The Effect of Natural Pozzolan on Sulfate Resisting Cement Exposed to Sodium Sulfate Attack for Attaining Sustainable Building Material

Abstract

This paper investigates the sulfate resistance of blended cements produced by replacing 10, 20, and 30% of sulfate resisting cement (SRC) with Algerian natural pozzolan. Ordinary and blended cement mortar specimens were cast and immersed in a 5% sodium sulfate solution for 3 years. The sulfate resistance of mortars was evaluated by visual examination, compressive strength, mass change and diffraction (XRD), which was used to identify the degradation products formed by sulfate attack.The test results demonstrated that the sulfate resisting cement incorporating 10% of natural pozzolan was less susceptible to sulfate attack. In addition to improved performance, the results promise the production of a sustainable building material with environmental and economic benefits due to the reduced amount of overly-high-energy-consuming cement used and the potential reduction of the cost of sulfate resisting cement.