Abstract

For the production of a high-performance concrete (HPC) matrix, a large amount of binder is normally used. The production of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) as the binder of concrete accounts for 7% of CO2 emission, which has notable environmental impacts, and subsequently results in unsustainable concrete. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of replacing OPC with calcium sulfoaluminate cement (CSA) or ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS) as sustainable binders on the engineering properties of HPC. Additionally, the effect of introducing double hooked-end (DHE) steel fibers at a fiber volume fraction of 1% on the properties of HPC was assessed. The compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, flexural strength, and modulus of elasticity of HPC were evaluated. Moreover, a scanning electron microscopy (SEM) method was used to study the microstructure of the concretes. The results indicate that the replacement of OPC with CSA cement results in an improvement in the mechanical properties of HPC particularly at later ages of curing, while combination CSA cement with OPC and GGBS in the binary and ternary systems degrades the concrete’s strengths. The addition of 1% DHE steel fibers significantly increased the engineering properties of concrete. The results show that the bond between a cement matrix and steel fibers has been enhanced due to the expansive behavior of CSA cement. The SEM observation also shows the significant influence of CSA cement on the microstructure of concrete by forming a rich amount of ettringite which subsequently results in an improvement in the properties of concrete.

Highlights

  • Portland cement concrete is the most widely used human-made material on the planet; around 25 billion metric tons are produced globally each year (Celik et al 2014)

  • The results further indicate that a combination of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) and CSA cements at equal percentage of 50% led to a reduction in the splitting tensile strength of concrete at all curing ages considered in this study

  • The results further show that the flexural strength of OPC, CSA, OPC50-CSA50, and OPC25-CSA50-SL25 mixes containing 1% double hooked-end (DHE) steel fibers was increased by 60%, 55%, 120%, and 113%, respectively, as compared to that of their corresponding mixes without fibers

Read more

Summary

Introduction

Portland cement concrete is the most widely used human-made material on the planet; around 25 billion metric tons are produced globally each year (Celik et al 2014). The demand for using high-performance concrete (HPC) has widely increased throughout the world. Portland cement concrete production accounts for around 7% of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions annually. Most of the emissions are attributable to the production of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) clinker. Due to growing field experience and increasing demand for those materials, there is an essential need to develop concrete made with a new kind of cement such as calcium aluminate cements (CAC), calcium sulfoaluminate cement (CSA), alkali-activated binders, and supersulfated cements (Juenger et al 2011). CSA cement gained an increased attention due to its lower amount of CO2 emission as compared to that of OPC (Gartner 2004). It is reported that the CO2 emissions may drop by up to 35% if OPC is replaced with CSA cement (Berger et al 2013). Concretes fabricated with CSA cement can result in an increased sulfate resistance, high impermeability and chemical resistance and a low chance for alkali–silica reactions (Tang et al 2015)

Objectives
Methods
Results
Conclusion
Full Text
Paper version not known

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.