Durability and microstructural analysis of self-compacting concrete with ternary blends exposed to sulphate environment
Amrendra Singh1, Rakesh Kumar1, P. K. Mehta 1 and Pawan Kumar1
Corresponding Author : Amrendra Singh
Recieved : 26-Feb-2024; Revised : 22-Jan-2025; Accepted : 25-Jan-2025
Abstract
For sustainable infrastructural development, the massive generation of waste materials such as fly ash (FA), rice husk ash (RHA), and stone dust (SD) has made their utilization in the production of self-compacting concrete (SCC) a matter of prime research importance. Due to their pozzolanic qualities, FA and RHA may be utilized as partial replacements for cement in several construction activities. On the other hand, SD a waste product from a stone crusher plant, increases density and possesses strong compressive strength when used in concrete production due to its properties. Replacing natural sand (N-sand) with SD may help achieve sustainability objectives. This study examined the durability characteristics of SCC, which are made by optimizing SD for N-sand and (FA+RHA) for ordinary Portland cement (OPC). Several tests were carried out to evaluate the fresh and hardened properties of the specimen prepared. After optimizing the proportions of FA, FA+RHA, and FA+RHA+SD, three types of SCC mixes were prepared: SCC-I (80% OPC + 20% FA + 100% N-sand), SCC-II (75% OPC + 20% FA + 5% RHA + 100% N-sand), and SCC-III (75% OPC + 20% FA + 5% RHA + 65% N-sand + 35% SD). These mixes were exposed to an ammonium sulphate [(NH4)2SO4] solution with a concentration of 4.0 grams/liter for up to 360 days for durability analysis. All specimens were subsequently subjected to microstructural analysis. The obtained results were compared and analyzed. It was observed that after 56 days of exposure, the sorptivity of SCC-III decreased by 7.43% and 34.50% compared to SCC-II and SCC-I, respectively. After 360 days, the reduction in sorptivity was 9.25% and 40.24%, respectively, when compared to SCC-II and SCC-I. The results of this study pave the way for using SCC in construction activities to achieve society's sustainability goals.
Keywords
Self-compacting concrete, Fly ash, Rice husk ash, Stone dust, Sustainability, Durability analysis.
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