Improved concrete properties to resist the saline water using environmental by-product

Abstract

This paper investigates the influence of using environmental by-product materials (silica fume and fly ash) in concrete on the chloride ion permeability of concrete. Nine concrete mixtures were designed to have the same degree of workability and air content with water/cementitious material ratio of 0.4. The studied parameters include the main fresh and hardened concrete properties such as slump, air content, unit weight, compressive strength, tensile strength, flexural strength, static Young's modulus, and dynamic elastic modulus. Concrete samples were kept in water for 28 days, then immersed in artificial sea water for 5 months. The total and soluble chloride contents were measured through the concrete using the potentiometric titration analysis. The obtained test results indicated that the use of ternary systems in concrete improved the different characteristics of the product concrete and showed a significant resistance to chloride penetration. The weights of chloride in mix 9 (10% silica fume and 25% fly ash) at depths from the concrete surface to 30 mm were less than the weights of control mix 1 (100% ordinary Portland cement) by about 60%. Further, the ternary systems can be used in concrete industry with considerable proportions.