Rheological and mechanical characterization of self-compacting concrete with utilization of supplementary sustainable cementitious materials

Abstract

Self-Compacting Concrete (SCC) being a sustainable high-performance concrete capable of flowing through congested reinforcement and can fill the shuttering without any external energy. The investigation focuses on the effect of waste materials generated from industries on the fresh and mechanical properties of SCC. Experiments were carried out to develop SCC by using Fly Ash (FA) and Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBFS) as Supplementary Cementitious Material (SCM). Light weight Perlite Aggregates (PA) were used as a partial replacement material in M-Sand. Workability tests were conducted to check the rheological properties of developed SCC mix in accordance with the European Federation of National Associations Representing for Concrete (EFNARC) guidelines. An optimal mix was developed satisfying the criteria as per EFNARC. The developed mix design exhibited a significant reduction in cement content. Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) was replaced with 31% of FA and GGBFS is kept constant at 31%. The specimens were cured in water under ambient temperature. Performance of the developed mix in terms of compressive strength at different ages of 7, 28, 56 and 90 days were also examined. The results showed that SCC developed with industrial wastes provide adequate workability and strength with a substantial reduction in the cement content. Hence, the developed SCC with FA and GGBFS along with PA can be used as a sustainable concrete due to its high strength for the infrastructure development.