STRENGTH STUDIES ON TERNARY BLENDED CONCRETE USING

FLY ASH AND SILICA FUME

CONTENTS:
 INTRODUCTION

 LITREATURE REVIEW

 EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION

 EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS

 GRAPHS

 DISCUSSION OF TEST REULTS

 CONCLUSIONS

 REFRENCES
 INTRODUCTION:

 The amount of cement production emits approximately equal amount of carbon

dioxide into the atmosphere.

 Cement production is consuming significant amount of natural resources.

 Cement content in concrete can be reduced by replacing cement by pozzolonas.

 GGBS, Fly Ash, Micro Silica are some of the pozzolonas used as cement

replacement materials.
FLY ASH:

 Fly ash is a fine powder produced as a product from Industrial plant using

pulverized coal (or) Lignite as a fuel .It is mostly used as pozzolan siliceous
(or) Aluminosiliceous in nature is a finely divided form.

 They are 250 micrometers in size and spherical shaped “Ball” finer than
cement particles

 Reduces concrete’s environmental impact , Improves strength, segregation and

ease of pumping the concrete
 Advantages of Fly ash in Concrete :
The various advantages found by different investigators in India are :
 Superior pozzolonic action
 Reduced water demand (for fly ash low carbon content and high
fineness)
 Improved workability
 More effective action of water reducing admixtures
 Reduced segregation and bleeding
 Increases setting time but remains within limits
 Less heat of hydration
 Less drying shrinkage
 Higher ultimate compressive strength ,tensile and Flexural and bond
strength .
Micro Silica:
 Micro Silica (other names that are used are Silica dust and silica fume ).

 Micro Silica or silica fume is a by product.

 Micro silica is predominantly silicon dioxide.

 Its prime characteristic is particle size which would be as low as 0.2 micron, which
is about 100 times smaller than Portland cement grains.

 Micro Silica as a formidable building material are its imperviousness to water, low
permeability to chloride ion and resistance to sulphate and acid attack.

 Reduction of bleeding in fresh concrete and significant increase of density of

transition zone and in the mechanical behavior of hardened concrete.
 Micro Silica Advantages in Concrete:

When micro silica is added to ordinary Portland cement, it enhances certain

properties of concrete as detailed below:

 Bond improvement.

 Lesser heat of Hydration.

 Reduction of alkali-aggregate reaction

 More Compressive strength

 Reduced permeability

 Minimizes the bleeding

What is Ternary Blended
Concrete
Courtesy by Design and Control of Concrete Mixtures EB001 Page No:163
Differences between Fly Ash and MICRO SILICA?

In source materials

In chemical composition

In hydration activity

In permitted replacement ratio

 Courtesy by Design and Control of Concrete Mixtures EB001 Page No:61
Chemical analysis of fly ash, slag, silica fume, calcied clay, calcied shale, and Metakaolin
AIM OF THE PRESENT STUDY:
 Many researchers have studied the properties of ordinary Portland cement concrete

by using mineral admixtures like fly ash, micro silica rise husk ash, GGBS as
cement replacement materials. A few researchers have done work for ternary
blended concrete’s using mineral admixtures like Micro Silica and fly ash.

 An attempt has made to study the strength properties of ternary blended concrete

using mineral admixtures like Fly ash and Micro Silica.

 Hence considering the gap in existing literature an attempt has made to study the
compressive strength and spilt tensile strength of ternary blended concrete using
(0%, 5%, 8%, 10%, 12%, and 15%) of Micro Silica and (0%, 5%, 8%, 10%,
12%, and15%) fly ash is added by the weight of the cement as additional
ingredients in concrete for M30 Grade concrete for 7days and 28 days respectively.
 LITERATURE REVIEW
A.K.Mullick(2007) 1 : In his paper he describes the characteristics of cementitious systems
required to meet the diverse requirements of strength and durability of concrete and highlights the
advantages of part replacement of OPC by fly ash, granulated slag and microsilica - either singly
or in combination in ternary blends.

