Mechanical Strength of Admixed Conplast SP 430 Cement Paste and Concrete

Abstract

The objective of this research is in line with the continuous search for sustainable ways of producing cement paste and concrete. The work is an evaluation of the performance of Conplast SP 430 in Concrete. Dosage of 0.0 mL to 6.0 mL was used for the cement paste, and 0.0 mL to 7.6 mL, for the concrete specimens. A cement content of 380 kg/m3 and w/c ratio of 0.5 were used to which a dosage of 0.0 mL to 7.6 mL was administered in increment of 1.9 mL, and cured for 3 to 90 days in a laboratory water tank. The results showed good performance in terms of strength development. Dosages of 3.8 mL and 5.7 mL gave the best results. The results also showed that the material Conplast SP 430, is retarder and is good for hot weather concreting. However, the water absorption of the concrete specimens increased and thus, the work therefore recommends the use of a water reducer with the material. It is also suggested that further investigation on the WA of the admixture material should be done. The sensitivity analyses on the data generated on the compressive strength showed good agreement and very significant (p-value< 0.05).