Effect of Wet Curing and Hot Climate on Strength and Durability of SCC with Natural Pozzolan

Abstract

Aims: The aim of this study is to discuss the performance of SCC with natural pozzolana under hot climate conditions. Background: The performance of vibrated concrete under hot climate is well investigated. However, the effect of hot climate on SCC is tittle investigated. North African and Middle Eastern countries are subjected to hot and dry environments especially during summer periods. Hence there is a need to investigate the performance of SCC under hot climate. Objective: The objective of this paper is to study the effect of water curing duration followed by natural hot climate exposure on the performance of SCC with Natural Pozzolan (NP). Methods: It is an experimental investigation where Concrete specimens were exposed to a standard curing environment (relative humidity RH = 100% and Temperature T°= 20°C ± 2°C) for 0, 1, 3, 7, 14 and 28 days, followed by a second cure in a hot environment in open air on a laboratory terrace in North Africa area during summer time with a temperature of 35°C to 45°C and a relative humidity of 65% to 75%. The cement was substituted by NP in weigh at three substitution levels (0%, 15% and 25%). Results: The experimental results show the importance of the wet curing in hot climate, especially when NP is used. Substituting cement by NP improves the self-compacting concrete durability for the long term. Conclusion: The substitution of cement by natural pozzolan reduced water permeability and capillary absorption. The hot climate has no negative effect on the evolution of the mechanical strength and durability of the SCC with natural pozzolan when undergoing a long initial wet cure.