Study on the Impact of Aggregate Size Gradation on Concrete: Mechanical, Durability and Microstructure Study
Source abstract
Abstract
The coarse and fine aggregates make up 60–75% of the concrete volume and have a significant impact on both the fresh and hardened properties of concrete, as well as its mix proportion and economic considerations. Coarse aggregates are composed of gravels or crushed stones with particle sizes typically ranging from 5 mm to 37.5 mm. Aggregates represent a category that requires minimal processing before being used in concrete production. The grading, which refers to the distribution of particle sizes within an aggregate determined by sieve analysis, influences not only the aggregate proportions but also affects cement and water requirements, workability, pumpability, economy, porosity, shrinkage, and durability of concrete. Concrete specimens are prepared with distinct coarse aggregate gradations. This study investigates the influence of varying coarse aggregate gradation, such as gap, open, well and uniform gradation, on the mechanical, durability performance and microstructure of concrete. The mechanical performance is evaluated through tests like compressive strength and bond strength. The durability in terms of porosity and permeability was obtained through water absorption, acid resistance, sorptivity, rapid chloride penetration tests and permeable void tests. Microstructural and pore analysis is conducted using techniques like optical microscopy and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis, respectively, to assess the influence of gradation on factors like aggregate–paste interface, porosity, and crack distribution. The results are correlated with identify the optimal coarse aggregate gradation for achieving desired mechanical properties and durability in concrete. In Overall the findings show that the open-graded and well-graded shows better performance compared to other size grading. Though strength performance and short-term durability of the open-graded and well-graded concrete samples but for long-term durability, they only have satisfactory results.
Source: openalex_inverted_index · Quality: baseline
Research context
OpenAlex topics: Concrete and Cement Materials Research · Innovative concrete reinforcement materials · Concrete Properties and Behavior
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