| Self-consolidating concrete (SCC), a latest version of high performance concrete, has created tremendous interest today as it can be easily placed in congested reinforced concrete structures with difficult casting conditions. Normally SCC is being developed using a superplasticizer to generate desired flow and a viscosity modifying admixture (VMA) to prevent segregation in the concrete. The aim of the present research project was to develop SCC for sustainable construction by optimizing the use of high volumes of fly ash with some proposed statistical models. Statistically balanced twenty-one concrete mixes were chosen and fresh concrete tests such as slump and slump flow, V-funnel flow, filling capacity, L-box, bleeding, air content, segregation, and initial and final setting time tests were performed. Seven harden concrete tests (for mechanical characteristics and durability) such as compressive strength (1, 7, 28-day), freezing and thawing cycles resistance, surface scaling resistance, rapid chloride permeability, modulus of elasticity, flexural strength, and drying shrinkage were performed to evaluate the performance of SCC.; The limits of rheological parameters of pastes and mortars can be useful to predict the flow behavior of SCC and the proposed models can be useful to design and optimize SCC mixes incorporating high volumes of fly ash. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)... |
