Rheological properties and surface finish quality of eco-friendly self-compacting concretes containing quarry waste powders

Abstract

The use of by-products in concrete production is a key factor for sustainable construction. However, these materials must lead to the production of concretes with adequate properties to enable their use. This work evaluated the rheological properties and surface finish quality of self-compacting concretes (SCCs) containing quarry by-product powders as fillers. For this, thirty SCCs were produced with limestone, diabase and gneiss fillers in Portland cement replacement, each one in three different particle size distributions (PDSs) and volumetric contents. The rheological properties of the SCCs were evaluated by workability tests and rotational rheometry. The surface finish quality of the SCCs was evaluated through image analysis, and the percentage of bugholes area (Abh) was determined. The results showed that the quarry powders incorporation did not significantly affect the slump flow of the SCCs. In contrast, it reduced both the V-Funnel time and the viscosity of the mixtures. Furthermore, limestone and gneiss fillers improved the SCCs passing ability, measured by the J-Ring test. The image analysis indicated that the powder type did not have significant influence on the SCC surface finish quality, while both the increase in fine content and the reduction in PSD improved the surface quality. Finally, the influence of the SCC fresh state properties on the Abh was evaluated. Overall, the rheological properties and the surface finish quality of the concretes containing diabase and gneiss quarry by-product powders were equivalent to those containing limestone or only Portland cement, enabling the use of such powders as fillers in SCC.