Effect of ground fly ash and ground bagasse ash on the durability of recycled aggregate concrete

This research aims to study the effect of ground fly ash (GFA) and ground bagasse ash (GBA) on the durability of recycled aggregate concrete. Recycled aggregate concrete was produced with recycled aggregate to fully replace crushed limestone in the mix proportion of conventional concrete (CON) and GFA and GBA were used to partially replace Portland cement type I at the rate of 20%, 35%, and 50% by weight of binder. Compressive strength, water permeability, chloride penetration depth, and expansion by sulfate attack on concretes were investigated.The results reveal that the use of GFA and GBA to partially replace cement in recycled aggregate concrete was highly effective in improving the durability of recycled aggregate concrete. The suitable replacement of GFA or GBA in recycled aggregate concrete to obtain the suitable compressive strength, low water permeability, high chloride penetration resistance, and high sulfate resistance is 20% by weight of binder.     

Hardened properties of self-consolidating high performance concrete including rice husk ash

This paper mainly presents the key hardened properties of self-consolidating high performance concrete (SCHPC). Various SCHPCs were produced with different water/binder (W/B) ratios, rice husk ash (RHA) contents, and air contents. The required filling ability and air content were achieved in all freshly mixed SCHPCs. The hardened SCHPCs were tested for compressive strength, ultrasonic pulse velocity, water absorption, total porosity, and true electrical resistivity. The effects of W/B ratio, RHA content, and air content on these hardened properties were observed. Test results revealed that the compressive strength, ultrasonic pulse velocity, and electrical resistivity increased whereas the water absorption and total porosity decreased with lower W/B ratio and higher RHA content. In addition, the air content decreased the compressive strength, ultrasonic pulse velocity, water absorption, and total porosity but increased the electrical resistivity. Based on the overall effects of rice husk ash, the optimum RHA content for SCHPC has been defined.     

Effect of grinding of low-carbon rice husk ash on the microstructure and performance properties of blended cement concrete

The effectiveness of unground low-carbon rice husk ash (URHA) as a pozzolan and the effect of grinding the URHA to finer fractions for use in portland cement system were investigated. The properties investigated include the setting time and calcium hydroxide depletion of rice husk ash (RHA) pastes; microstructure and flow behavior of RHA mortars; strength and durability of RHA concretes. Results from this investigation suggested that the URHA and ground RHA (GRHA) mixtures performed better than the control mixtures in all tests conducted except water demand and setting time. The URHA mixture revealed denser microstructure compared to the control mixture. The internal porosity created by the coarse RHA grains in the matrix and their inability to completely participate in pozzolanic reaction may be the reasons for the poorer performance of the URHA mixture than compared to the GRHA mixture. The effect of grinding the RHA to finer fractions either substantially or slightly improved all properties except final setting time. With the performance of the GRHA concrete somewhat similar to that of the SF concrete, the use of ground RHA can be concluded to provide acceptable performance in portland cement systems.     

Creep analysis of concrete containing rice husk ash

This paper presents an experimental study on the mechanical properties of concrete added with rice husk ash (RHA) as a supplementary cementitious material. The compressive strength, modulus of elasticity and creep were obtained experimentally from specimens with different RHA contents (0%, 10%, 15% and 20% of binder). The results show that the addition of RHA in concrete can improve both the compressive strength and modulus of elasticity and reduce the creep of concrete. The examination of pore micro-structure of hardened concrete using both the mercury intrusion porosimetry and scanning electron microscope techniques demonstrates that RHA particles can react with calcium hydroxide originated from cement hydration to produce additional C-S-H, which can fill voids and large pores and thus reduces the porosity related to capillary pores and voids. In addition, the release of absorbed water, which is retained in the small pores of RHA particles at early days, can improve cement hydration and thus reduce the porosity related to gel pores.     

