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Foamed concrete is a controlled low-density concrete, and due to its excellent thermal insulating and acoustic absorption properties, its application has been on a steady rise. Palm Oil Fuel Ash (POFA), an agricultural waste generated by the Palm Oil industry and Eggshells, causes many environmental problems. The pozzolanic nature of POFA and the high calcium oxide content in Eggshell Powder (ESP) are the components that contribute to their suitability as a partial cement replacement in concrete. This experimental work studied the flexural behavior, as well as the compressive strength of lightweight ternary binder foamed concrete incorporating 20% - 25% POFA and 5% - 10% ESP by weight of the total binder, as partial cement replacement. The test results were analyzed and compared with conventional foamed concrete without POFA and ESP. It was observed that POFA is a class C pozzolanic material. The combined utilization of POFA and ESP increased the compressive and flexural compared with control concrete. Furthermore, most of the cracks of the prisms were nearer to the middle of the samples and between two locations of loads applied due to the same load value applied at both locations. It was also observed the air voids were blocked due to increased pozzolanic activity and development of C-S-H gels and thus increase in strength. The utilization of POFA and ESP in concrete can be beneficial in reducing the overall cost. The cost to produce 1 m3 of concrete incorporating POFA and ESP was reduced ranging from was reduced by 12.59% (with 20% POFA and 5% ESP) to 17.53% (with 25% POFA and 10% ESP). It can be concluded that the M4 concrete mix is the optimum and cost-effective, as the maximum cement content is replaced (35%), as well as the compressive and flexural strengths are significantly higher than the control concrete M0. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, recycling of waste materials in construction is being considered very important because waste generation is posing serious threats to our living environment. Hence, to induce sustainability in the ongoing urban development, researchers around the globe are using numerous wastes in concrete as partial substitutes of binders (cement, lime, etc.) and fillers (fine and coarse aggregates) with the aim of reducing the depletion of natural resources and cutting the carbon dioxide emissions emerging from increased demand and production of cement. This review paper has summarized the findings of literature relating to recycling of marble wastes and ceramic tiles wastes in production of concrete. The physical, fresh-state, and strength properties of concrete were reviewed from available extensive literature, and it was found that the concrete prepared from marble waste and ceramic waste as partial substitution of cement and aggregates is expected to perform at least comparable to conventional cement concrete and better if applicable. Both marble wastes and ceramic tiles wastes can be incorporated and recycled in concrete as cementitious materials and aggregate replacing materials. With such approach, the concrete can be made strong and durable, and the issues relating to depletion of natural resources and environmental degradation can also be solved without compromising sustainability in infrastructure development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discussed the effects of modified metakaolin (MK) with nano-silica (NS) on the mechanical properties and durability of concrete. In the first phase, trial mixes of concrete were prepared for achieving the desired value of the 28 days compressive strength, and the charge passed in rapid chloride permeability test (RCPT). In the second phase, statistical analysis was performed on the experimental results using the response surface method (RSM). The RSM was applied for optimizing the mix proportions for the required performance by exploiting the relationship between the mix characteristics and the corresponding test results. A blend of 10% MK + 1% NS as part of cement replacement exhibited the highest mechanical properties and durability characteristics of concrete; concrete mix showed that the 28-days compressive strength (CS) was 103 MPa, which was 15% greater than the CS of the control mix without MK or NS. The same mix showed more than 40% higher flexural and split-tensile strength than the control mix; also it resulted in a reduction of 73% in the rapid chloride permeability value. ANOVA technique was used for optimizing the nano-silica and metakaolin content for achieving maximum compressive strength and minimum RCPT value. Statistical analysis using ANOVA technique showed that the maximum compressive strength and lowest RCPT value could be achieved with a blend of 10% MK and 1.55% NS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mass concrete has been commonly known for its thermal stresses which arise due to the entrapment of hydration temperature susceptible to thermal cracking. The utilization of mineral additives is a promising and widely adopted technique to mitigate such effects. This paper presents the thermal, physico-chemical, mechanical, and morphological behaviour of mass concrete with blends of bentonite (BT) and fly ash (FA). Apart from the rise in temperature due to hydration, the compressive strength, ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV), differential thermal analysis (DTA), thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, and microstructure were studied. The results of this study revealed that the substitution of BT and FA significantly improved the compressive strength and development rate of UPV in the mass concrete samples. The FA concrete (FC) specimen presented the lowest temperature during the peak hours compared to all other concrete mixes studied in this research. Bentonite concrete (BC) was also found to be more effective in controlling the escalation of temperature in mass concrete. Scan electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs presented partially reacted FA particles in a mix. XRD and DTA analysis indicated that the concentration of calcium hydroxide (CH) declined by substituting FA and BT, specifically in ternary blends, which was due to the dilution effect and consumption of CH through the pozzolanic reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]