Influence of a fine glass powder on the durability characteristics of concrete and its comparison to fly ash

A detailed investigation carried out to ascertain the durability characteristics of fine glass powder modified concretes is reported in this paper. Tests were designed to facilitate comparisons between concretes modified with either glass powder or fly ash at the same cement replacement level. The optimal replacement level of cement by glass powder is determined from strength and hydration tests as 10%. The later age compressive strengths of glass powder and fly ash modified concretes are seen to differ by only 5%. The durability characteristics are ascertained using tests for rapid chloride permeability, alkali–silica reactivity, and moisture transport parameters. The chloride penetrability values indicate some amount of pore refinement. The potential of glass powder to reduce the expansion due to alkali–silica reaction is established from tests conducted in accordance with ASTM C 1260, but fly ash is found to perform better at similar replacement levels. Glass powder–fly ash blends that make up a 20% cement replacement level are found to be as efficient as 20% fly ash in reducing expansion. The control concrete is seen to exhibit the lowest overall moisture intake after 14 days of curing, and fly ash concrete the highest, with the glass powder concrete in between. The trend is reversed at later ages, demonstrating that both the replacement materials contribute to improved durability characteristics. The sorptivity and moisture diffusion coefficient values calculated from the moisture intake-time data also demonstrate a similar trend. These studies show that fine glass powder has the potential to improve the durability of concretes.     

Portland cement-fly ash-silica fume systems in concrete

Laboratory flow, strength, and ultrasnic pulse velocity tests were performed on mortars made with 70% (by weight) of portland cement and 30% of pozzolanic materials where the pozzolanic materials consisted of various combinations of fly ash and silica fume. In addition to these ternary systems, binary blends, such as Portland cement and fly ash, and Portland cement and silica fume, along with 100% Portland cement mortars, were investigated for comparison. The purpose of the investigation, preliminary in nature, was to see under what circumstances, if any, would be a synergistic action when a ternary system of Portland cement-fly ash-silica fume is used in a mortar or concrete.Mortars were made with two cements of type I and two cements of type III along with class F and class C fly ashes. One silica fume was used. Standard flow tests were performed on the fresh mortars, and compressive strength as well as ultrasonic pulse velocity tests were performed with each hardened mortar at various ages up to 28 days. It is expected that the results and conclusions obtained here on mortars will be transferable to concretes.There are several novel, or at least lesser known, results of the investigation. For instance, a new explanation is offered for the plasticizing effect of fly ash which is based on the optimum particle-size distribution concept. Another such result is that ground fly ash produced greater flow increases with type I cement than with type III. A third finding is that the superplasticizer is more effective in increasing the flow as well as strength when the mortars contain fly ash and/or silica fume than in the case of mortars without mineral admixture. Also, it appears that when type I cement is used, the silica fume in the quantity of 5% of the weight of the cement produces relatively greater strength increase in the presence of fly ash than without fly ash.These promising results are preliminary in nature. Therefore, further research is justified with ternary systems in concrete. The presented work is a portion of a larger investigation.     

Applicability of the standard specifications of ASTM C618 for evaluation of natural pozzolans

Nowadays, the production of binary cements, containing pozzolans (including silica fume, fly ash, natural pozzolans, etc.), is a global practice. Many countries have ample resources of natural pozzolans, capable of being used in binary cements, which reduce environmental impacts while reaping greater economies of scale. The ASTM C618 standard provides one of the most applicable methods for evaluating natural pozzolans. Some research results show contradictions between performance of pozzolans in concrete and the specifications of ASTM C618, as pozzolans having a high pozzolanic activity according to this method do not always exhibit suitable performance in concrete, however, in the other researches ASTM C618 showed compatibility. This treatment analyses the chemical and physical properties of different natural pozzolans by means of ASTM C618 and complementary tests, viz. methods of EN 196-5, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) studies, insoluble residue content and thermo-gravimetric investigations. Measurements of mechanical and transport properties, for concretes containing various fractions of the pozzolans, were performed for further verification. The results illustrate that the pozzolanic properties, determined via the ASTM C618 standard, show some disparities with the performance of concretes, whereas the EN 196-5 standard agrees well with performance.     

