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Improvement of the early-age reactivity of fly ash and blast furnace slag cementitious systems using limestone filler

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Abstract

This article analyzes the effects of the addition of limestone filler on the hydration rate, setting times and early-age mechanical properties of binary and ternary-binder mortars containing Portland cement, blast furnace slag (BFS) and fly ash (FA), with various substitution rates of cement with mineral additions going up to 50%. Vicat needle penetration tests and measurements of heat flow of reaction, compressive strength and dynamic Young’s modulus were carried out on 14 mortars prepared with binary and ternary binders, at 20°C. The results obtained on the mortars containing binary binders, show that their loss of mechanical strength at early age is not caused by a deceleration of the reactions of cement in the presence of mineral additions, but is mainly explained by the dilution effect related to the reduction in cement content. A moderate addition of limestone filler (8–17%) makes it possible to obtain ternary binders with early-age reactivity equal or even higher than that of Portland cement, and with 28-days mechanical resistance close to those of the binary-binder mortars. This accelerating effect of limestone filler is particularly sensitive in the case of mortars containing FA.

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Acknowledgments

This study was achieved in the framework of the research project ANR/RGCU ECO2BETON. The authors would like to extend their appreciation and gratitude for the financial support provided by the National Research Agency. The authors are also grateful to Naim Joubran, for his assistance in conducting the isothermal microcalorimetry tests.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. GeM, UMR CNRS 6183—Research Institute on Civil Engineering and Mechanics, University of Nantes—IUT Saint-Nazaire, 58 rue Michel Ange, BP 420, 44606, Saint-Nazaire Cedex, France

    Pierre Mounanga

  2. GeM, UMR CNRS 6183—Research Institute on Civil Engineering and Mechanics, Centrale Nantes, 1 rue de la Noë, BP 92101, 44321, Nantes Cedex 3, France

    Muhammad Irfan Ahmad Khokhar, Rana El Hachem & Ahmed Loukili

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  1. Pierre Mounanga
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  2. Muhammad Irfan Ahmad Khokhar
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  4. Ahmed Loukili
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Correspondence to Pierre Mounanga.

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Mounanga, P., Khokhar, M.I.A., El Hachem, R. et al. Improvement of the early-age reactivity of fly ash and blast furnace slag cementitious systems using limestone filler. Mater Struct 44, 437–453 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-010-9637-1

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