the ten mixes at a constant w/p ratio of 0.41 and constant SP dosage of 1.0% of weight of cement.

2. Comparison of workability test results of different combinations of mixes with the reference mix shows that with decrease in the percentage of fly ash in the mixes, the mix becomes dense and hence less workable.

3. The compressive strength of the mixes was found to decrease as the fly ash is replaced by Lime powder. The mix M4 was found to have 19% reduction in strength as compared to reference mix M1.

4. The addition of Silica fume in the mix was found to increase the compressive as well as the tensile strength of various mixes.

5. The mix M6 with 10% replacement of Silica fume as a binder material shows the maximum increase in the compressive as well as splitting tensile strength of the mixes.

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6. The early age strength of the various combinations of Silica fume and Lime powder mixes was found to be more than the later age strength. It may be due to the fact that Silica fume gives high early age strength due to quick hydration process.

7. Splitting tensile strength results for all the mixes had the same trend as the compressive strength results.

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REFERENCES

1. BARBHUIYA SALIM, Effects of fly ash and dolomite powder on the properties of self-compacting concrete, Construction and Building Materials, 2011.

2. IS: 8112-1989, Indian Standard 43 grade Ordinary Portland Cement Specification, Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi.

3. GESOGLU MEHMET, GUNEYISI ERHAN AND OZBAY ERDOGAN, Properties of self-compacting concretes made with binary, ternary, and quaternary cementitious blends of fly ash, blast furnace slag, and silica fume. Construction and Building Materials, Vol. 23, 2009, pp 1847–1854.

4. KHATIB J M AND HIBBERT J J, Selected engineering properties of concrete incorporating slag and Metakaolin.’ Construction and Building Materials 19, 2005, pp 460-472.

5. KHATIB J M, Performance of self-compacting concrete containing fly ash, Construction and Building Materials, Vol. 22, 2007, pp 1963–1971.

6. LIU MIAO, Self-compacting concrete with different levels of pulverized fuel ash.’ Construction and Building Materials, Vol. 24, 2010, pp 1245–1252.

7. SU NAN, SU KUNG-CHUNG H AND CHAI HIS-WEN, A simple mix design method for self-compacting concrete’. Cement and Concrete Research, Vol. 31, 2001, pp 1799–1807.

8. V. EVA, K. MARTIN, G. STEFANIA, S. BARTŁOMIEJ AND ROBERT C ERNY, Properties of self-compacting concrete mixtures containing Metakaolin and blast furnace slag, Construction and Building Materials, 2010.

9. ZHU WENZHONG AND GIBBS JOHN C, Use of different limestone and chalk powders in self-compacting concrete. Cement and Concrete Research 35, 2004, pp 1457– 1462.

10. EFNARC, The European Guidelines for Self Compacting Concrete, 2002.

11. EFNARC, Guidelines for testing fresh Self-compacting concrete, 2005.

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