Deepa A Sinha(2012) 2 : The main objective of this research was to investigate the properties
of ternary blended concrete incorporating silica fume, metakaolin, and GGBS. The properties
investigated include workability, compressive strength and. flexural strength. In this project, we have
replaced cement by ternary blend of fly ash, metkaolin, silica fume, GGBS up to 30% to determine
the workability, compressive strength and flexural strength. By using supplimentary cementitious
materials we found that replacement of cement with Fly-ash gives higher strength than normal
concrete at 28days and 90days.Replacement of cement with 15% fly-ash and 15% metakaolin gives
the best results as compare to other mixes for compressive strength of 28 days. Under two point
loading arrangement used for flexural strength testing, the failure occurs in middle third portion of
the specimen. In case of TBC, the failure is sudden and through the aggregates.
 Md. Rezaul Karim, Md. Maruf Hossain, Mohammad Nabi Newaz Khan (2014)3

The experimental results reveal that AAB-mortar exhibits less flow than that of ordinary
Portland cement (OPC). Surprisingly, AAB-mortars (with 2.5 molar solution) achieved a
compressive strength of 34.3 Mpa at 28 days, while OPC shows that of 43.9 Mpa under the same
conditions. Although water absorption and porosity of the AAB-mortar are slightly high, it shows
excellent thermal resistance compared to OPC. Therefore, based on the test results, it can be
concluded that in the presence of a chemical activator, the aforementioned pozzolans can be used
as an alternative material for cement

M.G. Alexander, B.J. Magee (1999)4

They describes a short-term study carried out to examine the durability performance of various
condensed silica fume (CSF) concretes in comparison to Portland cement (PC) and PC/ground
granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) controls up to the age of 28 days. Mix proportions were
designed to provide 28-day strengths of 30, 40, and 50 MPa for the PC controls and these were used
for all binder combinations considered. Concrete durability was inferred from a suite of durability
index tests designed to measure concrete resistance to gas, liquid, and ion transport mechanisms. It is
shown that concrete durability is dramatically improved through the use of CSF. Optimum
performance was achieved through the use of CSF as a 10% addition by mass to the initial binder
content. The work also confirms CSF’s effectiveness when used in ternary binder blends with PC and
GGBS, with these mixes out-performing the controls and selected binary blended PC/CSF mixes.
.
Experimental Investigation

Materials used in this experimental investigation

are :
 Cement
 Fly ash
 Micro Silica
 Fine Aggregate
 Coarse Aggregate
 Water
 Super plasticizer
Fly ash Micro Silica Super Plasticizer
 EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS
Physical Properties of Ordinary Portland Cement

Fineness 340 m 2 / k g

Specific gravity 3.02

Initial setting time (min) 98

Final setting time(min) 219

Physical Properties of Fine Aggregate:

Properties Results Obtained

Specific gravity 2.60

Water absorption 0.8%

Fineness modulus 2.75

Sieve Analysis for Fine Aggregate:
S.NO IS Sieve Weight Cumulative Cumulatative Cumlatative %
Size retained weight %weight passing
retained retained(g)
1 10mm 0.00 0.00 0.00 100.00
2 4.75mm 10.00 10.00 1.00 99.00
3 2.36mm 46.00 56.50 5.65 94.35
4 1.18mm 188.00 24.50 24.45 75.55
5 600mm 288.00 532.50 53.25 46.75
6 300mm 358.00 890.50 89.005 10.95
7 150mm 109.00 1000.00 100.00 0.00
Fineness modulus fine aggregate=273.73/100 =2.73
Physical Properties of Coarse Aggregate:

Properties Results Obtained

Specific gravity 2.59

Water absorption 0.4%

Fineness modulus 4.01

Sieve Analysis for Coarse Aggregate:
S.NO Is Sieve size Weight cumulative cumulative% cumulative %
retained(g) retained retained passing
1 80mm 0.00 0.00 0.00 100.00

2 40mm 0.00 0.00 0.00 100.00

3 20mm 3376.50 3376.50 67.52 32.48

4 10mm 1385.00 4761.00 95.22 4.78

5 4.8mm 169.00 4930.00 98.60 1.40

6 2.4mm 70.00 5000.00 100.00 0.00

7 1.18mm 0.00 5000.00 0.00 0.00

8 600mm 0.00 5000.00 0.00 0.00

9 300mm 0.00 5000.00 00.00 0.00

10 150mm 0.00 5000.00 00.00 0.00

Fineness modulus of coarse aggregate= 361.1/100 =3.61

Compressive strength of Conventional , Ternary Blended Concrete of M30 Grade concrete

Compressive Strength of Conventional , Ternary Blended Concrete at 7, 28days

MIX 7 DAYS STRENGTH 28 DAYS STRENGTH

CAC 26.31 MPa 40.47 MPa

FASF1 23.68 MPa 36.88 MPa

FASF2 24.70 MPa 38.00 MPa

FASF3 25.86 MPa 39.79 MPa

FASF4 21.50 MPa 33.08 MPa

FASF5 19.52 MPa 31.65 MPa

Split Tensile Strength of Conventional , Ternary Blended Concrete of M30 Grade concrete