Effect of steel fibres on mechanical properties of high-strength concrete

Steel fibre reinforced concrete (SFRC) became in the recent decades a very popular and attractive material in structural engineering because of its good mechanical performance. The most important advantages are hindrance of macrocracks’ development, delay in microcracks’ propagation to macroscopic level and the improved ductility after microcracks’ formation. SFRC is also tough and demonstrates high residual strengths after appearing of the first crack. This paper deals with a role of steel fibres having different configuration in combination with steel bar reinforcement. It reports on results of an experimental research program that was focused on the influence of steel fibre types and amounts on flexural tensile strength, fracture behaviour and workability of steel bar reinforced high-strength concrete beams. In the frame of the research different bar reinforcements (2∅6 mm and 2∅12 mm) and three types of fibres’ configurations (two straight with end hooks with different ultimate tensile strength and one corrugated) were used. Three different fibre contents were applied. Experiments show that for all selected fibre contents a more ductile behaviour and higher load levels in the post-cracking range were obtained. The study forms a basis for selection of suitable fibre types and contents for their most efficient combination with regular steel bar reinforcement.     

Influence of 15 and 80 nano-SiO2 particles addition on mechanical and physical properties of ternary blended concrete incorporating rice husk ash

This study demonstrates the effects of SiO₂ nanoparticles as additives with two different sizes of 15 and 80?nm on compressive strength and porosity of rice husk ash (RHA) blended concrete. Up to 20% of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) was replaced by RHA with average particle size of 5 micron. Also, SiO₂ nanoparticles were added to the above mixture at four different weight percentages of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 and cured in lime solution. The results indicated that compressive strength of Portland cement–nano SiO₂–rice husk ash (PC–NS–RHA) ternary blended concrete was considerably increased. Moreover, the total amount of porosity decreased to a minimum with respect to the control concrete. This improvement was observed at all the curing ages and replacement levels, but there was a gain in the optimal point with 20% of RHA plus 2% of 80?nm SiO₂ particles at 90 days of curing.     

Failure mechanism of normal and high-strength concrete with rice-husk ash

Mineral admixtures generally lead to a densification of the concrete internal structure. In this sense, the failure mechanism could be modified so that the concrete exhibits a more brittle behaviour. This paper discusses the effects of rice-husk ash (RHA) additions to concrete, based on analyses of the mechanical behaviour of normal and high-strength concrete. The stress–strain response in compression and load vs. CMOD (or deflection) in bending were analysed. It appears that the incorporation of RHA in concrete increases the strength, particularly for lower water/binder ratio concretes. The analysis of the failure mechanism indicates a tendency for more brittle failure behaviour in RHA concretes. For the same strength level, however, the energy of fracture was reduced no more than 10%, which is much smaller than the variations that may be produced by a change in the type or size of coarse aggregate.     

Effect of calcination temperature and heating rate on the optical properties and reactivity of rice husk ash

Rice husk is an agricultural waste and its conversion to value added products makes it a secondary resource material. On heating, rice husk gives ash with >90% by weight of silica with some carbon and other nonmetallic and metallic impurities. Silica of high purity, chemical reactivity and white color can be produced from rice husk by controlling the heating conditions and this material finds wide industrial applications. Properties of the ash depend upon various pretreatments and calcination conditions. The present work deals with the investigation on a rice husk sample from the state of Andhra Pradesh in India. The raw husk and its acid treated form were calcined at different conditions such as temperatures, soaking periods and heating rates. Lime reactivity, surface area, brightness and color values of the ash samples were measured. The high potassium content in the husk has been found to inhibit the carbon removal during ashing which affected the color as well as reactivity of the ash. Properties of the ash samples from the untreated and acid treated husk have been compared and correlated with the formation conditions.     

Effect of rice husk ash on the properties of bricks made from fired lateritic soil-clay mix

The effects of rice husk ash (RHA) on the various properties of lateritic soil-clay mixed bricks were studied. The effect of firing duration (at a firing temperature of 1000°C) on the properties of bricks was also studied. The measured properties were linear shrinkage, unit weight, compressive strength, 24-hour immersion water absorption and 5-hour boiling water absorption. Both linear shrinkage and unit weight of bricks decreased with increase in the percentage of RHA content. The compressive strength of lateritic soil-clay mixed bricks increased almost linearly with increase in the percentage content of RHA. The bricks which received a 4-hour at 1000°C attained maximum compressive strength. Both 24-hour immersion and 5-hour boiling water absorptions of the bricks were within the permissible limits. The strengths of the bricks were compared with British statutory minimum compressive strengths of bricks for various walls. The bricks are recommended or load-bearing walls.     

