Margarita Dajko

Graduation Project, Literature Review

Epoka University

Theme: Pozzolanic Activity of Brick Powder

In this research paper, there is given a general description of concrete, by getting to know its
desired fresh and hardened state properties. Then we will be focusing further on some specific
materials called admixtures. Admixtures are categorized into groups, which makes it easier for
us to be concentrated in the section of our interest, called pozzolans. They will be described
briefly by noting their role in concrete and while considering the general contributions and
effects of pozzolans, we will try to bring conclusions about the brick powder and mortar powder
pozzolanic activity, specifically. In construction industry, there are bricks deposited as waste
materials, so it is essential to analyze their possible cementious properties and draw conclusions
through tests about their affect on fresh and hardened concrete properties.

The aim of this work is to discover the possibilities of using ground clay bricks and mortar
powder as concrete admixture.

Concrete is a composite material that consists of a binding medium within which are embedded
particles or fragments of aggregate, usually a combination of fine aggregate and coarse
aggregate,; in Portland cement concrete, the binder is a mixture of cement and water. When
cement and water are mixed, the paste that forms is of a plastic nature. Chemical reactions
between these two materials (hydration) start to take place as soon as cement and water come
into contact. As time passes the cement paste, gradually stiffens and hardening takes place.

The plastic state of concrete starting from the time that the materials are mixed until the time that
the mixture stiffens is usually termed as “fresh concrete”; the state thereafter is called “hardened
concrete”. There are certain requirements for a concrete mixture that can be identified as:

 Consistency
 Flowability
 Mobility
 Pumpability
 Compactability
 Finishability

These properties of fresh concrete can be expressed in a single term “workability”. Workability
is the most important property of fresh concrete. Other important characteristics that are
significant for this state of concrete are:

 Desired setting time

  Desired rate of hydration
 Uniformity with minimum bleeding

Moreover, the final objective in making concrete is to obtain a hardened material of desired
properties in the relatively long terms, such as:

 Required strength at specified times

 Volume stability: no excessive shrinkage or expansions
 Sufficient durability resistance to external factors.

The properties of hardened concrete are greatly affected by the properties of the concrete in
the plastic stage and by the application of some operations such as placing, consolidation,
finishing and curing of the concrete.

The desired quality for fresh and hardened concrete can often be conveniently and
economically obtained through the proper selection of the cement, aggregate and water,
proper proportioning of these basic materials and proper application of the methods of
placing, consolidation, finishing and curing. However, there may be some cases when there
is a need for special properties such as reduced setting time, acceleration of strength gain,
control of alkali reactivity with certain aggregates are required. So because of these extra
requirements, besides from the basic properties, it is essential the utilization of some suitable
additional materials (admixtures).

Definition of a concrete admixture: according to ASTM C 125 and ACI SP-19, an

admixture is a material other than water, aggregates and hydraulic cement that is an
ingredient of concrete or mortar and is added to the batch immediately before or during its
mixing.

Admixtures are generally used to modify one or more properties of fresh and hardened
concrete in such a way as:

-to make the concrete more suitable for the work at hand, or

-for economy,

-energy savings

Table 1.1 Major reasons for using admixtures for modification of hardened concrete

 Retard or reduce heat evolution during early hardening,

 Accelerate the rate of strength development at early ages.
 Increase strength,
  Increase durability or resistance to severe conditions of exposure, including application of
de-icing salts,
 Decrease permeability to liquids.
 Control expansion caused by the reaction, of alkalis with certain aggregate constituents ,
 Increase bond between concrete and reinforcing steel,
 Improve mechanical properties of concrete such as impact and abrasion resistance,
 Inhibit corrosion of embedded metal,
 Produce colored concrete or mortar, and
 Provide economy.

Table 1.2 Major reasons for using admixtures for modification of fresh concrete

 Increase workability without increasing water content,

 Decrease water content at the same workability,
 Retard or prevent settlements or create slight expansion,
 Modify the rate and/ or capacity of bleeding,
 Reduce segregation,
 Improve pumpability, and
 Reduce rate of slump loss.

