Mini Slump Flow Diameter Research Articles

Rheological, mechanical and durability properties of self-compacting mortars containing basalt powder and silica fume

This study investigates the durability and mechanical performance of self-compacting mortars (SCMs) produced with basalt powder and silica fume. The novelty of the study lies in the use of both basalt powder and silica fume in the production of SCMs and investigating the sulfate resistance of the produced mortars. Different percentages of basalt powder (5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35% and 40%) and 10% of silica fume were used as a partial substitution of Portland cement. Mini slump-flow diameter and viscosity tests were carried out to evaluate the fresh properties of SCMs. Experiments were carried out to determine the effect of basalt powder and silica fume substitution on the mechanical properties, sorptivities, densities, water absorptions and sulfate resistances of the mortar specimens. Microstructural deteriorations after immersion in 10 wt% MgSO4 solution were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The experimental study indicated that the combined use of basalt powder and silica fume resulted in an improvement in strength. It was found that the long-term mechanical properties of SCMs containing up to 10% basalt powder were satisfactory. It was observed that the use of basalt powder had a positive effect against sulfate attack.

Analysis and optimisation of the rheology–strength relationship of basalt-fibre-reinforced self-compacting mortar

The aim of this work was to find the optimum rheology for maximising the strength of basalt-fibre-reinforced self-compacting mortar (BFRSCM). An experiment was employed to design mixes based on the basalt fibre volume percentage (F), water/binder ratio (w/b) and superplasticiser (SP) dosage. Using an L9 Taguchi array, nine mixes were designed considering combinations of F (0.5, 1.0 and 1.5%), w/b (0.35, 0.40 and 0.45) and SP dosage (DSP) (16, 19 and 22 ml/kg). Mini slump flow diameter (SFD) and mini V-funnel time (Tv) were measured to determine the rheological characteristics and compressive strength (CS) and split tensile strength (STS) were conducted to determine the mechanical properties of the BFRSCM mixes. After statistical analyses, optimisation and prediction, rheology–strength relationships and optimum properties were ascertained. For further assessment of microstructures, scanning electron microscopy was conducted on three different mixes. It was found that the optimum combinations of (F, w/b, DSP) for CS and STS were (1.0%, 0.35, 19 ml/kg) and (1.5%, 0.40, 16 ml/kg), respectively. The optimum fibre percentage for CS was F = 1.0%, while for STS it was F = 1.5%. The optimum rheology for maximum CS occurred with SFD = 27.5 cm and Tv = 7.9 s, while that for maximum STS was with SFD = 29 cm and Tv = 5.0 s. The mean absolute percentage errors of the predictions for all properties were lower than 5% except for Tv, which was 13%.

Properties of Anti-spalling Self-compacting Mortars - An Approach Towards Multifunctional Building Composite

This study investigates the micro structural studies of self-compacting mortars by the addition of PP, Nylon and Jute fibers and the amount of Gypsum formed. The amount of all fibers in the proposed mix was limited to 0.5% by weight of the mortar. Four types of mortars one of which was reference mortar and other three mortars contained PP, Nylon and Jute fibers of amount 0.5% by weight, respectively. The workability of the self-compacting mortars was monitored by Mini Slump Flow diameter test. From the results it was found that more compacted microstructure and less amount of Gypsum formation occurred for mortar samples containing PP fibers as compared to control mortar and mortar samples containing Nylon and Jute fibers respectively.

Properties of Anti-spalling Self-compacting Mortars - An Approach Towards Multifunctional Building Composite

This study investigates the micro structural studies of self-compacting mortars by the addition of PP, Nylon and Jute fibers and the amount of Gypsum formed. The amount of all fibers in the proposed mix was limited to 0.5% by weight of the mortar. Four types of mortars one of which was reference mortar and other three mortars contained PP, Nylon and Jute fibers of amount 0.5% by weight, respectively. The workability of the self-compacting mortars was monitored by Mini Slump Flow diameter test. From the results it was found that more compacted microstructure and less amount of Gypsum formation occurred for mortar samples containing PP fibers as compared to control mortar and mortar samples containing Nylon and Jute fibers respectively.

