Tensile behaviour and durability aspects of sustainable ultra-high performance concrete incorporated with GGBS as cementitious material

Abstract

The supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) are used as a substitute for the cement to reduce the environmental issues backed by concrete industry for the past three decades. Additionally, the use of industrial waste as SCMs can mitigate the wastes dumped in lagoons and landfills sites. Ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) is one of the potential candidates as it possesses strength, durability, economic, and environmental benefits. In this study, GGBS is used in Ultra high performance concrete (UHPC) up to 80% replacement level of cement. Various properties such as flowability, compressive strength, tensile strength, fracture, and durability of UHPC with a high volume GGBS are experimentally evaluated under two curing conditions (Standard water and elevated temperature curing). Uniaxial tensile (UAT) strength test is conducted to determine the tensile strength for UHPC. The test results inferred that the hardened properties of GGBS based UHPC are significant upto 40% cement replacement level under standard water curing. Elevated temperature curing, improves its performance upto 60% replacement level. Finally, microstructure properties are studied using scanning electron microscopy which confirms the dense microstructure of UHPC with a high volume GGBS.