Effect of Accelerators on High Early Strength Concrete (HESC) Using High Volume Fly Ash

Abstract

Applying large quantities of fly ash for the production of High Early Strength Concrete (HESC) is a challenge for researchers in the utilization of quality, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly materials. A high volume of fly ash in concrete, however, reduces the initial compressive strength of the concrete. For this reason, it is necessary to use admixture additives in the concrete mixture to get the expected performance. This research seeks to identify the optimal HESC mix design using fly ash 50% of the total cementitious by adding a superplasticizer and accelerator to obtain a high initial compressive strength. Three variations of HESC, namely HESC-12, HESC-14, and HESC-16, were made using a superplasticizer and accelerator with different doses. Each variation uses 12 liters of superplasticizer and different accelerator volumes: 12 liters, 14 liters, and 16 liters. Specimen testing was carried out on fresh and hard concrete. Fresh concrete was subjected to a slump test, whereas hard concrete was subjected to compressive tests at 18 hours, 24 hours, 3 days, and 28 days of age. The average slump flow values for HESC-12, HESC-14, and HESC-16 (cm) were 78, 79.5, and 80, respectively, demonstrating that all HESC samples are classified as self-compacting concrete (SCC). According to the results of density tests conducted on all specimens ranging from 2461 to 2538 kg/m3, all specimens are included in the category of normal-weight concrete. Within the range of 29.8 to 35.3 MPa for the initial compressive strength of HESC at 24 hours of age, it can be concluded that all HESC specimens fulfill the criteria for high early-strength concrete. The addition of the right type and dosage of chemical admixture is a solution to overcome the weakness of applying fly ash in high-early-strength concrete.