Assessing the effects of supplementary cementitious materials on the performance of low-cement roller compacted concrete pavement

Abstract

Roller compacted concrete pavements (RCCP) are widely used for a variety of industrial and heavy-duty pavement applications that involve low speed traffic. The aim of this investigation is to evaluate the effects of using supplementary cementitious materials – silica fume and pumice – on the workability, compressive strength, and frost resistance of non-air-entrained low-cement content RCCP mixtures. Eight different RCCP mixtures were produced with four types of binder and two binder contents. A series of consistency, compressive strength, and long-term freeze–thaw tests were conducted. Test results indicate that the frost resistance of the low-cement RCCP mixtures improves with higher cementitious materials content. The addition of 10% silica fume increased both the compressive strength and frost resistance of the RCC mixtures; however, it significantly decreased the workability of fresh mixtures. The pumice made the specimens more workable, but had a negative impact on both the compressive strength and frost resistance.