The effect of calcite and blast furnace slag on the rheology properties of self-compacting concrete in meso and macro scales

In this study, the effects of blast furnace slag (BFS) and calcite on rheological properties of self-compacting concrete (SSC) in meso and macro scales were investigated. During the preparation of replicate samples, while BFS was replaced with the cement at the rate of 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40% by weight, calcite was added to the cement at the rate of 10%, 15%, 20%, and 25% by weight. The rheological properties (plastic viscosity and yield point) and mini-slump flow values of the cement paste prepared in meso scales were determined. The fresh flow consistency of concrete prepared in macro-scale was tested with L-box flowing test. As a result, upon evaluating the rheological parameters of the pastes according to the Bingham model, while the pastes with a plastic viscosity value close to 1 Pa·s (±100 MPa·s) and a mini-slump flow rate higher than 200 mm were observed to be more resistant to segregation and form a homogeneous flow consistency, their L-box flowing rates were determined to be homogeneous and high. Ideal SSCs were made by adding 20% and 25% calcite to 30% BFS and 40% BFS replaced mixtures respectively in this study. It was also concluded that ideal SCC could be produced with paste mixtures having 1 Pa·s (±100 MPa·s) viscosity and mini-slump flow diameter higher than 200 mm. With the increase in calcite addition rates in SSCs, the passing rate for the L box test has increased

Effect of micro silica on fiber-reinforced self-compacting composites containing ceramic waste

This paper aims to evaluate the impact of ceramic waste powder (CWP), micro silica (MS) and steel fiber (SF) on self-compacting mortar. CWP at ratios of 10 and 20%, and MS at 1 and 5% by weight of cement were replaced the cement. Beside, SF was added at ratios of 0.5 and 1% of cement. Mini slump flow diameter and mini V-funnel flow time tests were carried out to determine the workability of fresh composites. Compressive strength, flexural strength, water absorption, electrical resistivity and drying shrinkage tests were performed on hardened mortars. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) technique was employed to assess the microstructure. The results indicated that CWP reduced the mechanical properties by about 20% and increased permeability by about 14%. However, inclusion of micro silica particles improved the properties outstandingly. Compressive strength increased about 30% by inclusion of MS. It was also observed that the addition of fibers from 0.5% to 1% increased the flexural strength. This improvement was more obvious in samples with higher contents of micro silica. It can be reported that by including the both micro silica and steel fibers, the bonding between the cement paste and fibers was developed. Replacement of micro silica led to increase of electrical resistivity by about 99% in samples containing 20% ceramic waste powder. The microstructure studies confirmed the significant increase of density and uniformity of the hydration products in the presence of micro silica particles.

Effect of superplasticizer and silica fume on the properties of self-compacting mortars

Self-compacting concrete is a highly flowing concrete that compact under self-weight without any vibration effort. The mortar phase of self-compacting concrete determines its rheological, strength characteristics, and durability. This paper discusses the effect of superplasticizer and silica fume on the properties of self-compacting mortars. Mini-slump flow diameter tests were conducted to determine the rheological properties of mortar mixtures, and compressive strength, density, water absorption, porosity experiments to assess the hardened properties of mortar specimens. Analysis of regression models shows that the use of superplasticizer reduces the water demand of mortar mixtures by up to 40 %, and the addition of silica fume leads to the densification of cement stone structure and reduces the porosity of concrete to 24 %. The maximum compressive strength at 2 days can be achieved with a superplasticizer content of 0.8-1.0 % and 0-5 % silica fume by binder weight, and at 28 days – with 1.0-1.2 % superplasticizer and 10-15 % silica fume content. According to X-ray phase analysis in a cement stone containing superplasticizer and silica fume, the degree of cement hydration increases and reduces the amount of portlandite, which leads to an increase in the strength and durability of the concrete.

