Effect of ultrafine natural steatite powder, super plasticizer and VMA on the fresh and hardened properties of self-compacting cement paste and mortar

For the past few decades innovation in construction material has grown a lot. This leads to special concrete such as self-compacting concrete, geopolymer concrete, self-healing concrete, etc. To prepare a special concrete apart from regular concreting material some sort of special materials was also needed, like mineral and chemical admixtures. Hence it is necessary to study the effect of these admixtures in cement paste and mortar before studying the same in concrete. Hence an attempt is made to study the effect of mineral and chemical admixtures in the fresh and hardened properties of cement paste and mortar. For this study ultrafine natural steatite powder is taken as mineral admixture and polycarboxylic based superplasticizer and glenium stream 2 were taken as chemical admixtures. Ultrafine natural steatite powder was used as additive to cement in various percentages like 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20% and 25%. Superplasticizer and viscosity modifying admixture were taken as 1.5% and 0.5%, respectively. Then various combinations were worked out. To study the fresh property of cement paste consistency, initial setting time and miniature slump cone test were done based on the results yield stress of cement paste also calculated empirically. To study the hardened property compression test on cement mortar was done. Based on the test results it is clear that the addition of ultrafine natural steatite powder increases the water demand hence reduces the workability. On the other hand, it increases the compressive strength up to a certain limit. Adding superplasticizer increases the workability and reduces the water demand and viscosity modifying admixture reduces the bleeding and segregation effects hence increases the compressive strength.