Performance investigation of the high strength concrete using natural zeolite with industrial waste materials

Abstract

Concrete is used in the construction of various structural elements. High Strength newlineConcrete (HSC) production for huge infrastructure projects is challenging. The newlinemanufacture of cement significantly causes global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. newlineModifications have been made to cement concrete problems to minimize CO2 emissions and Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) consumption. This research focuses on developing HSC blended with Natural Zeolite (NZ) and industrial by-products like newlineSilica Fume (SF), Fly Ash (FA), and Metakaolin (MK) to enhance concrete quality, newlinesustainability, and performance. Partial replacement of OPC with 5% NZ and industrial waste materials in 5%, 10%, and 15% amounts to produce M60 grade HSC mixes. In the laboratory, 1,200 concrete specimens were tested for mechanical properties for 3, 7, 28, 60, and 90 days, as well as durability tests such as the Rapid Chloride Penetration Test (RCPT) for 28 days and the acid attack test for 60 days. Mix M3 (85% OPC + 5% NZ + 10% MK) exhibited the highest compressive strength at 72 MPa, split tensile strength at 5.3 MPa, and flexural strength at 9.4 MPa for 90 days curing period, attributed to its low porosity. The reactive silica (SiO2) and alumina (Al2O3) in the mix transformed calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) into calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) gel and aluminate compounds. This process improved the newlinemicrostructure of the hardened concrete, resulting in increased imperviousness. The newlinestudy also includes the effect of these industrial waste materials on Zeolite concrete by microstructure analysis. The mathematical models were developed using SPSS software to predict the durability and mechanical properties of all the concrete mixes based on the laboratory data, considering parameters like mix proportions and curing days.