Mortar Cubes Research Articles

INVESTIGATING THE POZZOLANICITY OF BAGASSE ASH

This study aims to investigate the pozzolanic reactivity of bagasse ash while partially replacing cement. Rapid, reliable, and relevant (R3) testing techniques were employed. This was done by measuring the heat of hydration and by determining the amount of bound water. The blending of cement made the paste require more water, to enhance the setting time, have more peaks in a narrower range position of °2θ and with Aluminum containing compounds, to have a lower average crystallite size (16.46ηm) and lower diffraction angle. The cumulative heat flow in the blended samples decreased to 275.18J/g at 170hours and the maximum rate of heat flow decreased to 69.41J/gh which was found delayed at 5 minutes and 13 seconds. The difference in heat of hydration between the reference and blended sample increases as time increases starting from 3J/g on the 1st day to 9J/g on the 3rd day. Blended samples were found to have lower bound water(gram) (2.58%) content on day 1 than the reference. Compressive strength at an early age (≤ 1 day) is lower in the bagasse ash (BA) blended mortar cubes and during later days compressive strength of BA blended mortar cubes were the highest and quartz blended mortar cubes were the lowest. Besides, the pozzolanic activity of bagasse ash (PABA) was found to be 346.08mg of Ca(OH)2 per gram of bagasse ash. Results were compared with the strength development and pozzolanic activity determination test. The presence of pozzolanic reactivity of the bagasse ash was confirmed, and results were found to be coherent and in agreement with each other.

Experimental evaluation of the synergistic effect of calcium precursor dosage and bacterial strain interactions on the biogenic healing potential of self-healing cement mortar

This study investigates the microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) in repair mortar, focusing on the impact of calcium precursor dosage and bacterial strain selection. C6H10CaO6·xH2O and (CH3COO)2Ca·xH2O were used as calcium precursors at dosages of 0.1, 0.25, and 0.4 M with Bacillus subtilis VEB4, Priestia megaterium TSB16, and Halobacillus halophilus MCC2188 microbes. Quantitative assessment of precipitate and optimization of precursor dosages were conducted before making mortar cube specimens of size 70.6 × 70.6 × 70.6 mm with bacterial spores and nutrients immobilized in Modified Expanded Perlite. Cracked cube specimens underwent automated wet-dry cycles of 12 h daily for 60 days to induce healing. Comparative analysis of biomortar specimens showed P. megaterium as the most effective in compressive strength recovery (up to 89.33%) and crack healing with a maximum healed crack width of 0.64 mm, followed by B. subtilis with significant CSR improvements. H. halophilus, less efficient in non-saline conditions, healed cracks up to 0.48 mm. Calcium lactate was considered the better calcium source choice for B. subtilis and P. megaterium strains, whereas calcium acetate improved MICP by H. halophilus. Microstructural analysis of healed precipitates collected from cracked cubes identified distinct morphology of MICP and the presence of polymorphs viz, calcite, aragonite, and vaterite. Tailored selection and dosage of calcium precursors for each strain significantly enhanced MICP and improved the quality of healing products in cracks, advancing the understanding of self-healing construction biomaterials.

Experimental Evaluation of Compressive Properties of Early-Age Mortar and Concrete Hollow-Block Masonry Prisms within Construction Stages.

Early-age masonry structures require temporary support until they achieve full strength. Nevertheless, there is a limited understanding of the properties of freshly laid masonry and the design of newly constructed, unsupported masonry walls. This situation has led to numerous instances of structural damage and injuries to workers, prompting conservative construction bracing techniques. This paper presents comprehensive experimental studies on early-age mortar cubes and masonry prisms to assess the effects of curing time on the compressive properties of masonry assemblies, which is necessary for the design of temporary bracing. The change in modulus of elasticity and compressive strength of masonry prisms and mortar with curing time has been experimentally assessed. The results indicate that the compressive strength of freshly cast mortar cubes is relatively insignificant until approximately 24 h after construction, when it was observed to increase logarithmically. Regarding the performance perspective, the compressive strength of early-age masonry prisms is inconsiderable, less than 15% of full strength during the first day after construction. By contrast, regarding the life safety perspective, the compressive properties of a mortar joint within a masonry assembly (which is of more practical interest) appear to have no effect on the failure strength of concrete masonry prisms over the range of ages tested. The failure modes of the early-age mortar cubes and early-age masonry prism samples depend on the curing time, and different failure modes occurred before and after the start of the primary hydration phase, which is 20.8 h after construction. It is anticipated that the proposed research will provide valuable material properties leading to efficient design of control devices (e.g., temporary bracing) and improved guidelines for concrete-block masonry construction.

