Effect of Cement–Water Ratio on the Mechanical Properties of Reactive Powder Concrete with Marble Powder as Constituent Materials

Abstract

AbstractThe main principle of developing reactive powder concrete is to improve the microstructure by compacting density and increasing toughness. To achieve this principle very high-grade cement is used together with pozzolanic materials. The research was conducted to study the effect of the water-cement ratio on the mechanical properties of reactive powder concrete with marble powder as constituent materials. Trial mixes were prepared using cement, sand, silica fume, marble powder, and super-plasticizer. A mix ratio of 1.0:1.1:0.2:0.1:0.03 was adopted with water-cement ratio of 0.18, 0.20, and 0.22. Concrete cylinder of size ∅10 cm × 20 cm and the concrete beam of size 10 cm × 10 cm × 35 cm were cast and cured in steam curing at 95 °C for 4 h and tested to study the compressive strength, modulus elasticity, splitting strength, and flexural strength in relation to the water-cement ratio. The results indicate that reduced water-cement ratio from 0.22 to 0.18 increases the compressive strength, modulus elasticity, splitting strength, and flexural strength. Using a lower water-cement ratio for the mixing process is difficult to handle, so this research recommended a 0.20 water-cement ratio to produce reactive powder concrete with optimum mechanical properties.KeywordsConcreteWater-cement ratioMechanical propertiesStrengthMarble powder