Investigations on rheological and mechanical properties of self-compacting concrete (SCC) containing 0.6 μm eggshell as partial replacement of cement

Abstract

Present research for the continually expanding construction sector has advanced to an investigation of Self-Compacting Concrete (SCC). As a result of the impact on economic and sustainable values, the demand for such innovation is growing rapidly. SCC is a self-consolidating concrete that does not require any kind of compaction. Numerous researchers have boosted the growth of the existing SCC via eco-materials. In particular, in the production of SCC, it is environmentally friendly to substitute cement with eco-materials. Eggshell is one of the possible substitutes for cement powder as it encompasses a compound of calcium. The key reason for this initiative is the restriction of the site area and the intention to lessen the warming effect. This research describes SCC beams’ flexural performance and crack behaviors through experimental evaluation. The SCC mixing proportion containing 0.6 µm eggshell was engineered and its compressive strength tested. Slump flow, L-box and sieve segregation tests were used to estimate the material characteristics of concrete mixture. Mechanical properties such as compressive and flexural strengths of all SCC specimens were evaluated at 28 days. Flexural characteristics, such as the load–deflection relationship and the crack propagation of the SCC beams, were evaluated in the light of the different shear span to the effective depth ratio (a/d). The ultimate flexural strength and crack width of the SCC beams were compared with the theoretical values. Experimental findings revealed that the flexural strength of the SCC beams containing eggshell are comparable with Eurocode2. The crack width was below Eurocode2 allowable crack control in most cases. On the SCC beam specimens, three types of crack patterns were found, categorized as flexural, shear and flexural-shear cracks.