Use of ultrafine rice husk ash with high-carbon content as pozzolan in high performance concrete

Rice husk ash (RHA) has been generated in large quantities in rice producing countries. This by-product can contain non-crystalline silica and thus has a high potential to be used as cement replacement in mortar and concrete. However, as the RHA produced by uncontrolled burning conditions usually contains high-carbon content in its composition, the pozzolanic activity of the ash and the rheology of mortar or concrete can be adversely affected. In this paper the influence of different grinding times in a vibratory mill, operating in dry open-circuit, on the particle size distribution, BET specific surface area and pozzolanic activity of the RHA is studied, in order to improve RHA’s performance. In addition, four high-performance concretes were produced with 0%, 10%, 15%, and 20% of the cement (by mass) replaced by ultrafine RHA. For these mixtures, rheological, mechanical and durability tests were performed. For all levels of cement replacement, especially for the 20%, the ultra-fine RHA concretes achieved superior performance in the mechanical and durability tests compared with the reference mixture. The workability of the concrete, however, was reduced with the increase of cement replacement by RHA.     

Effect of pozzolans on the performance of fiber-reinforced mortars

Randomly oriented short fibers have been shown to increase tensile strength and retard crack propagation of cement based materials such as fiber-reinforced mortars for diverse applications, especially in aggressive environments. In the case of reinforced concrete, it is very important to produce a “high quality” cover in order to prevent corrosion of the rebars. In order to obtain a high performance material the use of a pozzolan is advisable because low permeability is achieved. The objective of this research was to determine the effect of pozzolans such as silica fume (SF), fly ash (FA), and metakaolin (MK) on the properties of fiber-reinforced mortars. Different types of natural and synthetic fibers were used. A superplasticizer was used to keep the same workability as that of the control mortar. Results of the mechanical and durability properties of the fiber-reinforced mortars are reported. The results show that a loss of resistance due to embedding fibers in mortar is compensated for by the increase in strength caused by silica fume or metakaolin additions to the mortar. The addition of 15% of SF or MK produces an improvement of up to 20% and 68%, respectively, when compared with those mortars without addition. There is a significant decrease in the coefficient of capillary absorption and chloride penetration when a highly pozzolanic material is incorporated into the matrix. In general, these materials, especially SF and MK, improve the mechanical performance and the durability of fiber-reinforced materials, especially those reinforced with steel, glass or sisal fibers. The fly ash addition had a different performance, which could be attributed to its low degree of pozzolanicity.     

Comparison of ground waste glass with other supplementary cementitious materials

Finely ground glass has pozzolanic properties that make attractive its recycling as supplementary cementitious material. This paper compares the behaviour of waste glass powders of different fineness with that of natural pozzolana, coal fly ash and silica fume. Chemical analysis, compressive strength measurements and durability tests were carried out to investigate the effect of ground glass on strength and durability performances of mortars. Blended both with Portland cement and lime, ground glass improved strength, resistance to chloride penetration and resistance to sulphate attack of mortars more than natural pozzolana and similarly to fly ash. Mortars with ground glass immersed in water for seven years did not show any sign of degradation and increased their compressive strength. The ranking of ground glass with respect to the other mineral additions was not affected by fineness.     

The effect of meta-halloysite on alkali–aggregate reaction in concrete

Damage to concrete structures may occur as a result of internal effects. Alkali silica reaction (ASR) is a long term reaction between alkalis and reactive aggregate present in the concrete. The reaction product is sodium–potasium–calcium silica gel, able to absorb water, resulting in the expansion and cracking of concrete. The key problem is to find the right method for mitigating the internal damage. This paper presents the results of an investigation into the effectiveness of calcined halloysite (meta-halloysite) in improving the resistance to alkali-silica reaction (ASR). The pozzolanic reactivity of meta-halloysite was also evaluated using Thermo-Gravimetric Analysis. Microstructures of mortar bars were observed by Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) to investigate the location and chemical composition of ASR gel. The results from this study showed satisfactory level of pozzolanic reactivity when cement was partially replaced by meta-halloysite. It was demonstrated that a 20% addition of meta-halloysite are able to mitigate ASR and lower expansion of mortar bars with reactive aggregate to a safe level of not more than 0.1% at 14 days. Microstructural observations of the specimens containing meta-halloysite indicated the presence of a calcium–alkali–silicate–hydrate gel. But fewer reaction products and with different composition than those forming in the pastes without mineral additives are present.     

