Effect of Steam Curing Condition on Strength and Water Absorption Properties of High Strength Green Concrete

Abstract

The high-strength concrete could be achieved by using the clinker with the incorporation of cementitious material such as GGBS. However, the use of GGBS as a partial replacement for OPC could retard the strength performances at an early age due to the slow reactivity of slag. In the precast industry, the minimal initial strength of concrete is the most important factor for the demolding of concrete elements. Thus, the improvement on the early strength could be made by using the thermal treatment (steam curing) and a combination of GGBS with highly reactive material such as RHA. In the present study, the performance of pozzolanic and cementitious products was evaluated through the compressive strength and water absorption rate. The results show that the mixture which consists of 40 wt.% cement used with blended GGBS and RHA at ratios of 50, and 10 wt.%, respectively, performed better under the steam curing regimes. The inclusion of RHA-GGBS as a partial replacement for cement could provide a synergic effect by improving the compressive strength value and giving a low water absorption rate of the high-strength concrete.