Mechanical properties of roller compacted concrete containing rice husk ash with original and recycled asphalt pavement material

This study focused on the effects of rice husk ash (RHA) on the mechanical properties of roller compacted concrete (RCC) designed with original and reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) materials. The RCC mixes were produced by partial substitution of cement with RHA at varying amounts of 3% and 5%. Four aggregate combinations including the mix with original aggregate, coarse RAP + fine original aggregate, coarse original aggregate + fine RAP and total RAP were considered. The main experimental design consisted of the compressive strength and three points bending tests. Bending test was used to measure the modulus of rupture, material’s energy absorbency and analyse the fatigue response of RCC mixes. All tests were performed after 7, 28 and 120 days curing except the fatigue test that performed on 120 days specimens. Adding RHA resulted in higher optimum moisture content (OMC) and lower maximum dry density. Furthermore, adding RAP with different dimensions reduced the OMC and maximum dry density. The material’s flexibility improved upon replacing 3% cement by RHA. However, the energy absorbency reduced by increasing the RHA content to 5%. The fatigue life of RCC mixes containing RAP material was lower than the conventional one. Furthermore, replacing the coarse aggregate by RAP led to higher fatigue life than the fine aggregate. There was a strong relationship (R² > 0.90) between the energy absorbency and fatigue response of RCC mixes. At higher stress ratios of 0.72, the mix with higher energy absorbency behaved better under repeated loadings. Besides, a reverse relationship was found between the fatigue life and material porosity. Adding 3% RHA reduced the porosity especially after 120 days curing and improved the fatigue resistance. However, the addition of RHA to 5% resulted in higher porosities and lower fatigue lives.     

Chloride penetration and carbonation in concrete with rice husk ash and chemical activators

The use of industrial or agricultural by-product substitutions for cement has greatly contributed to sustainable development practices. The joint use of chemical activators has produced improvements in the mechanical properties of concrete but there are still few studies attempting to investigate the influence of activators on carbonation and chloride penetration. This study investigated the influence of chemical activators K₂SO₄, Na₂SO₄, Na₂SiO₃ on compressive strength, chloride penetration and carbonation of concrete mixtures with rice husk ash. Results indicate that the use of these activators has beneficial effects on initial strength and reduces chloride penetration. The mixture prepared with 20% rice husk ash and 1% K₂SO₄ as a chemical activator showed the lowest carbonation coefficients, which were in fact lower than the values found in the reference sample.     

Particle size effect on the strength of rice husk ash blended gap-graded Portland cement concrete

Rice husk ash (RHA) has been used as a highly reactive pozzolanic material to improve the microstructure of the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) between the cement paste and the aggregate in high-performance concrete. Mechanical experiments of RHA blended Portland cement concretes revealed that in addition to the pozzolanic reactivity of RHA (chemical aspect), the particle grading (physical aspect) of cement and RHA mixtures also exerted significant influences on the blending efficiency. The relative strength increase (relative to the concrete made with plain cement, expressed in %) is higher for coarser cement. The gap-grading phenomenon is expected to be the underlying mechanism. This issue is also approached by computer simulation. A stereological spacing parameter (i.e., mean free spacing between mixture particles) is associated with the global strength of the blended model cement concretes. This paper presents results of a combined mechanical and computer simulation study on the effects of particle size ranges involved in RHA-blended Portland cement on compressive strength of gap-graded concrete in the high strength/high performance range. The simulation results demonstrate that the favourable results for coarser cement (i.e., the gap-graded binder) reflect improved particle packing structure accompanied by a decrease in porosity and particularly in particle spacing.     

Performance and properties of mortar mixed with nano-CuO and rice husk ash

This paper presents an experimental study on a new mixture scheme of mortar. Unlike most of existing work, the present study investigates nano-CuO (NC), and its combined effects with cement replacement i.e., rice husk ash (RHA) on durability performance, as well as strength and permeability properties of mortars. Comprehensive observations of both the performance and properties improvements on RHA-containing mortar specimens were determined with the addition of NC. To this end, a series of tests for examining the strength both directly (compressive strength) and indirectly (Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity), electrical resistivity, chloride permeability, water absorption and microstructure characteristics (i.e., SEM micrographs, Mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) & capillary analyses) of mortar specimens were performed. A relationship between the Rapid chloride permeability test (RCPT) and electrical resistivity was also studied in order to recommend an alternative method for quality control in the presence of RHA and NC. Finally, a mixture scheme which provides relatively satisfactory properties improvement with positive environment credential is suggested.     

