Methodology for Rapid Determination of Pozzolanic Activity of Materials

Abstract

Abstract Determination of pozzolanic activity, and in particular lime reactivity, of various materials such as fly ash, cenospheres, blast furnace slag, etc., is quite essential for their efficient application in cement and concrete. It also plays an important role in the selection of the material as a stabilizer in various environmental cleanup projects, such as heavy metal retention and waste immobilization strategies. Though ASTM C 311, ASTM C 593, and IS 1727 are being followed to determine pozzolanic activity of different materials, they are quite time consuming. This necessitates development of a methodology that can be employed for determining the pozzolanic activity of different materials, quite rapidly and easily. With this in view, a methodology that indirectly estimates pozzolanic activity of different materials, by measuring electrical conductivity of their mixture in partially saturated lime solution, has been developed and its details are presented in this paper.