Compressive Strength and Surface Morphology of Hydrated Cement Paste Containing Micro- and Nano- Cement Additives

Author(s): Al-Bahar S., Chakkamalayath C. and Joseph A.
Paper category: Proceedings
Book title: Proceedings of International Conferences (ICACMS) Advances in Construction Materials and systems Vol 2
Editor(s): Manu Santhanam, Ravindra Gettu, Radhakrishna G. Pillai, Sunitha K. Nayar
ISBN: 978-2-35158-194-0
e-ISBN: 978-2-35158-191-9
Publisher: RILEM Publications SARL
Publication year: 2017
Pages: 214-219
Total Pages: 6
Language : English

Abstract: The scarcity of raw materials and increased awareness towards environmental protection has resulted in the use of alternative supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) in concrete construction. The deterioration of concrete structures in the marine environment is a growing problem in the construction industry in Gulf countries. Therefore, the challenge before the engineering community is to achieve a durable high-performance concrete having adequate strength, which is cost-effective, environment-friendly, and therefore sustainable. With the abundance of volcanic ash (VA) reserves in the Arabian Gulf region, it became a suitable natural pozzolanic material for the production of green cement and more economical concrete. This paper presents the experimental results, describing the effects of the partial replacement of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) with regionally available VA, microsilica (MS), or nanosilica (NS), in binary and ternary blends, on the surface morphology and mechanical properties of the cement matrices. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis showed denser C-S-H gel structure when the OPC was replaced with a combination of VA and MS, and this structure became much denser when the MS was replaced with NS. The compressive strength results support the microstructural analysis in which NS performs better than MS when combined with VA due to better particle size gradation.

Online publication : 2017
Publication type : full_text
Public price (Euros) : 0.00