Investigations on compatibility of cement-superplasticizer interaction and its influence on mortar workability incorporating copper slag as fine aggregate

Abstract

Interaction between cement and water is a complex phenomenon to understand. Sometimes achieving the desired results is quite challenging due to the contrast spotted in the characteristics of cement, type and dosage of superplasticizers (S.P) as the behaviour is insignificant. Influence of different types of cement fineness on pastes with different superplasticizers which represents the compatibility between cement with water reducing admixture in order to obtain well-defined saturation dosage and with the partial replacement of fine aggregates (F.A) by copper slag (C.S) to study the mortar behaviour is focused in this work. A methodology based on fundamental properties of cementitious systems using marsh cone and mini-slump cone tests results to identify the suitable and compatible combinations between cement and superplasticizers for the enhancement of flow behaviour of mortar mixes.