Compressive Strength Analysis of Renewable Mortar after Portland Cement Replacement with Waste Ash

There are many environmental problems caused by factory waste. Sugar factory waste, in the form of bagasse ash, and PLTU factory waste, in the form of fly ash, are currently in the spotlight of science studies. This study used waste bagasse and fly ash to substitute Portland cement as the main ingredients for mortar. Baggash and fly ash waste were collected, processed, and then used to replace cement by up to 40% to determine to what extent they could be used in brick masonry work, wall plastering, and masonry paste. Experimental tests were carried out on mortar cube samples measuring 5×5×5 cm, comparing four types of samples consisting of Portland cement, bagasse ash, and fly ash. The compressive strength results were obtained after 28 days. Normal Mortar (MN=11.75 MPa) had higher compressive strength than the substitute mortar types MA (3.23 MPa), MB (3.09 MPa), and MC (2.98) MPa. According to SNI 6882-2014, MA, MB, and MC mortars can be used as O-type mortar (2.4 MPa). Therefore, they can be applied to wall plastering or walls not bearing loads.

Compressive Strength Predictive Analysis using Spectroradiometer.

Abstract Rapid urbanization in emerging economies has prompted a focus on quality inspections of construction materials, particularly concrete. Standard tests assessing the mechanical strength of concrete involve breaking samples. Remote sensing presents an opportunity to map and monitor these materials, enabling the identification of properties like mechanical strength without causing damage. This non-destructive approach allows on-site inspection, swiftly and inexpensively, which is crucial during ongoing construction phases. Using a Field Spec® 3 spectroradiometer, spectroscopic analysis was performed to observe the spectral behavior of mechanical strengths in cement-based mortar materials based on spectral curves that were obtained from the reflected and absorbed electromagnetic radiation of the samples. This study is groundbreaking as there is no existing literature on utilizing this technique to differentiate compressive strengths of mortar cubes.

Investigation of Weathering Resistance and Damage Manifestations of Mortar Formulations for Heritage Structures in Saline Environment

ABSTRACT Salt, moisture, wind, relative humidity, and temperature fluctuations accelerate the deterioration of heritage masonry mortars. The salt entering the structure crystallizes on water evaporation, resulting in efflorescence and cryptoflorescence. As the conservation of built heritage primarily focuses on protecting the structure’s functionality, durability, and compatibility with the materials, salt weathering resistance must be emphasized when choosing a repair material for conservation. This study investigates the resistance of five different mortar compositions to salt exposure. Mortar cubes of size 50 mm were cast using five different binder compositions — dry hydrated lime, lime aged for one month, lime aged for one year, lime mortar with 20% Ordinary Portland Cement by weight and lime mortar with 50% Ordinary Portland Cement by weight. Alternate wetting and drying cycles were simulated by immersing the cubes in a 10% anhydrous sodium sulphate solution followed by drying. Physicomechanical characterization of the mortar was conducted before weathering. X-ray diffraction and Scanning Electron Microscopy provided the mineralogical and morphological alterations of the mortar specimens with weathering, respectively. Along with the microstructural assessment, observations on the mass change during the weathering cycles indicated that the partial replacement of lime with cement improved the weathering resistance of the mortar by changing the pore structure of the matrix. However, salt weathering resistance was unaffected by the changes in the ageing duration of lime. The study provides options for alternative lime-based systems with enhanced salt weathering resistance and investigates the role of the compositional differences and their impact on the pore structure and strength of the matrix, which in turn governs the salt weathering resistance.

