Fracture behavior of high volume fly Ash-self consolidating concrete

Abstract

Concrete sustainability can be improved by substituting recycled material for conventional material products. Incorporating fly Ash in a concrete mix design supports cement and concrete producers in reducing the greenhouse gas emission associated with manufacturing cement and concrete. This study was conducted to develop a new cementitious material using high volume fly Ash content. A replacement of more than 50% was utilized to achieve sustainable design and significantly reduce a myriad of environmental impacts. Fracture energy of high volume fly ash–self consolidating concrete (HVFA-SCC) was examined. For this purpose, four mixes with 0%, 50%, 60%, and 70% fly Ash as cement replacements were studied. Hydrated lime was incorporated in the mixture to enhance the hydration process of the fly ash. In all, 16 fracture notched beams were investigated under three –point bending test. The rheological and mechanical properties of the HVFA-SCC were measured and evaluated. Furthermore, a comparison of the fracture energy provisions of different design codes and data reported in the literature was made.