Considerations and Precautions in the use of admixtures

Admixtures can produce numerous beneficial effects on the handling or consolidation of fresh
concrete and on the performance of fresh and hardened concrete. So there should be given
several considerations and precautions before applying them:

 It should be realized that an admixture is not a remedy for poor mix design and bad
concrete practice. The potential user should know that no admixture or any type or
amount can be considered as a suitable for good mix design or proper concrete practice.
 Admixtures should conform to applicable standards and specifications. Admixtures are
tested for acceptance for one or more of the following reasons:
 To determine compliance with a purchase specification
 To evaluate the effect of the admixture on the properties of concrete to be made
with job materials under the anticipated ambient conditions and construction
procedures
 To provide data showing that any lot is the same as those previously sampled
 When required by the purchase contract or specifications, the admixtures should be tested
by a laboratory to determine that they meet current ASTM or other applicable
specifications before being allowed to be used.
  Careful attention should be given to the instructions provided by the manufactures. The
technical information should include the following:
 The main effect of the admixture on concrete performance
 Any additional beneficial or detrimental effect the admixture may have on the
performance of concrete
 Physical properties of the material and the concentrations of the active ingredients
 The presence of any potentially detrimental substance such as chlorides, sulfides,
sugar, etc
 Preparation of admixtures and procedures for introducing them into the concrete
mix
 Recommended dosage under identified conditions, maximum permissible dosage
and effects of overdosage
 Many admixtures affect more than one property of concrete
 Besides evaluating the technical aspects of the use of admixture, the economic
aspects should also be correctly evaluated.

Classification of Admixtures: They are generally categorized into 4 main groups:

I. Air Entraining Admixtures

These are organic materials, usually in solution form, which when added to the mixing water
of concrete mix introduce a controlled quantity of air into the fresh concrete. They are
primarily added to improve the frost resistance of concrete.

II. Chemical Admixtures

The term “chemical admixtures” is restricted to water-soluble compounds other than air-
entraining agents. They are added primarily to control setting and early-hardening of fresh
concrete or to reduce its water requirements.

III. Mineral Admixtures

Those re finely divided solids added to concrete to improve its workability, its strength, its
durability and its economy, or to control the rate of hydration of concrete. Natural pozzolans,
artificial pozzolans such as fly ash and silica fume and ground granulated blast furnace slag
are important categories of mineral admixtures.

IV. Miscellaneous Admixtures

These are all those materials that do not come under one of the foregoing categories,
including here: gas forming, expansion producing, coloring, permeability reducing, corrosion
inhibiting admixtures, etc.

 Mineral Admixtures
There is a large number of materials that are used as mineral admixtures, including:

i. Materials that are obtained as industrial by-products or wastes, such as fine ashes or slag
ii. Natural materials, such as volcanic tuffs, volcanic glasses, diatomaceous earths, etc.
iii. Processed natural materials, such as calcined clays and shales
iv. Cementitious materials such as natural cements and hydraulic limes

Mineral materials are used in powder form, their fineness being at least as high as that of
Portland cement. Thus, they form pastes to supplement Portland cement pastes during
hydration of Portland cement or otherwise modify the properties of the concrete mixture,
such as improving workability. Unlike chemical admixtures, mineral admixtures are utilized
in relatively large amounts as replacement for Portland cement and/ or fine aggregate in
concrete. In fresh or plastic state, mix proportions, water requirements, setting characteristics,
workability, bleeding and heat of hydration are the properties that may be influenced by a
mineral admixture. In the hardened state, the rate of strength development, ultimate strength,
permeability, durability against frost, sulfate attack, alkali-silica reaction, carbonation and
resistance to thermal cracking, may be influenced by the application of mineral admixtures.
The extent of the effect of a mineral admixture depends not only on the physical and
chemical properties of the admixture, but also on the amount of it.

Many finely divided mineral admixtures are inexpensive to produce or are by-products.
Therefore, the utilization of mineral admixtures lead to considerably savings in the unit cost
of concrete. Large volumes of these by-products create various environmental problems.
Therefore the use of industrial by-products or wastes as suitable mineral admixtures not only
improves the engineering properties of concrete but also helps to reduce the environmental
problems.

Classification of finely divided mineral admixtures:

i. Those which are pozzolanic or mainly pozzolanic with some additional cementitious
properties
ii. Those which are cementitious
iii. Others

-Pozzolans

Our concerns are related with the category of pozzolans, so we will be focused there by
introducing their qualities, chemical composition, reaction and effects on concrete’s
properties. By generally understanding pozzolanic activity, we will further be able to commit
tests for pozzolanic activity in only one specific material, which in our case is brick and
mortar powder. Through the results of our tests and by bearing in mind general specifics
about pozzolan we will be able to determine the effects of brick powder in concrete
properties.
 Definition: According to ASTM C 125 and ASTM C 618, pozzolans are “siliceous or
siliceous and aluminous materials which in themselves posses little or no cementitious value
but will, in finely divided form and In the presence of moisture, chemically react with
calcium hydroxide at ordinary temperatures to form compounds possessing cementitious
properties”. In addition to silica and alumina, pozzolans usually include certain amounts of
iron oxide, calcium oxide, alkalies and carbon, depending on the source that the material is
obtained from. The name “pozzolan” comes from the town of Pozzouli, in the foothills of
Mount Vesuvius, in Italy, where the ancient Romans had produced a hydraulic binder by
mixing lime with volcanic soil.