Hydration, phase assemblage and microstructure of cementitious blends with low-grade limestone

Limestone of the purity mandated by the standards for use in cement manufacture (as raw material or as performance improver) is only a fraction of the mined material. Sometimes, limestone contains impurities like silica, clay, dolomite etc. beyond the levels specified for use as an additive or for cement production. This limestone, commonly known as low-grade limestone, also may have a potential to be used as a supplementary cementitious material. This paper reports a study conducted to understand the hydration behaviour of ordinary Portland cement in combination with low-grade limestone. Low-grade limestone samples with dolomite, silica and clay impurities were collected from various limestone mines in India and used in cementitious blends at various replacement levels after suitable processing. Reaction kinetics was studied using calorimetry and phase assemblage using techniques like X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetry. Mercury intrusion porosimetry was employed to study the microstructure of cementitious blends. Dilution effect of low-grade limestone was studied by measuring compressive strength of cement mortar cubes for various replacement levels. Shortening of induction period, increased peak heat rate and reduced time to peak were observed in the blends of ordinary Portland cement with low-grade limestone. Carboaluminate formation, ettringite stabilisation and higher bound water content were also seen. The studies showed that low-grade limestone also can be used as a partial replacement for ordinary Portland cement without compromising the strength up to 15% replacement. Higher replacement levels, although showing a reduction in strength due to dilution effect, could still be considered for non-structural applications.

Utilization of Silica Fume and Sodium Hydroxide in Treated Crumb Rubber for Cement Mortar

Cement mortar offers an excellent replacement for materials such as fine aggregate with tire rubber waste in the form of crumbs. It provides excellent environmental and technical benefits to concrete production using recycled materials. As such, it contributes to the sustainable development of the construction industry. This paper mainly emphasizes the strength of untreated and treated crumb rubber from waste tires in cement mortar. Crumb rubber that has been pre-treated with Silica fume (SF) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) to improve the strength of the mortar mix. This research used a cement-aggregate mix ratio of 1:4 and a water-cement ratio of 1:2. Five different percentages of fine aggregate replacement (0, 3, 6, 9, and 12%) was selected. The compressive strength, density, and water absorption of the mortar were measured at 28 days to find optimum strength. The compressive strength of the cement mortar mixed with treated crumb rubber showed significantly higher values, with an increase of 92% for 12% treated crumb rubber by sodium hydroxide (TN12) compared to untreated crumb rubber. The density value of the mortar cube mixed with treated crumb rubber decreased when the percentage of replacement for treated crumb rubber increased. In the application of roof tiles, lower density values provide an advantage for workability during installation. For water absorption, the treated crumb rubber contributes to a lower percentage of water absorption (acceptable until 6% for SF and 9% for NaOH) compared to the control sample as untreated crumb rubber. Therefore, a mixture of mortar with treated crumb rubber, especially NaOH solution, is better than the untreated crumb rubber specimen.

Experimental Investigation on Partial Replacement of Cement by Granite Powder on Mortar

This paper intends to investigate the possibility of producing low costs enhanced mortar by Granite powder. By taking the enormous amount of cement, it affects the environment badly and demand for cement was increasing day by day. So, by partially replacing Granite powder with cement in construction field. It can fulfill the objectives of catering to the needs of the construction sector while simultaneously promoting an eco-friendly and pristine atmosphere. Partial replacement of cement by using granite powder in mortar gives sufficient strength. The conventional mortar mix consists of cement, fine aggregate, and water. In this experimental study granite powder was used with different percentage, such as 20% 25%, 30% 35%. The mixture was prepared and mortar cubes were made and allowed for curing. It is concluded that, he immersion of cement mortar in magnesium sulphate is better when compared to sodium sulphate and the sulphate attack is lesser in magnesium sulphate. The residual compression strength for the cement mortar in the proportion of granite content 30% is higher.

Experimental Study on Compressive Strength of the Cement Mortar Cubes with Partial Replacement of Fine Aggregate Using Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Plastic

Mortar is a material that consists of cement and sand with a range of applications in the construction industry. However, the plain mortar materials are usually brittle and often crack and fail more suddenly than reinforced mortar. This experimental study is about the compressive strength of cement mortar stabilised with the use of the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic powder. Generally the compressive strength of cement mortar of mix proportion (1:3) is 33 N/mm² to 53 N/mm² has been obtained after 28 days curing. The cement mortar ratio is 1: 3 respectively. The PVC powder is added along with the sand with percentages of 0%, 2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, 10% respectively. And the water cement ratio is 0.5 with volume. The moulds of 70×70×70 mm size were used for the cube test, and the cubes were tested on the Compressive testing machine to determine the strength of cube for 3, 7, 28 days of time period respectively. The main aim of f this study to determine the compressive strength of cement mortar (1:3) of sand added with PVC powder, Key Words:- Waste Plastic, Polyvinyl Chloride, Compressive Strength, Mortar.