The measurement of fresh properties of cement-based grout containing waste marble powder

This paper shows the results of an experimental study conducted to investigate the effect of waste marble powder (WMP) on the fluidity (marsh cone flow time (MCFT), mini-slump diameter and plate cohesion meter (PCM)) and the rheological properties (viscosity and yield stress) of cement based grout (CBG) mixtures. The experiments were done with the CBG mixture including 0.75, 1.00, 1.25, 1.50 water-binder (w/b) ratios and 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25% content of WMP. Test results illustrated that the rheological properties of the CBGs had been improved greatly by the addition of WMP to grout mix at various w/b ratios. It was observed that the CBG mixtures showed a strong shear thickening behavior all WMP content and all w/b ratios. Moreover, the increase in the w/b ratio decreases the MCFT at the constant WMP content. Additionally, the increase in the percentage of WMP amount up to %15 did not effect on mini slump flow diameter, however the mini - slump flow diameter decreased above %15 WMP.

Effect of Waste Marble Powder and Fly Ash on the Rheological Characteristics of Cement Based Grout

This paper shows the results of an experimental study conducted to research the impact of waste marble powder (WMP) and fly ash (FA) on the fluidity (marsh cone flow time (MCFT), mini-slump diameter and plate cohesion meter (PCM)) and the rheological properties (viscosity and yield stress) of cement based grout (CBG) mixtures. The experiments were applied with the CBG mix including 1.00 water-binder (w/b) ratios and combined use of WMP (5-25%), FA (5-25%) and WMP+FA (10-30% + constant 25%). Test results illustrated that the rheological properties of the CBGs importantly have been improved by the addition of WMP, FA and WMP+FA to grout mix at w/b=1 ratio. Strongly shear thickening behaviour was got from the CBG mixtures the all WMP, FA and WMP+FA content. The increase in the percentage of WMP (5-25%) amount reduced the mini-slump flow diameter. Moreover, the increment in the percentage of FA (5-25%) amount increments the mini slum flow. According to the control sample, the increment in the percentage of WMP (10-25%) amount increased the mini-slump flow diameter for constant FA (25%) content. Also, the increase in WMP amount in the CBG mix, there is no effect on MCFT. Also, MCFT decreased with the increase of FA amount. Especially, FA increased the fluidity of CBG, when the WMP showed negative effect in increase the MCFT in WMP+FA content.

Mechanical and durability properties of self‐compacting mortars containing binary and ternary mixes of fly ash and silica fume

In this paper, the results of experimental work on the strength and durability performances of self‐compacting mortars (SCMs) manufactured from silica fume (SF) and fly ash (FA) were presented. The cement was partially replaced with 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25% of FA and 5, 10, and 15% of SF as binary mixes. Also, ternary mixtures were prepared by the incorporation of FA and SF at different replacement dosages by weight. In total, 14 different combinations of mixes were studied at the ages of 7, 28, and 180 days. Prismatic samples of size 40 × 40 × 160 mm3 were produced and exposed to water curing to observe mechanical behavior of SCMs. The mechanical properties of SCMs were examined by the tests of compressive strength and flexural strength. Sorptivity, porosity, water absorption, and density were also measured. To evaluate fresh properties of SCMs, mini slump flow diameter and mini V‐funnel flow time tests were conducted. The results of the study reveal that increase in the dosage of FA increases SCMs flow but also reduce segregation resistance. The enhancement in flexural strength is the best in the binary mixes of SF10 and in binary mixes of FA. Ten percent replacement of FA shows the best flexural strength performance with a value of 10.21 MPa at the age of 180 days. Compressive and flexural strengths of mortars containing SF and FA reached up to about 86.14 and 10.50 MPa, respectively.

Life-cycle assessment (LCA) aspects and strength characteristics of self-compacting mortars (SCMs) incorporating fly ash and waste glass PET

In this study, fresh, mechanical, microstructural, and thermal properties as well as environmental impact of self-compacting mortars (SCMs) were determined by using glassPET (GP) and fly ash (FA). For this work, firstly, control mixture in which 80% of Portland cement (PC) and 20% of FA was designed. Then, GP was used in the ratios of 3%, 6%, and 9% instead of FA. During production, the mini-slump flow diameter and the mini-v funnel flow times of the SCMs were measured. After that, the mechanical properties of these mixes were determined via the compressive, flexural, and ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) tests at 28 and 90 days. In addition, microstructural and thermal properties of SCMs incorporating GP in the ratios of 0% and 9% instead of FA were determined by using SEM/EDX and TGA/DTA analyzes. Moreover, the comparative life-cycle assessment (LCA) has been conducted using LCA software SimaPro® with ReCiPe database. One kg/m3 of mortar was selected as functional unit and a cradle to gate approach was followed for the LCA including material extraction, transport and production, and system boundaries used. Results were given from the software underline the estimated environmental performance of mortar production with providing single scores coming from three gauges including Human Health, Ecosystems, and Resources as well as the strength characterctics of SCMs. The test results indicated that GP and FA used instead of PC improves the environmental performance of SCMs while adversely affecting the fresh, mechanical, and microstructural properties.

