Combined effect of mineral admixture and curing temperature on mechanical behavior and porosity of SCC

In order to provide sufficient stability and resistance against bleeding and segregation during transportation and placing, mineral admixtures are often used in self-compacting concrete mixes (SCC). These fine materials also contribute to reducing the construction cost and the consumption of natural resources. Many studies have confirmed the benefits of these mineral admixtures on properties of SCC in standard curing conditions. However, there are few published reports regarding their effects at elevated curing temperatures. The main objective of this study is to investigate the effect of three different mineral admixtures namely limestone powder (LP), granulated blast furnace slag (GS) and natural pozzolana (PZ) on mechanical properties and porosity of SCC when exposed to different curing temperatures (20, 40, 60 and 80oC). The level of substitution of cement by mineral admixture was fixed at 15%. The results showed that increasing curing temperature causes an improvement in performance at an early age without penalizing its long-term properties. However the temperature of 40oC is considered the optimal curing temperature to make economical and high performance SCC. On the other hand, GS is the most suitable mineral admixture for SCC under elevated curing temperature.