The Effect of Marble Powder and Fly Ash on Mechanical Properties of Cement Mortars

Abstract

Marble powder and fly ash have a significant influence on building technology. Fly ash and marble powder allow the production of cement-based composites with different properties. The use of marble powder and fly ash in mortars was researched and the findings of the study to understand the effect of these materials on mortar were presented. The fine aggregate was substituted with marble powder, fly ash, and both marble powder and fly ash in a total of 15 mortar mix produced with CEM I 42.5 R cement. 7 and 28 days bending and compression tests were applied to the samples produced with a constant (0.58) water/cement ratio. The microstructure of the samples was investigated by XRD technique. In the substitution of standard sand with marble powder, it was discovered that a 5% substitution increased flexural and compressive strength. Similarly, 20% fly ash substitution in mortars resulted in maximum mechanical properties, with a compressive strength of 49.5 MPa. It was also determined that using 15% marble powder and 15% fly ash increased the mechanical properties of mortars. It has been concluded that fly ash is a very effective additive in mortar thanks to its pozzolanic properties, and the use of fly ash and marble dust in cement-based composites is an important application to protect the environment.