Effect of SnO2, ZrO2, and CaCO3 nanoparticles on water transport and durability properties of self-compacting mortar containing fly ash: Experimental observations and ANFIS predictions

This paper investigates the influence of the addition of nanoparticles, namely SnO2, ZrO2 and CaCO3, at different doses on the durability and the microstructure of self-compacting mortar (SCM). Rheological characteristics were observed through mini slump flow diameter and mini V-funnel flow time. Transport properties were studied by the water absorption and capillary absorption tests. Mechanical properties were determined by the compression tests. Durability properties were examined by the electrical resistivity and rapid chloride permeability tests. Microstructure of SCMs was investigated through scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The mixtures containing nanoparticles exhibit improved transport properties, with increased compressive strengths and resistance to water and chloride ion penetration. These improvements are attributed to the compact microstructures, as the micro pore system was refined in the presence of nanoparticles. Based on fresh and hardened mortar properties, it is found that 5 wt% SnO2, 4 wt% ZrO2, and 3 wt% CaCO3 would serve as suitable replacement levels in optimizing the overall performance. An adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) was employed to predict the SCM properties. The numerical results show that the metamodels provide accurate estimates of experimental results.

Comparison of Glass Powder and Fly Ash Effect on the Fresh Properties of Self-Compacting Mortars

This study is aimed to determine effects of glass powder on fresh properties of self-compacting mortars. Self-compacting mortars incorporating glass powder (SCMGPs) were designed with a water/binder ratio of 0.40 and a total binder content of 550 kg/m3. At first, the control mixture was produced with 20% fly ash and % 80 cement of the total binder content without using the glass powder. Then, glass powder was used in the proportions 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% instead of fly ash in the mortars. Mini-slump flow and mini-v funnel tests experimentally investigated on SCMGPs to compare the effect of fly ash and glass powder. With increasing the amount of glass powder used in SCMGPs increased the amount of superplasticizer used to obtain the desired mini-slump flow diameter. So, the use of glass powder reduced the flow ability of SCMGPs in comparison to fly ash. Additionally, the compressive strength and flexural strength of the mortar mixtures were determined at the 28th day. The test results indicated that the mechanical characteristics of SCMGPs improved when the fly ash was replaced with glass powder in SCMGPs.

Influence of ground pumice powder on the bond behavior of reinforcement and mechanical properties of self-compacting mortars

he aim of this study is to investigate the effect of the bond strength of self-compacting mortars (SCMS) produced from ground pumice powder (GPP) as a mineral additive. In this scope, six series of mortars including control mix were prepared that consist of 7%, 12%, 17%, 22% and 27% of ground pumice powder by weight of cement. A total of 54 specimens of 40x40x160 mm were produced and cured at the age of 3, 28 and 90-day for compressive and tensile strength tests and 18 specimens of 150x150x150 mm mortar were prepared and cured at 28 days for bond strength tests. Flexural tensile strength and compressive strength of 40x40x160 mm specimens were measured at the curing age of 7, 28 and 90-day. Mini V-funnel flow time and mini slump flow diameter tests were also conducted to obtain rheological properties. As a result of the study, it was observed that the SCMs containing 12% of GPP has the highest bond strength as compared to control and GPP mortars. Compressive strength slightly increased up to 12% of GPP.