Morphological Characteristics and Mechanical Properties of Quarry Dust Waste as Sand Replacement in Mortar

The generation of industrial waste has been steadily increasing, necessitating sustainable waste management strategies. Quarry dust, a by-product of the aggregate production process obtained from crushing rocks in rubble crusher units, contributes to this waste stream. This study proposes using fine quarry dust waste, ranging from 50 to 100 μm, as an additive or replacement in mortar to mitigate environmental and health hazards caused by this kind of waste. However, studies on the usage of very fine quarry dust waste (about 50-100μm particle sizes) as a partial sand replacement in mortar production is very limited. Therefore, this paper presents an experimental investigation on the effects of incorporating quarry dust waste as a sand replacement, with variations of 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, and 30%, with a water-cement ratio of 0.5 to enhance mortar strength. The micro-structural analysis and compression tests were performed to evaluate the mortar samples. XRF analysis confirmed that silica oxide (SiO2) was the predominant element present in quarry dust waste. The compression tests were conducted on 50 mm x 50 mm x 50 mm mortar cubes. The tests were performed at 3, 7, 14, and 28-day intervals. The results revealed that, incorporating 25% quarry dust waste as a sand replacement produced the highest compressive strength of about 37 MPa on the 28th day curing duration. Hence, using this material asan environment-friendly sand replacement offers a promising solution for producing high-strength mortar. This finding highlights the potential of quarry dust waste as a supplemental cementitious material and emphasizes its viability in reducing the environmental impact associated with industrial waste.

Mechanical Behaviour Slenderness Ratio of 13 Solid Wall Panels Under Uniformly Distributed Load

Recently, there has been a lot of research in the concrete industry on a sustainable approach using concrete waste as a substitute for natural aggregates. The reason for this is that the quantities of construction and demolition waste generated today pose a significant threat to the environment but can be used as a useful concrete material in the construction industry. The aim of this study is therefore to investigate the mechanical behaviour of solid concrete wall panels containing recycled concrete aggregates as a partial substitute for natural fine aggregates. Mortar cubes and wall panels with dimensions of 50 mm x 50 mm x 50 mm and 1000 mm x 300 mm x 75 mm, respectively, were produced. The wall panels were made from a 1:4 concrete mix consisting of 50% recycled concrete and 5% perlite (to reduce the weight of the concrete, and improve its workability), and 1% superplastizer, while the control wall was made with 100% natural fines. The wall panels were subjected to a compression test under uniformly distributed load. The cube samples were tested at 28 days of age. Mortar cubes with RCA achieved the highest compressive strength of 16.27 MPa compared to the control sample. The control wall panel has a higher ultimate load of 147.51 kN compared to the sample that contains RCA and perlite, which has an ultimate load of 128.68 kN. By 2030, our country needs to achieve sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources. By recycling this solid waste through separating, cleaning and crushing the concrete waste into small particles so that it can be used as a building material to replace sand. This shows that recycled concrete aggregate can be a potential material for making wall panels.

Flexural behavior of warp knitted textile reinforced concrete impregnated with cementitious binder

Textile reinforced concrete is a novel and high performance material which is gaining popularity in the recent days due to its high potential to effectively improve the strength and durability of concrete structures. Owing to absence of coarse aggregate and presence of high cement paste content, TRC has properties that are different from conventional concrete. In this paper, performance of three different types of binders ie., Organic binder, Inorganic Geopolymer binder and epoxy binders for compressive and split tensile strengths was presented and were compared to assess their effectiveness in enhancing properties by testing 12 mortar cubes of size 70.6 mm and 6 mortar cylinders of size 75 × 150 mm. The efficaciousness of weft insertion warp-knitted textile fabrics of ARG and Basalt on the Compressive strength, flexural strength, ductility, toughness, and failure modes were evaluated experimentally by investigations carried out on 4 RCC beams. The effect of the thickness of Textile reinforcement is also studied by using textile layers of thicknesses of 5, 10, and 15 mm. The results indicated that application of basalt textiles fabric using cementitious binder exhibit higher strength and ductility. Basalt textile is more preferable due to its eco-friendly properties. The experimental findings are validated through analytical equations, ensuring the reliability of the study.

