Properties of concrete with magnetic mixing water

Abstract

The effects of using magnetic water as mixing water in concrete on compressive strength, workability and required cement content was investigated. Concrete mixes were prepared using magnetic field treated mixing water and compared with regular concrete mixes that were made with normal (non-magnetized) tap water. Magnetizing the mixing water was performed by allowing the tap regular water to pass through magnetic fields that ranged in magnetic strength between 0.9 and 1.3 Tesla. Water / Cementitious material ratio, curing age, intensity of the magnetic field as well as cement content were used as the main variables that were investigated as to their influences on the behavior of magnetic mixing water concrete as compared to concrete with normal non-magnetized mixing water. Results showed that the workability of concrete has increased slightly compared with tap water mixed-concrete. At different curing ages, compressive strength of concrete was found to improve considerably as a result of mixing water magnetizing. The maximum enhancement of concrete compressive strength was obtained at the maximum magnetic field intensity used, which was 1.3 Tesla. Compressive strength enhancement was found to be more significant at early ages. It was also found that almost similar levels of fresh concrete workability and 28th day compressive strength and were obtained with 7.5% reduction of cement content for concrete samples made with magnetized mixing water as compared to those made with normal non-magnetized water. This cement requirement reduction may promote the potential to use magnetic mixing water as a positive modification towards a more sustainable concrete.