Effects of fly ash and ground bottom ash from thermal power plants on workability, compressive strength and durability of high performance fine-grained concrete

This paper presents the effects of fly ash (FA) and ground bottom ash (BA) on the workability, compressive strength, sulfate resistance and resistance to Chloride ion penetration of high performance fine-grained concrete. The bottom ash was ground in a ball mill for 90 min. Cement was partially replaced with FA/ BA at replacement levels of 10 %, 20 %, and 30 % by weight. The experimental results indicate that increasing the FA content improved the workability of the concrete while reducing the required amount of superplasticizer. In contrast, increasing the BA content decreased workability, necessitating a higher dosage of superplasticizer. Concrete incorporating BA exhibited higher compressive strength than the control mix (100 % cement), with BA being more effective than FA in enhancing strength. Additionally, concrete containing FA/ BA demonstrated greater sulfate resistance and resistance to Chloride ion penetration compared to the control mix. Higher replacement levels of FA/ BA led to further improvements in sulfate resistance and resistance to Chloride ion penetration, with BA showing more pronounced effects than FA.