Evaluating properties of high performance concrete containing metakaolin as cementitious material

Abstract

High performance concrete is extensively used for construction works in recent era. For the preparation of high performance concrete (HPC) mineral and chemical admixtures are used. The addition of mineral admixtures minimizes the utilization of cement and makes concrete more sustainable. The addition of metakaolin as a substitute to cement enhances the properties of concrete. There is need to study the mechanical and micro-structural properties of concrete containing metakaolin as cementitious material. In this work an endeavour has been made to study the properties of HPC employing matakaolin as an alternative for cement. The cement has been replaced with metakaolin by 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, and 25% respectively for 0.25, 0.3, and 0.35 w/c ratios. The strength and electrical resistivity tests are conducted for all concrete mixes on triplicate. Results confirm that the accumulation of metakaolin increases the properties of HPC. A maximum of 49% increase in compressive strength in concrete was observed by the accumulation of 15% of metakaolin in concrete as substitute to cement for 0.25 w/c ratio in comparison to standard concrete. The development of secondary calcium silicate hydrates and minimal Ca(OH)2 components was revealed by X-ray spectroscopy, indicating that the concrete was denser. The results of this study revealed that metakaolin has a considerable impact on high-performance concrete, particularly in terms of compressive and flexural strength.