Shrinkage of plain and silica fume cement concrete under hot weather

Supplementary cementing materials (SCMs) are widely used these days to improve the durability of concrete. Silica fume has gained world wide acceptance due to its high pozzolanic reactivity compared to other SCMs. While silica fume cement concrete has several advantages over other blended cement concretes its main draw back is increased plastic and drying shrinkage, particularly under hot weather conditions. This paper reports results of a study conducted to assess these properties of plain and silica fume cement concrete specimens cast and cured in the field under hot weather conditions. The effect of specimen size and method of curing on plastic and drying shrinkage and some of the mechanical properties of silica fume and plain cement concrete specimens were evaluated. Results indicated that the type of cement significantly affected both the plastic and drying shrinkage of concrete in that these values in the silica fume cement concrete specimens were more than those in the plain cement concrete specimens. As expected, the shrinkage strains in both the plain and silica fume cement concrete specimens cured by continuous water-ponding were less than that in similar concrete specimens cured by covering them with wet burlap. The results point to the importance of selecting a good quality silica fume and good curing for avoiding cracking of concrete due to plastic and drying shrinkage, particularly under hot weather conditions.     

Structure formation of slag ash concrete on the basis of high-calcium fly ash and silica fume

Cementless slag ash concrete may be manufactured using high-calcium fly ash and silica fume as replacements for a binder and a microfiller, and incorporating slag sand from thermal power plants (TPP) as an aggregate. This concrete consists of waste products from TPP (fly ash and slag) and ferro-alloy plants (silica fume) and contains neither natural nor artificial aggregates for lightweight and heavy concretes. Silica fume (10–20% by weight of ash) and hot water together with subsequent heat treatment of concrete products or of castin situ structures binds the excess free calcium oxide present in the ash, and thus prevents deterioration of the concrete. The processes of concrete structure formation were investigated after 24 hours, 28 days, 3 and 6 months and the physico-mechanical, deformation and special properties (frost resistance, heat conductivity, protection of reinforcement from corrosion) were studied. This concrete conforms to the Russian Federation GOST requirement for use in single, two-storey buildings. The cost of the concrete is reduced by a factor of 3 compared with that of ordinary concrete.     

水泥-粉煤灰-硅灰基超高性能混凝土水化过程微观结构的演变规律

超高性能混凝土(UHPC)具有卓越的力学性能和耐久性能,应用前景广阔。采用扫描电镜背散射电子图像、热重法和氮气吸附法系统研究了水泥-粉煤灰-硅灰基UHPC浆体水化过程中微观结构的演变过程。结果表明:UHPC浆体在早期水泥水化较快,但7d后水化变得较为缓慢,粉煤灰在UHPC浆体中反应较为缓慢,28d时反应程度仅为7%;UHPC浆体中Ca(OH)2含量早期上升快速,由于硅灰和粉煤灰的火山灰反应逐渐消耗,3d后含量开始下降,但28d时浆体中仍存在部分Ca(OH)2;此外,在水化过程中,UHPC浆体的比表面积不断降低,孔隙率逐渐下降,水化产物变得更为致密。     

The capacity of ternary blends containing slag and high-calcium fly ash to mitigate alkali silica reaction

The efficiency of ternary blends containing high-calcium fly ash and slag in mitigating alkali-silica reaction (ASR) was evaluated. The concrete prism expansions showed that the ternary blends did not offer significant advantage over binary blends of portland cement and either of the individual material at the same total SCM content. The ability of a particular blend to mitigate ASR was related to its capacity to retain alkalis in its hydration products, as evaluated by an alkali leaching test. For the slag and fly ash used in this study, the capacity to retain alkalis increased with the ability of the blend to consume Ca(OH)₂ during its pozzolanic reaction. For the blends investigated here, the alkali leaching test was more realistic than the accelerated mortar bar test in predicting the 2-year expansion of concrete prisms. The adopted alkali leaching test is proposed to be used as a tool to compare the efficacy of different cementing blends to mitigate ASR.     

Mechanical and durability properties of ternary concretes containing silica fume and low reactivity blast furnace slag

In this study, the effect of incorporation of silica fume in enhancing strength development rate and durability characteristics of binary concretes containing a low reactivity slag has been investigated. Binary concretes studied included mixes containing slag at cement replacement levels of 15%, 30% and 50% and mixes containing silica fume at cement replacement levels of 2.5%, 5%, 7.5% and 10%. Ternary concretes included combinations of silica fume and slag at various cement replacement levels. The w/b ratio and total cementitious materials content were kept constant for all mixes at 0.38 and 420 kg/m³ respectively. Concrete mixes were evaluated for compressive strength, electrical resistance, chloride permeability (ASTM C1202 RCPT test) and chloride migration (AASHTO TP64 RCMT test), at various ages up to 180 days.The results show that simultaneous use of silica fume has only a moderate effect in improving the slow rate of strength gain of binary mixes containing low reactivity slag. However it improves their durability considerably. Using appropriate combination of low reactivity slag and silica fume, it is possible to obtain ternary mixes with 28 day strength comparable to the control mix and improve durability particularly in the long term. Ternary mixes also have the added advantage of reduced water demand.     

