Strength, Initial Surface Absorption and Chloride Diffusivity of Concrete with Zeolite and Silica Fume

Abstract

Zeolite, a type of natural pozzolanic material, is abundantly deposited in China and is easy to quarry. It is widely used in producing blended cement and concrete structural elements. This paper reports the study of effect of zeolite on the strength of concrete. It was found that at higher water to total cementitious materials ratios(W/(C+P)>O.38), the direct partial replacement of cement by zeolite resulted in the decrease of compressive strength, especially the early strength and tensile splitting strength. Silli fume was incorporated to enhance the strength performance of zeolite. It was found that the ternary blended cement (zeolite plus silica fume and cement) concrete performed better than the binary biended cement (zeolite and cement) concrete. Within the W/(C+P) ratios from 0.26 to 0.44 tested, it was found that as compared with the control concrete, the partial replacement of cement by a combined admixture camprising of zeolite and silica fume (zeolite: silicafume = 60:40) at a level of 70% could...