Split Tensile Strength of Conventional , Ternary Blended Concrete at 7, 28days

MIX 7 DAYS STRENGTH 28 DAYS STRENGTH

CAC
2.88 MPa 4.44 MPa

FASF1 2.47 MPa 3.99 MPa

FASF2 2.60 MPa 4.30 MPa

FASF3 2.67 MPa 4.42 MPa

FASF4 2.17 MPa 3.34 MPa

FASF5 2.09 MPa 3.18 MPa

Graph Shows Compressive Strength of Conventional and Ternary Blended
Concrete Vs Different Combination of M30 grade concrete
45
40.47 39.79
40 38
36.88
35 33.08
31.65
30
26.31 25.86
23.68 24.7
25
21.5 7 DAYS
19.52
20 28 DAYS

15

10

0
CAC FASF1 FASF2 FASF3 FASF4 FASF5

CAC = 100 % OPC

FASF1 = 15% FA + 5% SF FASF2 = 5% FA +15%SF

FASF3= 10% FA + 10% SF FASF4 = 12% FA + 8% SF

FASF5 = 8% FA + 12% SF
Graph Shows Split Tensile Strength of Conventional and Ternary Blended Concrete Vs
Different Combination of M30 grade concrete
5

4.44 4.42
4.5 4.3
3.99
4

3.5 3.34
3.18
3 2.88
2.6 2.67
2.47
2.5 7 DAYS
2.17 2.09 28 DAYS
2

1.5

0.5

0
CAC FASF1 FASF2 FASF3 FASF4 FASF5
CAC= 100 % OPC

FASF1 = 15% FA + 5% SF FASF2 = 5% FA +15%SF

FASF3= 10% FA + 10% SF FASF4 = 12% FA + 8% SF

FASF5 = 8% FA + 12% SF
 DISCUSSIONS OF TEST RESULTS

Compressive strength of conventional and Ternary Concrete

• The compressive strength values for conventional concrete of M30 grade concrete
is observed to be 26.31, and 40.47 MPa for 7, and 28 days respectively.
•The compressive strength values for Ternary blended concrete (15% FA + 5% SF)
of M30 grade concrete is observed to be 23.68, and 36.88 MPa for 7, and 28 days
respectively.
•The compressive strength values for Ternary blended concrete (5% FA + 15% SF)
of M30 grade concrete is observed to be 24.70, and 38.00 MPa for 7, and 28 days
respectively
•. The compressive strength values for Ternary blended concrete (10% FA + 10%
SF) of M30 grade concrete is observed to be 25.86, and 39.79 MPa for 7, and 28
days respectively
 The compressive strength values for Ternary blended concrete (12% FA + 8% SF) of M30
grade concrete is observed to be 21.50, and 33.08 MPa for 7, and 28 days respectively
 The compressive strength values for Ternary blended concrete (8% FA + 12% SF) of M30
grade concrete is observed to be 19.52, and 31.65 MPa for 7, and 28 days respectively
 Split tensile strength of conventional and Ternary Concrete

 The Split tensile strength values for conventional concrete of M30 grade concrete is
observed to be 2.88, and 4.44 MPa for 7, and 28 days respectively

• The Split tensile strength values for Ternary blended concrete (15% FA + 5% SF) of M30
grade concrete is observed to be 2.47, and 3.99 MPa for 7, and 28 days respectively.

• The Split tensile strength values for Ternary blended concrete (5% FA + 15% SF) of M30
grade concrete is observed to be 2.60 and 4.30 MPa for 7, and 28 days respectively
 The Split tensile strength values for Ternary blended concrete (10% FA +
10% SF) of M30 grade concrete is observed to be 2.67, and 4.42 MPa for 7,
and 28 days respectively
 The Split tensile strength values for Ternary blended concrete (12% FA +
8% SF) of M30 grade concrete is observed to be 2.17, and 3.34 MPa for 7,
and 28 days respectively
 The Split tensile strength values for Ternary blended concrete (8% FA +
12% SF) of M30 grade concrete is observed to be 2.09, and 3.18 MPa for 7,
and 28 days respectively
MIXING
SLUMP TEST
CASTING
CURING
PHOTOGRAPH SHOWS TESTING OF TERNARY BLENDED CONCRETE
SPECIMEN
 CONCLUSIONS

Based on experimental studies the following conclusions are drawn.