An experimental investigation on mitigating cracks and augmenting the endurance of concrete structures in marine environment by bio-mortar immobilised with halophilic bacteria

In coastal areas, built structures encounter hostile conditions and forces that can cause them to deteriorate over time owing to saltwater exposure, tidal forces, reinforcement corrosion, and freeze–thaw cycles. Early age cracks in such structures accelerate the rate of deterioration, and the current research focuses on alleviating such threats. This paper evaluates the performance of a self-healing mortar made by encapsulating expanded perlite with the bacterium Halobacillus Halophilus MCC2188. Mortar cube specimens of size 70.6 mm × 70.6 mm× 70.6 mm were prepared with cement: fine aggregate in 1:3 ratios. A 10% volume of the fine aggregate fraction was substituted with the expanded perlite immobilised with bacterial spores and nutrients. The expanded perlite aggregates were coated with sodium silicate and cement solution to protect the spores from the nonconducive environment. The specimens were subjected to fully and partially submerged marine water curing. The mechanical properties and self-healing potential were evaluated, and the precipitated polymorphs in completely healed cracks were identified and examined by characterisation techniques such as XRD, FEGSEM, FTIR, and TGA-DTG. The marine bacterium under investigation can tolerate the high salt concentrations commonly found in seawater and saline marshy soil and produce calcite through the metabolism of organic compounds, making it a suitable microorganism for self-healing applications. Crack widths of up to 0.84 mm and 92.79% average strength recovery were achieved in 56 days post-cracking, and the pace of healing was quicker in partially submerged curing conditions. The results showed improved self-healing, strength regain and mechanical strength and proved to be an efficient tool for enhancing the endurance of biomortar in severe marine exposure conditions.

Predicting compressive strength of quarry waste-based geopolymer mortar using machine learning algorithms incorporating mix design and ultrasonic pulse velocity

ABSTRACT The current study aimed to investigate the possibility of predicting the compressive strength of geopolymer mortar by mix design parameters, ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) and machine learning techniques. Here the geopolymer mortar is produced from eggshell ash and rice husk ash as precursors, NaOH solution as activator and quarry waste as fine aggregate. Twenty-seven combinations of geopolymer mix and a total of 189 mortar cubes were cast and tested for UPV and compressive strength. Seven different machine learning techniques were used to predict the compressive strength assessment tools: linear regression, artificial neural networks, boosted tree regression, random forest regression, K-Nearest Neighbor, support vector regression and XGboost. Among the diverse machine learning models evaluated in this study, XGboost exhibited remarkable efficacy in forecasting the compressive strength of geopolymer mortar. The investigation conducted using SHAP indicates that the concentration of UPV shows the most substantial influence on the prediction of compressive strength.

Detailed investigation of compressive and bond strength for sustainable brick masonry developed by using various types of bricks and green mortars

This experimental study attempts to clarify the compressive and bond strengths of sustainable brick masonry developed by combining three distinct types of bricks and three different types of green mortars, in comparison with the brick masonry comprising of control cement mortar. The masonry prisms were prepared by using handmade clay bricks (HB), fly ash bricks (FB), and machine-made clay bricks (MB) in addition to the control cement mortar (CM), fly ash mortar (FAM), bagasse ash mortar (BAM) and calcined clay cement mortar (C3M). The compressive strength of brick units and masonry mortar cube specimens was investigated. The compressive strength and flexural bond strengths were determined by conducting the tests on prisms composed of five stacked bricks and seven stacked bricks, respectively. While the masonry triplets were utilized to evaluate the shear bond strength of brick masonry. The experiments involving prisms and triplets were conducted at 14, 28, and 90 days to investigate the effect of curing age. The influence of mortar and brick compressive strength on the compressive strength of masonry prisms is also studied. The compressive strength of HB exhibited the highest value compared to both FB and MB. The C3M demonstrated superior compressive strength in comparison to alternative mortar types. As a result, the compressive, shear, and flexural bond strengths of HB-C3M prisms exhibited the highest values across all stages of curing in comparison to other types of masonry prisms. Since, it takes time for the compressive strength of BAM to develop, therefore, the masonry prisms made of BAM demonstrated better performance at longer age.

Evaluation of Compressive and Bending Strength of a Geopolymer Based on Lateritic Clays as an Alternative Hydraulic Binder.