Participation of coloured glass cullet in cementitious materials

In this paper fundamental aspects of the pozzolanic activity of the three most common coloured glass cullet in Greece and of vitrified fly ash were studied. Furthermore, the problem of ASR in mortar systems with high content of finely ground glass cullet was estimated. The chemical behaviour of the added cullet in the cement was determined by XRD, DTA-TG and SEM observations and additionally mechanical tests, metal leaching examination and pore measurements were carried out. Green cullet appeared to be the most pozzolanic material followed by the flint glass. None of studied materials have shown any expansion, due to the deleterious ASR reaction. The potential utilisation of coloured glass cullet in various cementitious products is very encouraging especially for decorative and architectural applications.     

Comparative study of the initial surface absorption and chloride diffusion of high performance zeolite,silica fume and PFA concretes

Zeolite, a type of natural pozzolanic material, has been used in producing blended cement and concrete in China. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of zeolite in enhancing the performance of concrete in comparison with silica fume and pulverized fuel ash (PFA). In the first series of experiments, zeolite, silica fume, and PFA were all used to replace 5%, 10%, 15% and 30% of cement by weight in concrete with water to total cementitious material ratio (W/(C + P)) kept at 0.28. The results showed that zeolite decreased bleeding and increased marginally the viscosity of concrete without significantly compromising the slump. And at 15% replacement level, it resulted in 14% increase in concrete strength at 28-day compared with the control concrete. The test results also showed that there existed an optimum replacement level for zeolite to effect a decrease in initial surface absorption and in chloride diffusion of concrete. The test results of the second series of experiments where zeolite, silica fume and PFA were in turn used to replace 10% of cement in concretes with W/(C + P) in the range of 0.27 to 0.45 appeared that zeolite performed better than PFA but was inferior to silica fume in terms of increasing strength, decreasing initial surface absorption and chloride diffusion. It was further found that when W/(C + P) was greater than 0.45, the strength of the concretes incorporating zeolite or PFA (by direct replacement) was lower than that of the control concrete. The micro-structural study on concrete with zeolite revealed that the soluble SiO₂ and Al₂O₃ could react with Ca(OH)₂ to produce C–S–H which densified the concrete matrix. Pozzolanic effect of zeolite improved the microstructure of hardened cement paste and reduced the content of the harmful large pores, hence made concrete more impervious.     

Properties of cementitious systems containing silica fume or nonreactive microfillers

The object of this work was to explore the effects of silica fume on the microstructure of hardened paste and of the transition zone between paste and aggregates in concrete. The significance of aggregates as reinforcing fillers and their impact on some properties of the transition zone and bulk paste were resolved. The experimental procedure was based on simultaneous studies of model concretes and paste matrices extracted from fresh model concrete mixes. In addition, continuously graded aggregate concretes were prepared. Three sizes of a nonreactive microfiller (carbon black) and one reactive microfiller (silica fume) were applied. On the basis of microstructural studies and compressive strength tests, it was concluded that the primary effect of silica fume was generated by its physical (microfiller) properties, since the strengthening provided by reactive silica fume was similar to that obtained with nonreactive carbon black of similar size and shape. This effect was more significant from the point of view of the concrete strength enhancement than the chemical (pozzolanic) activity of the silica fume. In concretes containing either silica fume or carbon black, aggregates of high quality could serve as reinforcing filler. This could take place when sufficient densification of the transition zone occurred in the presence of silica fume or carbon black. Significant refinement of pore structure was observed in both types of paste matrices (containing silica fume or carbon black). However, this led to a relatively small influence on the paste strength. Concretes containing reactive silica fume or an inert carbon black microfiller behaved as a composite material, unlike conventional concrete.     

A simple way to mitigate alkali-silica reaction

A possible practice to prevent disorders due to alkali-silica reaction (ASR) in concretes containing reactive aggregates is the use of chemical admixtures (lithium salts) or, more commonly, mineral admixtures such as fly ash, silica fume, ground granulated slag or metakaolin. An analysis of the literature concerning ASR revealed some papers devoted to the mitigating activity of reactive aggregate powders (RAP) when associated with their parent aggregates. These RAP result from the grinding of the reactive aggregate. To verify the efficiency of this method of mitigation, tests were performed on concrete prisms cured at 60°C and 100% R.H., using four reactive aggregates, associated or not with their RAP. The results showed that the use of RAP reduced or suppressed ASR-expansion, suppressed surface cracking and counteracted the loss of compressive strength due to ASR. If these findings are confirmed by trials on other types of aggregates, the addition of RAP would be a simple way of avoiding ASR disorders.     

