Aggressive Environment Performance of Low Energy Cements Containing Fly Ash

Abstract

In this study, compressive strength performance of boron active belite cement containing fly ash at the ratios of 0, 10, 20, and 30% (by weight of cement) is researched against aggressive environments; sea water, 5% sodium sulphate solution, and 5% ammonium nitrate solution in addition to tapping water. Alternative low energy cement i.e., Portland-composite cement was used and its results were compared with those of boron active belite cement. Early strength losses (reaching up to 40%) of the boron active belite cement with incorporation of fly ash up to 30% were found to be less pronounced than those (reaching up to 51%) of Portland-composite cement in tapping water. Although, the losses were highly compensated with the prolonged curing period (90 days), boron active belite cement and Portland-composite cement kept their losses up to 14% and 36%, respectively. Residual mechanical properties (reaching up to 67%) of boron active belite cement against aggressive environments were found almost similar to those of Portland-composite cement in presence of 30% fly ash. In conclusion, the study shows that belite cements with low fly ash contents can be a reasonable alternative for specific applications such as mass concrete, hot weather concreting especially in aggressive environments.

Keywords

• Active belite cement
• Composite cement
• Fly ash
• Compressive strength
• Aggressive environments

References

1. [1] Hendriks, C. A., Worrell, E., Price, L., Martin, N., Ozowa Meida, L., De Jager, D., Riemer, P., “Emission reduction of greenhouse gases from the cement industry”, 4th International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies, Interlaken, Switzerland, 939-944, (1998).
2. [2] Worrell, E., Price, L., Martin, N., Hendriks, C., Ozowa Meida, L., “Carbon dioxide emissions from the global cement industry”, Annual Review of Energy and the Environment 26: 303-329, (2001).
3. [3] Gartner, E., “Industrially interesting approaches to “low-CO2” cements”, Cement and Concrete Research 34: 1489-1498, (2004).
4. [4] Damtoft, J. S., Lukasik, J., Herfort, D., Sorrentino, D., Gartner, E. M., “Sustainable development and climate change initiatives”, Cement and Concrete Research, 38: 115-127, (2008).
5. [5] Taylor, H. F. W. “Cement Chemistry”. London: Academic Press, (1990).
6. [6] Popescu, C. D., Muntean, M., Sharp, J. H., “Industrial trial production of low energy belite cement”, Cement and Concrete Composites, 25: 689-693, (2003).
7. [7] Chatterjee, A. K., “High belite cements-present status and future technological options: Part I”, Cement and Concrete Research, 26: 1213-1225 (1996).
8. [8] Guerrero, A., Goñi, S., Campillo, I., Moragues, A., “Belite cement clinker from coal fly ash of high Ca content: Optimization of synthesis parameters”, Environmental Science & Technology, 38: 3209-3213, (2004).