In Bolivia, lateritic soils are common in humid tropical regions and can be used in the construction industry as an alternative to materials that cause a negative environmental impact, such as cement. The production of Portland cement causes environmental issues like significant greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. To address this problem, geopolymers have been introduced as an alternative binder with low CO2 emissions. In this regard, geopolymers based on lateritic clays have been studied mineralogically, chemically, and on their compressive strength separately. However, there are still no studies on lateritic clays present in Bolivia and their mechanical, mineralogical, and chemical properties combined in a geopolymer. Therefore, this present research proposes the evaluation of a geopolymer made from laterite clays. Compression and flexural tests were carried out, along with mineralogical and chemical analyses on mortar and geopolymer cubes and prisms. The results indicate that the laterite clay-based geopolymer has lower compressive strength compared to Portland cement IP (cement type I with the addition of pozzolana) mortar. However, the flexural strength tests show a slight increase in the case of the geopolymer.

Experimental Investigation on Silica Fume and Metakaolin in Self-Curing Concrete

Concrete is an example of a composite material that has become an essential component in the building and construction sector. Using pozzolanic materials like fly ash, silica fume, blast furnace slag, and metakaolin is being tested as one method of increasing the durability of concrete. The effect of cement that has serious negative impacts on the environment can be eliminated by using this additional cementitious material. In this investigation, an effort has been taken to examine the strength characteristics of concrete mixtures of M20 grade with cement partially replaced by metakaolin and silica fume and with all of the fine aggregate replaced by M-sand. To replace traditional curing, polyethylene glycol 6000 is used as a self-curing agent. Metakaolin is substituted at a rate of 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% by weight of cement, while silica fume is substituted at a rate of 5%, 10%, and 15%, respectively. Self-curing concrete is created by adding 1.5% polyethylene glycol 6000 to regular concrete. The mortar cubes (1:3 ratio) are used in this project because it focuses on replacing the cement and fine aggregate. To study the mechanical properties of the concrete, cubes, cylinders, and prisms will be cast from the ideal percentage and tested.

Assessment of Pozzolanic Reactivity for Calcined Spent Bleaching Earth Ash (SBEA) using Strength Activity Index (SAI), Frattini Test and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD)

This research briefly investigates and compares three different and distinct methods of assessing the pozzolanic reactivity of a cementitious replacement material, Spent Bleaching Earth Ash (SBEA). SBEA is waste by-product of the edible oils refining industry and has some pozzolanic properties that could possibly be enhanced through calcination. Many methods have been developed to assess the reactivity of pozzolans and three of the most common ones were employed in this research; namely the Strength Activity Index (SAI), Frattini Test and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) methods. These three methods were chosen as they measured reactivity based on fundamentally different methods; the SAI method relies on the mechanical strength of mortar cubes, XRD based it on the morphology of the material whilst the Frattini test looks into consumption of artificially-introduced calcium hydroxide by the pozzolan. This investigation allows correlation to be drawn between the three methods and at the same time, the effectiveness of calcination on SBEA can also be evaluated. The calcined SBEA was obtained through a 700°C heating process in the furnace at the for 4 hours. Both the SAI and Frattini tests were in good agreement and showed that the calcined SBEA consistently under-performed compared to uncalcined SBEA at both testing ages. This was, however, disputed by the XRD result which showed that SBEA benefitted from the calcination process as it lost over 7 % in crystallinity, hence making it more reactive. This outcome tells us that the selection of testing methods for pozzolanic reactivity must be done carefully and ideally several methods be used concurrently in order to correlate the results.

Characterization and effect of mechanical and thermal activation in mining tailings for use as supplementary cementitious material

The objective of this work is to evaluate the potential use of gold and silver tailings (GST) as Supplementary Cementitious Material (SCM). Physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics of GST were evaluated. Based on the initial characterization of GST, mechanical and thermal activation were proposed to improve GST reactivity. The effect of both activation processes in crystallite size and Full Width at Half Maximum (FWHM) were determined by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). Mechanical activation at 140 min of milling and thermal activation at 1000 °C allowed the most significant reduction of crystallite size and particle size. The unconfined compressive strength (UCS) and the Strength Activity Index (SAI) were tested in mortar cubes partially substituted with activated tailings. Results showed that 10, 15, and 20 wt% substitution with activated tailings exceed the 75% SAI according to ASTM standards. Micrographs showed the presence of a calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) gel rich matrix in experimental mortars.