TY  - JOUR
JF  - Sustainability (Switzerland)
AV  - none
PB  - MDPI AG
VL  - 13
TI  - Enhancing the microstructure and sustainability of ultra-high-performance concrete using ultrafine calcium carbonate and high-volume fly ash under different curing regimes
IS  - 7
KW  - calcium carbonate; concrete; detection method; fly ash; microscopy; microstructure; sustainability; sustainable development; transition zone
Y1  - 2021///
N2  - In current practice, the performance-based concrete mix (PBCM) approach has become quite popular because it enhances the quality of materials that are fundamentally necessary for a particular situation. In the present study, experimental analysis is performed to determine the optimal mechanical properties and microstructural characteristics of concrete for sustainable development and cost effectiveness. Specifically, a mixture of high-volume fly ash (FA) and ultrafine calcium carbonate (UFCC) is investigated as a partial substitution of cement. For optimizing the concreteâ??s performance, various curing regimes are applied to evaluate the best conditions for obtaining ideal mechanical and microstructural properties. The results show that concrete containing 10 UFCC with a mean particle size of 3.5 µm blended with 40 FA yielded the best performance, with an enhancement of 25 in the compressive strength in the early age. Moreover, the UFCC improved the compactness and refined the interstitial transition zone (ITZ). However, the effects of the different curing methods on the concreteâ??s strength were insignificant after 28 days. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
SN  - 20711050
ID  - scholars15050
UR  - https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85104042028&doi=10.3390%2fsu13073900&partnerID=40&md5=d6906a4eda4a1199733e53d12974748c
N1  - cited By 6
A1  - Azmee, N.
A1  - Abbas, Y.M.
A1  - Shafiq, N.
A1  - Fares, G.
A1  - Osman, M.
A1  - Iqbal Khan, M.
ER  -