Influence of ground pumice powder on the mechanical properties and durability of self-compacting mortars

The aim of this study is to investigate the mechanical properties and durability of self-compacting mortars (SCMs) produced from ground pumice powder (GPP) as a mineral additive. In this scope, 8 series of SCMs including control mixture were prepared that consist of 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30% and 35% of ground pumice powder by weight of cement. A total of 72 specimens of 40×40×160mm were produced and cured at the age of 3, 28 and 90-day for compressive and tensile strength tests and 24 specimens of 50mm cube specimens were prepared and cured at 28days for water absorption, sorptivity, porosity and density tests. Flexural tensile strength and compressive strength of 40×40×160mm specimens were measured at the curing age of 7, 28 and 90-day. Mini V-funnel flow time and mini slump flow diameter tests were also conducted to assess rheological properties. The best strength results were obtained from the samples containing between 10% and 25% of GPP as compared to control specimens. GPP15 has the highest pozzolanic activity at the curing age of 28 and 90days. Replacement of the cement with 10–20% of GPP resulted in mortars which caused a decrease in water absorption, sorptivity and porosity when compared to the control mortar.

Effect of sea water and MgSO4 solution on the mechanical properties and durability of self-compacting mortars with fly ash/silica fume

This experimental study was carried out to investigate the mechanical properties of self-compacting mortars (SCMs) containing binary and ternary mixtures of silica fume (SF) and fly ash (FA) immersed in sea water and 10% by weight magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) solution. 14 series of mortar specimens including control mixture were prepared by replacing Portland cement with 10%, 20% and 30% by weight of C class fly ash (FA) and 6%, 9%, 12% and 15% by weight of silica fume (SF). Ternary mixes were produced by replacing 10% of FA containing 6%, 9%, 12% and 15% of SF and 20% replacement of FA with 6% and 9% of SF. A total of 182 samples of 40×40×160mm mortar were prepared and cured in water at 3, 28, 56 and 180days and immersed in sea water and magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) solution at 28, 56, 90 and 180days to observe SCMs behavior in hardened conditions. Durability properties were evaluated by capillary absorption (sorptivity and porosity tests). Mini slump flow diameter, viscosity and mini V-funnel flow time tests were performed to assess the fresh properties of SCMs containing FA and SF. The results showed that all binary and ternary mixes of SCMs and control specimens exposed to MgSO4 solution have increasing compressive and tensile strength up to 90days then tend to decrease at the age of 180days. The control specimens exposed to sea water showed the best resistance in terms of tensile strength. Porosity of SF binary blended SCMs cured in water at 28days have higher values than ternary blended SCMs and the control specimens cured in water at 28days have the lowest porosity. The SCMs exposed to magnesium sulfate solution, some deterioration such as crack formation due to surface softening was observed.

An experimental study of different curing regimes on the mechanical properties and sorptivity of self-compacting mortars with fly ash and silica fume

This paper aims to investigate the effect of four different curing regimes namely; tap water curing (WC), wet sack curing (WSC), air curing (AC), and liquid paraffin wax curing (LPWC) and different curing times (3, 7, 28, 56 and 180days) on the mechanical properties of self-compacting Mortars (SCMs). Binary mixtures of SCMs were prepared by replacing Portland cement with 10%, 20%, and 30% by weight of C class fly ash (FA) and 6%, 10%, 14% by weight of silica fume (SF). In ternary mixes, provided that mineral additive ratio doesn’t exceed 30% of cement, 10% of FA with 6%, %10, % 14 of SF and %20 of FA with %6, %10 of SF were produced. The water-to-binder (w/b) ratio ranges from 0.37 to 0.48. A sum of 12 different mixtures with 630kg/m3 binder were prepared to observe SCMs behaviour in fresh and hardened conditions. Mini slump flow diameter, viscosity and mini V-funnel flow time tests were performed to assess the fresh properties of SCMs containing FA and SF. Sorptivity tests were performed on cube specimens with the dimensions of 50×50×50mm. Compressive and flexural tensile strengths of the hardened mortars were measured at 3, 7, 28, 56 and 180days at different curing conditions. The best results for compressive strength at the end of 180d were determined with 10% FA in binary combination at water curing and with %10FA+%6SF in ternary combination at wet sack curing. The best results for flexural strength at the end of 180d were determined with control samples at LPWC curing and with %10 SF in binary combination at LPWC. SF10 has the lowest sorptivity coefficient with w/b ratio of 0.40.