The durability properties of polypropylene fiber reinforced fly ash concrete

This paper reports of a comprehensive study on the durability properties of concrete containing polypropylene fiber and fly ash. Properties studied include unit weight and workability of fresh concrete, and compressive strength, modulus of elasticity, porosity, water absorption, sorptivity coefficient, drying shrinkage and freeze–thaw resistance of hardened concrete. Fly ash content used in concrete mixture was 0%, 15% and 30% in mass basis, and fiber volume fraction was 0%, 0.05%, 0.10% and 0.20% in volume basis.     

Effect of high volume fly ash on mechanical properties of fiber reinforced concrete

This paper reports the effects of incorporating high volume fly ash in fiber reinforced concrete. Fly ash was mixed as a partial fine aggregate replacement of approximately one third of the fines volume. The fibers were polypropylene or steel fibers at a maximum proportion of 1% by volume of the concrete. The results showed that fiber reinforced concrete that included high fly ash volume achieved compressive and tensile strength values that are more than double those of concrete without fly ash. Values of other mechanical properties have also achieved significant increase due to fly ash addition. It is suggested that a large quantity of fly ash is necessary to enhance the efficiency of fiber reinforcement. Polypropylene fibers resulted in gains up to 50% while steel fibers achieved gains up to more than 100%. This enhancement is believed to be due to the microstructural modification and densification in the transition zone between the matrix and the fibers.

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Résumé Cet article décrit les effets de la cendre volante quand elle est incorporée, en grande quantité, à du béton enrobé de fibres. D'une part, la cendre volante est mélangée au béton de manière à remplacer le contenu en granulat fin qui équivaut à environ un tiers du volume des matériaux fins. D'autre part, le béton est enrobé de fibres, à base de polypropylène ou d'acier, dans une proportion maximale de 1% par volume de béton. Les résultats obtenus démontrent que, mélangé à une quantité volumineuse de cendre volante, le béton enrobé à l'aide de fibres offre, entre autres propriétés mécaniques, une résistance à des efforts de compression et de traction qui dépasse nettement le double de celle que l'on obtient avec du béton dépourvu de cendre volante. On en déduit qu'une grande quantité de cendre volante s'avère nécessaire pour améliorer l'efficacité du renforcement à base de fibres. En outre, l'utilisation de fibres de polypropylène permet d'atteindre une efficacité jusqu' à 50%, tandis que cette dernière excède 100% avec des fibres d'acier. Ces améliorations sont attribuées à la modification et à la densification microstructurelles qui ont lieu dans la zone de transition entre la matrice de béton et les fibres utilisées.

     

Effects of fly ash fineness on the mechanical properties of concrete

The present study reviews the effects of fly ash fineness on the compressive and splitting tensile strength of the concretes. A fly ash of lignite origin with Blaine fineness of 2351?cm²/g was ground in a ball mill. As a consequence of the grinding process, fly ashes with fineness of 3849?cm²/g and 5239?cm²/g were obtained. Fly ashes with three different fineness were used instead of cement of 0%, 5%, 10%, and 15% and ten different types of concrete mixture were produced. In the concrete mixtures, the dosage of binder and water/cement ratio were fixed at 350?kg/m³ and 0.50, respectively. Slump values for the concretes were adjusted to be 100 ± 20?mm. Cubic samples were cast with edges of 100?mm. The specimens were cured in water at 20°C. At the end of curing process, compressive and splitting tensile strengths of the concrete samples were determined at 7, 28, 56, 90, 120 and 180?days. It was observed that compressive and splitting tensile strength of the concretes was affected by fineness of fly ash in short-and long-terms. It was found that compressive and tensile strength of the concretes increased as fly ash fineness increased. It was concluded that Blaine fineness value should be above 3849?cm²/g fineness of fly ash to have positive impact on mechanical properties of concrete. The effects of fly ash fineness on the compressive and splitting tensile strength of the concretes were remarkably seen in the fly ash with FAC code with fineness of 5235?cm²/g.     