9. [9] De La Torre, A. G., Aranda, M. A. G., De Aza, A. H., Pena, P., De Aza, S., “Belite portland clinkers: Synthesis and mineralogical analysis”, Boletin De La Sociedad Española de Cerámica y Vidrio, 44: 185-191, (2005).
10. [10] Kacimi, L., Simon-Masseron, A., Salem, S., Ghomari, A., Derriche, Z., “Synthesis of belite cement clinker of high hydraulic reactivity”, Cement and Concrete Research, 39: 559–565, (2009).
11. [11] Li, Z. “Advanced Concrete Technology”. USA: John Wiley & Sons Inc., (2011).
12. [12] Sağlık, A., Sümer, O., Tunç, E., Kocabeyler, M. F., Çelik, R. S., “Boron modified active belite (BAB) cement and its applicability for DSI projects”, DSI Technical Bulletin, 105: 1-22, (2009).
13. [13] Stark, J., Müller, A., Schrader, R., Rümpler, K., “Existence conditions of hydraulically active belite cement”, Zement-Kalk-Gips, 34: 476-481, (1981).
14. [14] Lawrence, C. D., “The production of low-energy cement”, pp. 421-470, Hewlett, P. C. (Ed.). “Lea's Chemistry of Cement and Concrete”. 4th ed., Elsevier Science and Technology Books, (2004).
15. [15] Yeşilmen, S., Gürbüz, A., “Evaluation of boron ore in cement production”, Materials and Manufacturing Processes, 27: 1245-1250, (2012).
16. [16] Kunt, K., Dur, F., Ertınmaz, B., Yıldırım, M., Derun, E., Pişkin, S., “Utilization of boron waste as an additive for cement production”, Celal Bayar University Journal of Science, 11: 383-389, (2015).
17. [17] Aydın, A. C., Haşiloğlu Aras, Ü. G., Kotan, T., Öz, A., “Effect of boron active belite cement on the compressive strength of concrete exposed to high temperatures”, Journal of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, 3: 47-52, (2018).
18. [18] Gökçe, H. S., “High temperature resistance of boron active belite cement mortars containing fly ash”, Journal of Cleaner Production, 211: 992-1000, (2019).
19. [19] Bilodeau, A., Malhotra, V. M., “High-volume fly ash system: Concrete solution for sustainable development”, ACI Materials Journal, 97: 41-48 (2000).
20. [20] Şahmaran, M., Li, V. C., “Durability properties of micro-cracked ECC containing high volumes fly ash”, Cement and Concrete Research, 39: 1033-1043 (2009).
21. [21] Qiang, W., Peiyu, Y., Jinging, F., “Design of high-volume fly ash concrete for massive foundation slab”, Magazine of Concrete Research, 65: 71-81, (2013).
22. [22] Park, K.-B., Noguchi, T., “Effects of mixing and curing temperature on the strength development and pore structure of fly ash blended mass concrete”, Advances in Materials Science and Engineering, 2017: 3452493, (2017).
23. [23] Hemalatha, T., Ramaswamy, A., “A review on fly ash characteristics–Towards promoting high volume utilization in developing sustainable concrete”, Journal of Cleaner Production, 147: 546-559, (2017).
24. [24] Lam, L., Wong, Y. L., Poon, C. S., “Degree of hydration and gel/space ratio of high-volume fly ash/cement systems”, Cement and Concrete Research, 30: 747-756, (2000).
25. [25] Zhang, Y. M., Sun, W., Yan, H. D., “Hydration of high-volume fly ash cement pastes”, Cement and Concrete Composites, 22: 445-452, (2000).
26. [26] Yazıcı, H., Aydın, S., Yiğiter, H., Baradan, B., “Effect of steam curing on class C high-volume fly ash concrete mixtures”, Cement and Concrete Research, 35: 1122-1127, (2005).
27. [27] Hemalatha, T., Sasmal, S., “Early-age strength development in fly ash blended cement composites: Investigation through chemical activation”, Magazine of Concrete Research, 71: 260-270, (2019).
28. [28] Li, G., “Properties of high-volume fly ash concrete incorporating nano-SiO2”, Cement and Concrete Research, 34: 1043-1049, (2004).
29. [29] EN 197-1, “Cement - Part 1: Composition, specifications and conformity criteria for common cements, European Committee for Standardization”, CEN, Brussels, (2011).
30. [30] EN 196-1, “Methods of testing cement - Part 1: Determination of strength, European Committee for Standardization”, CEN, Brussels, (2016).
31. [31] Yiğiter, H., Yazıcı, H., Aydın, S., “Effects of cement type, water/cement ratio and cement content on sea water resistance of concrete”, Building and Environment, 42: 1770-1776, (2007).
32. [32] Bai, J., Wild, S., Sabir, B. B., “Chloride ingress and strength loss in concrete with different PC–PFA–MK binder compositions exposed to synthetic seawater”, Cement and Concrete Research, 33: 353-362, (2003).
33. [33] Al-Amoudi, O. S. B., “Attack on plain and blended cements exposed to aggressive sulfate environments”, Cement and Concrete Research, 24: 305-316, (2002).
34. [34] Sahmaran, M., Kasap, O., Duru, K., Yaman, I.O., “Effects of mix composition and water–cement ratio on the sulfate resistance of blended cements”, Cement and Concrete Composites, 29: 159-167, (2007).
35. [35] Al-Amoudi, O. S. B., Maslehuddin, M., Saadi, M. M., “Effect of magnesium sulfate and sodium sulfate on the durability performance of plain and blended cements”, ACI Materials Journal, 92: 15-24, (1995).
36. [36] Berry, E. E., Hemmings, R. T., Cornelius, B. J., “Mechanism of hydration reactions in high volume fly ash pastes and mortars”, Cement and Concrete Composites, 12: 253-261, (1990).
37. [37] Shehata, M. H., Thomas, M. D. A., Bleszynski, R. F., “The effects of fly ash composition on the chemistry of pore solution in hydrated cement pastes”, Cement and Concrete Research, 29: 1915-1920, (1999).
38. [38] Schneider, U., Chen, S.-W., “Behavior of high-performance concrete under ammonium nitrate solution and sustained load”, ACI Materials Journal, 96: 47-51, (1999).
39. [39] Torrenti, J. M., Nguyen, V. H., Colina, H., Le Maou, F., Benboudjema, F., Deleruyelle, F., “Coupling between leaching and creep of concrete”, Cement and Concrete Research, 38: 816-821, (2008).