The following conclusions are drawn from the experimental investigation in present
project:

1.The combination of (10% Fly Ash+ 10% Silica Fumes) performed the best among
all the ternary mixes at 7days, 28 days respectively.

2.The combination of (8% Fly Ash+ 12% Silica Fumes) will give the least
Compressive Strength and split tensile strength among all the ternary mixes of M30
grade concrete.

3.Compressive strength and split tensile strength of Ternary Blended Concrete for
(10% Fly Ash+ 10% Silica Fumes) combination is varied from 25MPa to 39MPa
and 2.60 MPa to 4.42 MPa at 7 and 28 days.

4.The percentage increase in compressive strength and split tensile strength of

Ternary Blended Concrete is found to be higher at higher ages for all the ternary
mixes.

5. The fineness of Silica fumes is almost nearer to the cement so it acts like a
pozzoloanic behaviour.
 .

6. The improved performance of Micro Silica concrete could be attributed to

the improvement in bond between the hydrated cement matrix and aggregate.
This in turn is due to the combined effect of secondary pozzoloanic reaction
and the fineness of Micro Silica particles

7. In micro silica of its pozzoloanic reactivity, improves the bond of aggregate

paste interface, thus it increases the strength of concrete. The dense
microstructure of fly ash improves the bond strength of concrete.

8.Triple blending of cement with micro silica and fly ash proved to be cost
effective and eco friendly without loss in strength of concrete.

9. Results show that Ternary Blended Concrete offer significant advantages

over Ordinary concrete. Such Concretes show generally good properties and
offset the problems associated with using fly ash and Micro Silica when these
materials are used individually.

10.In ternary blended concrete micro silica act as filler and fly ash controls the
workability Therefore, this combination is more effective in improving the
properties of ternary blended concrete.
 REFRENCES:

1.A.K. Mullick. “Performance of Concrete with Binary and Ternary cement blends”. The
INDIAN Concrete Journal, January 2007.
2.Deepa A Sinha “Comparative mechanical properties of different ternary blended
concrete”, Indian Journal of Research,pg:65-69 Volume : 1 | Issue : 10 | October 2012,
ISSN - 2250-1991.
3.Md. Rezaul Karim , Md. Maruf Hossain , Mohammad NabiNewaz Khan ,
Muhammad FauziMohd Zain and FookChuan Lai “On the Utilization of Pozzolanic
Wastes as an Alternative Resource of Cement”Materials2014, 7, 7809-7827;
4.M.G.Alexander, B.J.Magee. “Durability performance of concrete containing condensed
Silica fume”. Cement and concrete Research 29 (1999) Pg 917-922.
5.P. Murthi and V. Sivakumar, “Studies on Acid Resistance of Ternary Blended
Concrete.” Aisan Journal of Civil Engineering (BUILDING AND HOUSING) VOL. 9,
NO. 5 (2008)pages 473-486
,.
7.2. SCOPE OF FURTHER STUDY:

The experimental work on pozzolanic materials along with ordinary Portland cement
is still limited. But it has a great scope for further studies.

The following aspects are considered for future study and investigations.

1.Industrial wastes, such as silica fume, blast furnace slag, fly ash are being used as
supplementary cement replacement materials and recently, agricultural wastes are
also being used as pozzolanic materials in concrete.

2.To reduce the green gas emission and to safe the land.

3.It is requires a proper mixing proportions for the development of high strength, high
performance concrete which may not be possible manually. So its need some global
optimizations technique to develop the desired results with greater accuracy and time
saving.
 1.Text Books
1) N.Krishna Raju,”Design of Concrete Mixes”,Year 2005
2) A.M.Nevile,”Properties of concrete”ELBS with Longman 1987
3) M.S.Shetty,”Concrete Technology”, Year 2008
4) A.R.Santhakumar,”Concrete Technology”, Year 2011
5) M.L.Gambhir,”Concrete Technology Theory and Practice”, Year 2012
6) Concrete technology by M.S.Shetty.

2. IS Codes
1) IS 456-2000 code of practice for plain & reinforced cement concrete.
2) IS 10262-2009 recommended guide line for concrete mix design.
3) IS 9103-1999 Concrete admixture-specification.
4) IS 12269-1987 Specification for OPC 53 grades.
5) IS 383-1970 Specification for coarse aggregate and fine aggregate from
natural sources.
6) IS 650-1966 Specification for standard sand for testing of cement