Effect of amorphous silica by rice husk ash on physical properties and microstructures of recycled aluminium chip AA7075

High strength to weight ratio of aluminium reinforced as metal matrix composites is a well known material used in automotive application. The effects of recycled aluminium chips AA7075 with amorphous silica by rice husk ash on the physical properties and microstructure were investigated. Recycled aluminium chip AA7075 was reinforced with agro waste of amorphous silica rice husk ash i. e., 2.5 %, 5 %, 7.5 %, 10 % and 12.5 %. Samples of these metal matrix composites were prepared by cold compaction method due to the lower energies consumption and operating cost compared to conventional recycling by casting. Physical testing of density, apparent porosity, water absorption and hardness tests of the metal matrix composites samples were examined in the current study. The density of metal matrix composites was increased up to 5 % of amorphous silica, and then decreased with increasing mass fraction of amorphous silica. Porosity and water absorption of metal matrix composites were significantly consistent at increasing mass fraction of amorphous silica, while the hardness of metal matrix composites was increased at increasing amorphous silica. Consequently, the microstructures of metal matrix composites were observed via optical microscope to analyze the dispersion of the reinforced composites. The microstructures of metal matrix composites were found non‐homogeneous and random distribution of amorphous silica and aluminium chip AA7075 compared to 100 % recycled aluminium chip AA7075. Based on investigation to aluminium reinforced rice husk ash composites, it has good potential to improve the material behavior of metal matrix composites by appropriate composition amorphous silica to composite.     

Strength and durability properties of polyester concrete using pet and fly ash wastes

Recycled poly(ethylene terephthalate), PET, mainly recovered from plastic beverage bottles, can be used to produce unsaturated polyester resins. In turn, these resins can be mixed with inorganic aggregates (sand and gravel and fly ash waste), to produce polyester concrete (PC). The strength and durability properties of plain and steel-reinforced polyester concrete (PC) using unsaturated polyester resins based on recycled PET and fly ash fillers are discussed in this paper. The recycling of PET and fly ash in PC helps in reducing the cost of the material and alleviating an environmental problem posed by waste materials. The material may effectively be used in many construction applications such as utility, transportation and building components, and the repair and overlay of pavements, bridges and dams.     

Optimization of properties of fly ash aggregates for high-strength lightweight concrete production

The optimization of properties of lightweight fly ash aggregates for suitability in high-strength lightweight fly ash concrete production was investigated using response surface methodology (RSM). Design-Expert software was used to establish the design matrix and to analyze the experimental data. The relationships between the sintering parameters (temperature, binder content and binder type) and experimentally obtained three responses (specific gravity, water absorption and crushing strength) were established. Also, the optimization capabilities in Design-Expert software were used to optimize the sintering process. Historical data design technique under RSM was performed to optimize the input parameter interactions which showed the best conditions for preparation of fly ash pellets. According to the obtained results, the developed models are statistically accurate and can be used for further analysis. The experimental values agreed with the predicted ones, thus indicating suitability of the model employed and the success of RSM in optimizing the sintering conditions.     

An experimental study on the hazard assessment and mechanical properties of porous concrete utilizing coal bottom ash coarse aggregate in Korea

This study evaluates quality properties and toxicity of coal bottom ash coarse aggregate and analyzes mechanical properties of porous concrete depending on mixing rates of coal bottom ash. As a result, soundness and resistance to abrasion of coal bottom ash coarse aggregate were satisfied according to the standard of coarse aggregate for concrete. To satisfy the standard pertaining to chloride content, the coarse aggregates have to be washed more than twice. In regards to the result of leaching test for coal bottom ash coarse aggregate and porous concrete produced with these coarse aggregates, it was satisfied with the environment criteria. As the mixing rate of coal bottom ash increased, influence of void ratio and permeability coefficient was very little, but compressive and flexural strength decreased. When coal bottom ash was mixed over 40%, strength decreased sharply (compressive strength: by 11.7–27.1%, flexural strength: by maximum 26.4%). Also, as the mixing rate of coal bottom ash increased, it was confirmed that test specimens were destroyed by aggregate fracture more than binder fracture and interface fracture. To utilize coal bottom ash in large quantities, it is thought that an improvement method in regards to strength has to be discussed such as incorporation of reinforcing materials and improvement of aggregate hardness.