The fluid transport properties of HCWA–DSF hybrid supplementary binder mortar

It has been demonstrated in several past studies that high calcium wood ash (HCWA) can be effectively used in combination with densified silica fume (DSF) as supplementary binder material to enhance the mechanical performance of concrete. The experimental investigation was conducted to study the effect of the inclusion of HCWA and DSF on the durability properties of high strength cement mortar produced. A total of twelve different mix designs of mortar were fabricated with the use of HCWA at various cement replacement levels of 0–20% in combination with 7.5% densified silica fume (DSF) and subjected to various durability tests. The durability assessments performed include tests on water absorption, air permeability, porosity and degree of carbonation. A significantly lower degree of water absorption, porosity and carbonation was observed for cement mortars with HCWA contents of 2–8% used in combination with 7.5% DSF by weight of binder as compared to an equivalent pure cement mortar.     

Resistance of different types of concretes to cyclic sulfuric acid and sodium sulfate attack

An improvement in accelerated testing as a way of predicting durability was proposed in this study. Accordingly, the behavior of different concrete mixtures was examined in relation to a cyclic exposure to sulfuric acid and sodium sulfate solutions, recording the expansion and mass loss of the test specimens for about 5 years. Three different cements – i.e. Portland limestone, blast furnace slag and pozzolanic cement – were used, the latter two both with and without silica fume (SF), to prepare the concretes for the study. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) were used to correlate the samples’ microstructure and deformation.The lowest expansion was obtained by mixtures containing silica fume, although they were more susceptible to corrosion in acid. After a dormant period when no expansion occurred, the Portland limestone cement and blast furnace slag cement exhibited a large expansion that began suddenly and increased at an almost constant rate. This expansion correlated with the presence of cracks filled with calcium sulfate crystals in the core of the concrete samples.For comparison, the expansion of concretes specimens left in a sodium sulfate solution was also measured. The dormant period in the two-step expansion process seen in the Portland limestone and blast furnace concretes was shorter in the cyclic testing in sulfate and sulfuric acid, which can be considered as a model of accelerated deterioration, than in the latter.     

Effect of aggregates on the diffusion properties and microstructure of cement with slurried silica fume based materials

Diffusivity of cement-based materials is an important factor regarding durability and the service life prediction of concrete structures. The present research focuses on investigating the influence of aggregates on tritiated water diffusivity of cement-based materials containing slurried silica fume. Effective diffusion coefficients of mortars with several sand volume fractions varying from 0 to 65% were determined by through-out diffusion tests. Microstructure was examined by scanning electron microscopy associated to energy dispersive spectrometry analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, water and mercury porosimetry, and BET adsorption analysis. It was found that large agglomerated particles of silica fume observed in cement paste and mortar with a low sand content (here 10%), reduce pozzolanic reactivity and thus affect the effectiveness of silica fume on the materials sustainability parameters. The clusters present in these formulations are mainly due to the interaction of silica fume with calcium hydroxide of the mixing solution and not to the initial state of the slurry, which was well stirred and whose particles size were checked before use. However, the presence of high content of aggregates (more than 30% of sand volume fraction) during mortar's mixing improves the dispersion of slurried silica fume particles and helps to ‘shear’ and break up agglomerates of silica fume providing a better homogenization of the material and improving the microstructural and diffusivity parameters. The addition of superplastizer in mortars with more than 50% sand content may also participate in dispersing silica fume.     

矿物掺合料对聚羧酸减水剂与水泥相容性的影响

高性能减水剂与水泥适应性差会导致混凝土流动性和坍落度损失过快,矿物掺合料将影响高性能减水剂与水泥的相容性。对比研究矿物掺合料种类和掺量对水泥净浆、砂浆和混凝土流动性的影响;采用TOC法测试了矿物掺合料对聚羧酸减水剂吸附量的影响;分析了矿物掺合料影响聚羧酸减水剂与水泥相容性的机理。结果表明,粉煤灰和矿渣对提高水泥净浆流动性具有一定的叠加效应,可用胶砂减水率的加权平均值进行量化;硅灰对水泥浆体流动性的不利影响远大于粉煤灰和矿渣的辅助减水分散作用,不利于改善聚羧酸减水剂与水泥的相容性;粉煤灰和矿渣增加聚羧酸减水剂在水泥体系中的吸附量;粉煤灰和矿渣对聚羧酸减水剂在混凝土中的减水分散效果有改善作用但不显著。