Dr. Mukhopadhyay Anol, Ph.D., P.G, FACI will present Innovative Performance-based Approach for Effective Utilization of Alternative SCMs in Making Durable Structural Concrete at the upcoming Cementitious Materials Congress Americas ( March 11-12, Dallas, Texas, Hilton Anatole Hotel).
The use of fly ashes as primary supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) to make high-performance bridge deck concrete is a common practice by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and other highway agencies. However, the recent trend of decreasing availability of good-quality fly ashes has spurred interest in the utilization of emerging and alternative SCMs. Natural pozzolans (NPs) and ground glass pozzolan (GGP) have been gaining importance as promising alternative SCMs due to their abundant supply and cost-effectiveness.
TTI has developed innovative tests, performance-based approaches, and Tools for formulating durable structural concrete containing both conventional and alternative SCMs. From evaluating the effectiveness of NPs and GGP to ,mitigate ASR for highly reactive aggregates by these approaches/Tools, NPs alone were found to be adequate to mitigate ASR, whereas ternary blends were needed for GGP. Preliminary durability assessments by the Tool show that, while NP mixtures exhibit higher autogenous shrinkage, they have reduced drying shrinkage and comparable (low-moderate) shrinkage-based cracking potential to binary fly ash (Class C & F) mixtures.
Improvement in transport properties (diffusion and sorptivity) exceeded the binary fly ash mixtures by 90-180 days, but slower early-age microstructure development may create some limitations for field applications. Binary NP mixtures likely outperform fly ash in chloride ingress and freeze-thaw resistance. One significant observation is that NPs need additional water for optimal performance. NPs are viable alternatives to fly ash in making durable, sustainable structural concrete suited to exposure conditions while reducing carbon footprints.
This study underscores the importance of using a comprehensive performance-based approach using innovative tests to formulate tailored solutions for making sustainable and durable structural concrete using alternative SCMs.
Register now and learn from the best https://industrylink.eu/event/cementitious-materials-international-congress-americas-2026.
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