Mechanical strength analysis of fly-ash based concrete in presence of red mud

Abstract

Sustainable construction practices require transformation in construction industry aiming at reduction of environmental pollution along with enhancement of performance and durability of cementitious structures. Application of pozzolanic materials have been proven promising in this concern as auxiliary cementitious materials for partially replacing cement in mortar and concrete with a positive impact on strength and microstructure of cement matrix. Use of industrial wastes with pozzolanic properties in this category is exceedingly required in order to abate the issue of environmental pollution. Fly ash (FA) and red mud (RM) are the two industrial wastes that pose an issue of safe disposal. Although, FA is already in use as a pozzolanic material, yet not much work is available on the use of RM in concrete. This study examines suitability of RM for use in presence of FA for strength enhancement of concrete. In this analysis, FA was utilized in a dosage of 0–24% by weight of cement while RM was varied from 0 to 24% in presence of 8% FA for partial replacement of cement in concrete. Mechanical strength analysis of concrete specimens was performed and compared with control specimen. The results show that optimized use of FA leads to strength enhancement and the effect is more pronounced in presence of optimized dosage of RM. Thus, RM in presence of FA can be used as a strength modifier and can decrease the cement demand leading to sustainable construction practices.