Effects of experimental ternary cements on fresh and hardened properties of self-compacting concretes

Self-compacting concrete (SCC) is a concrete that flows alone under its dead weight and consolidates itself without any additional compaction and without segregation. As an integral part of a SCC, self-compacting mortars (SCMs) may serve as a basis for the mix design of concrete since the measurement of the rheological and viscosity properties of SCC is often impractical due to the need for complex equipment. This paper discusses the properties of SCM and SCC with mineral additions. ordinary Portland cement (OPC), natural pozzolana (PZ), and marble powder (MP) are used in ternary cementitious blends system following the cement substitution with PZ and MP in ratio 1/3. Within the framework of this experimental study, a total of 12 SCM and 6 SCC were prepared having a constant w/b ratio of 0.40. The fresh properties of the SCM were tested for mini-slump flow diameter, mini-V-funnel flow time, and viscosity measurement. Slumps flow test, L-box, J-ring, V-funnel flow time, and sieve stability were measured for SCC. Moreover, the development in the compressive strength was determined at 3, 7, 28, 56, and 90 days. Test results have shown that using ternary blends improved the fresh properties of the mixtures. The combination of natural pozzolana and marble powder increase the slump flow test up to 826 mm for the mixture prepared with 10% of mineral additions. Moreover, the use of mineral addition reduced the time flow to 4.27 s for SCC with 20% mineral addition, thus reducing the viscosity of all mixtures. Addition of MP increases the capacity of the passage through the plates between 88.75 and 93.50% for SCC with 7.5 and 15% of MP, respectively. The ternary system (PZ and MP) improve the sieve stability with the value for 4.07% of SCC with 50% of substitution compared for SSC without additions. The compressive strength of SCC at 90 days with 40% of PZ and MP was similar to that of OPC.

An experimental investigation into the effects of Cr2O3 and ZnO2 nanoparticles on the mechanical properties and durability of self-compacting mortar

Abstract In this paper, the effects of using Cr2O3 and ZnO2 nanoparticles on the mechanical properties and durability of self-compacting mortars are investigated. A fraction of Portland cement was replaced with 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 wt.% of either Cr2O3 or ZnO2 nanoparticles, and 25 wt.% fly ash. The rheological properties of these mortars were determined through the mini-slump flow diameter and V-funnel flow time tests. The mechanical and durability characteristics were evaluated by compressive and flexural strength, water absorption, electrical resistivity and rapid chloride permeability tests. The microstructure of the mortars was assessed through the use of scanning electron microscopy. The inclusion of 2 wt.% Cr2O3 or 4 wt.% ZnO2 nanoparticles had the best result in compressive and flexural strength tests. Also, mixtures containing either 3 wt.% of Cr2O3 or 5 wt.% of ZnO2 nanoparticles obtained the best result in terms of durability. It can be deduced that the properties of these mixtures are significantly improved by the addition of Cr2O3 and ZnO2 nanoparticles.

RETRACTED: Effect of nano-CuO and fly ash on the properties of self-compacting mortar

Abstract This paper presents the fresh and hardened properties of self-compacting mortar (SCM) incorporating nano-CuO (NC) and fly ash (FA). CuO nanoparticles at the rates of 1%, 2%, 3% and 4%, and low-calcium fly ash at the rates of 20%, 25%, and 30% of the binder by weight were considered. Mini slump flow diameter and mini V-funnel flow time tests were conducted to determine the rheological properties of SCMs incorporating fly ash and nano-CuO. Compressive strength was determined at the ages of 7 days as an early age, 28 days as the standard age and 90 days as a late age. Water absorption, electrical resistivity and rapid chloride permeability tests (RCPT) were also performed to determine the durability properties. The results showed significant improvement in the mechanical properties of the samples incorporating the replacement of cement with a combination of 3% CuO nanoparticles and 25% FA. Chloride permeability and electrical resistivity of the FA blended mixtures improved with the increase of nano-CuO content up to 4%. The SEM micrographs indicated more packed pore structure of the SCMs containing nanoparticles which could lead to increasing the strength and durability of specimens.