Strength and Durability Studies On Alccofine Concrete With Micro Steel Fibres
Strength and Durability Studies On Alccofine Concrete With Micro Steel Fibres
The study of High Strength Concrete (HSC) has become interesting as concrete structures grow taller and larger. The
usage of HSC in structures has been increased worldwide and has begun to make an impact in India. Ordinary cementitious
materials are weak under tensile loads and fiber reinforced cementitious composites (FRCCs) have been developed to improve
this weak point. Specimens such as cubes, cylinders were cast for High Strength concrete containing Alccofine as mineral
admixture and reinforced with micro steel fibers to study the mechanical and durability properties at 28 days and 56 days of curing.
The concrete were designed to have compressive strength of 60 MPa. Mixtures containing 0% and 10% replacement of cement by
Alccofine and with 1%, 2% and 3% of micro steel fibers by weight of concrete were prepared. Durability properties such as
Sorptivity, water absorption, resistance against Sulphuric acid, Sodium sulphate and Magnesium sulphate were studied for
control, Alccofine and Alccofine with steel fibers for different days of curing. Mixtures incorporating Alccofine with fibers
developed marginal increase in strength and durability properties at all ages when compared to control concrete.
Keywords: HSC, Alccofine, Micro steel fibers, Fiber content, Compressive strength, Split tensile strength, Durability, Sorptivity, Acid and
Sulphate resistance, Water absorption
Autor corespondent/Corresponding author,
E-mail: sumathi@civil.sastra.edu
A.Sumathi, K. Gowdham, K. Saravana Raja Mohan / Strength and durability studies on alccofine concrete with micro steel fibres 59
on High strength concrete to understand the effect manufacturers manual the main element presented
of steel fiber on strength and durability in the Alccofine are CaO and Silica (SiO2) and Al2O3
properties.[10] conducted research on experimental constitute 31-33%, 33-35% and 23-25%
and statistical method to evaluate the effect of fly respectively.
ash and fiber in various concrete properties.[11]
made their research on concrete with locally 2.1.3.Aggregate
available jute fiber in improving flexibility and River sand passing through 4.75 mm and
ductility properties of concrete, found that addition retained on 2.36 mm sieve was used as fine
of fly ash and fibers to concrete provide resistance aggregate. The specific gravity and fineness
to crack propagation and crack widening before modulus of the fine aggregate was 2.65 and 3
being pulled out or stressed to rupture.[12] found the respectively. Aggregate passing through 20 mm
performance of concrete such as compressive sieve and retained on 12.5 mm sieve was used as
strength, permeability and sorption under four coarse aggregate. The specific gravity and fineness
curing conditions. Sorptivity coefficient was found modulus of the coarse aggregate was 2.7 and 6.5
using ASTM 1585 for two cement levels respectively.
350kg/m3and 450kg/m3. Results indicate sorptivity
was decreased by 42.7% when cement was 2.1.4.Micro steel fiber
increased from 350kg/m3 to 450kg/m3. When Straight micro steel fibers was obtained from
replacement material silica fume was added to 10% Go Green Technologies, Chennai with aspect ratio
sorptivity decreased from 64.5% to 68.3%.[13] (l/d) of 43.33 was used in the present study is
made research on silica fume based steel fiber shown in Figure 1. Yield strength and elastic
concrete with chemical admixture, found the modulus were 2100 MPa and 2.1 x 105 MPa
optimum percentage of chemical admixture, fiber respectively.
content and silica fume.[14] performed research on
sorptivity with natural and RCA concretes with three
methods of compaction based on sorptivity values
and distribution along the height of the
specimen.[15] done research on silica fume and
nano-silica with forta-ferro and steel fibers to
understand the mechanical properties, found that
8% silica fume and 2% nano-silica in the concrete
reinforced with 1% content of steel fibers improves
the performance of concrete.[16] made research on
concrete with recycled fibers and aggregates on
Fig. 1- Micro steel fiber.
mechanical properties and inferred that, pavement
thickness was reduced of about 8% and 16% for 2.2 Specimen Details
concrete with 0.5 and 1% respectively. Based on the The mix design was done as per ACI
literature review extensive research has been method and the guidelines given in ACI 211.1-91
carried out on the use of steel fiber in concrete but [21] method for concrete with a characteristic
much work has not been published in concrete with compressive strength is 60 MPa. The mix
Alccofine and micro steel fibers. Hence in the proportion obtained is 1:0.56:1.89 (cement: fine
present research work focussed on strength and aggregate: coarse aggregate) with a w/b ratio of
durability properties of concrete with 10% Alccofine 0.33. High range water reducer was used as
and micro steel fibers. workability agent and due to which w/b ratio
reduced from 0.33 to 0.3. Slump test was used as
2. Experimental programme measure of workability of concrete and was done as
per the guidelines given in ASTM C143 [22]. All
2.1 Material Properties mixes fall under the medium workability range of 75
2.1.1.Cement mm to 10 mm are shown in Table 2. The exact
The cement used was ordinary Portland quantity of the materials is presented in Table 1 and
cement of grade 43, having a specific gravity of 3.16 2. Specimens were cast as per IS and ASTM
[18]. standards to study the strength and durability
characteristics at 7 and 28 days of curing. Cubes
2.1.2.Alccofine were tested to evaluate compressive strength of
ALCCOFINE 1203 is a specially processed concrete as per IS 516 [22], cylinders were tested
product based on slag of high glass content with as per ASTMC496 [22] to determine split tensile
high reactivity obtained through the process of strength and prismatic specimens of size 100 mm x
controlled granulation, and it was procured from the 100 mm x 500 mm as per IS 516 [22] after 28 days
local supplier. The specific gravity was noted as 2.9 of curing, with the aid of 1000 kN capacity Universal
and bulk density 600-700 kg/m3. As per Testing Machine (UTM) by subjecting the concrete
specimens under four-point loading
60 A.Sumathi, K. Gowdham, K. Saravana Raja Mohan / Strength and durability studies on alccofine concrete with micro steel fibres
Table 1
3.3 Effect of alccofine and micro steel fiber on their continuity. As a result, permeability is not
flexural strength necessarily directly related to absorption. It has
The flexural strength test of the mixes was been related to water cement (w/c) ratio of concrete.
conducted on the prism specimens after 28 days of Water cement ratio is the measure of the amount of
curing, and their results are presented in Figure 4. water divided by the cement in a mix. Thus the
Three specimens were cast for control, 10% concrete with low permeability has less water
alccofine and Alccofine with steel fibers content absorption thus the concrete mix withAC10F2 has
(0%, 1%, 2% and 3%) in weight fractions. The low water absorption showing it has low
results of control and 10% alccofine concrete were permeability and control concrete has high
found to be 5.92 MPa and 6.59 MPa respectively. permeability is shown in Figure 5.
Mix with steel fibers were found to be in the range of
6.59 MPa to 9.37 MPa . There was a maximum
increase in flexural strength for 3% steel fiber
content. The percentage improvement in flexural
strength compared to control concrete was 11.3%,
32%, 47.8% and 58.27% at 28 days.
10 28 days
Flexural strength MPa
Q/A(mm)
solution showed a large variation in their weight. It 10
varied from (7.2 to 8.7%). Then the weight variation
for the solution was a little lower than the acid 5
solution. The sodium sulphate solution showed a
weight variation of (3.7 to 5.9%) and the magnesium 0
sulphate solution showed a weight variation of (1.7 0 √15 √30 √45 √60 √90 √120
to 4.5%). In all of the solution the mix with 10% √T (min)
alccofine and 2% fibre showed lower weight
reduction.
Fig. 8 - Sorption Coefficient.
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