Types of Pozzolanic Materials

i. Natural pozzolans- these are naturally occurring materials such as volcanic ashes,
volcanic glasses, volcanic tuffs, thermally treated clays and shales, and diatomaceous
eaths
ii. Artificial Pozzolans- these are industrial by-products

Pozzolanic Reaction

When finely divided pozzolans are brought into contact with calcium hydroxide in the
presence of moisture, some chemical reactions start to take place at ordinary temperatures.

Calcium silicate hydrate is the main product of lime-pozzolan reaction. Calcium alumino
hydrate, hydrated gehlenite, calcium carboaluminate, ettringite and calcium alumino monosulfate
are some of the other products that result from the lime-pozzolan reaction in addition to calcium
silicate hydrate. As a result, chemical compounds possessing hydraulic cementitious properties
are formed. The main chemical reaction between the silica and of the finely divided pozzolan
and calcium hydroxide in the presence of moisture can be shown:

CH + S + H C-S-H

Calcium Silica Water Calcium

Hydroxide Silicate
Hydrate
(The symbol C, H and S are used as in cement chemistry; C=CaO, H=H2O, and S=SiO2). C-S-H
is the hydration products in very finely divided states and because of its extraordinary high
surface area, it provides a binding property.
Pozzolanic Activity

The activity of a pozzolanic material with hydrated lime, that is, how well a pozzolan will
behave in a mortar or concrete, is expressed as its pozzolanic activity. In other words, pozzolanic
activity refers to the reaction of alumino-silicates with calcium hydroxides to form cementitious
products. A good pozzolan for use as a mineral admixture in portland cement concrete should
possess a sufficient amount of pozzolanic activity, which can be determine by test.

There are several methods recommended for the determination of pozzolanic activity although
none of them is considered completely satisfactory. Pozzolanic activity of natural pozzolans and
fly ashes is determined by conducting tests to find out their “strength activity index”. The test
for strength activity index is used to determine whether a mineral admixture results in acceptable
level of strength development when used with hydraulic cement concrete.

Testing Methods for Natural and Artificial Pozzolans.

ASTM C 311[99] covers the procedures for sampling and testing the fly Ashes and natural
pozzolans for use as mineral admixtures in Portland cement concretes.

ASTM C 989 [102] covers the test method for determining the slag activity index. [ CITATION
Erd97 \l 1033 ]

In a study of the usage of ground waste clay brick in West Africa, waste clay bricks were
collected, ground and used to replace Portland cement between 10 and 40 wt.%. The
optimum cement replacement was obtained using compressive strength whereas the degree
of hydration and heat evolution characteristics investigated using the thermogravimetric
analyzer and the isothermal calorimeter respectively.

The compressive strength results indicated that the optimum Portland cement replacement
with Ground Waste Clay Bricks (GWCB) was at 30 wt.%. Mortar samples were prepared in
accordance with ASTM C109[ CITATION AST07 \l 1033 ] and subjected to compressive
strength test. Pozzolanic strength activity index (PSAI) was determined per
ASTM C311[ CITATION AST071 \l 1033 ]. This standard prescribes the use of 20% by weight
of a pozzolan to replace Portland cement. The ASTM C618 [ CITATION AST15 \l 1033 ] was
also used to analyze the PSAI results. For the PSAI determination, curing of mortar
specimens was performed at 7 and 28 days in a lime saturated bath operated at 23 ± 2 °C.
GWCB was used to replace cement by weight at 10%, 20%, 30% and 40% for the optimum
compressive strength determination. The ASTM C618 indicates that the strength activity
indices at 7 and 28 days of any acceptable pozzolan should be greater than 75% of the
control mortar mix. At 7 days, the GWCB mortar had PSAI of 100% and 101% at 28 days.
 The values obtained at 7 and 28 days indicate that the material, GWCB met the requirement
of ASTM C618.

The compressive strength results indicated that the optimum strength for replacing Portland
cement with GWCB was at 30 wt.%. The high degree of pozzolanic reaction of GWCB was
the reason for the enhanced strength gain of GWCB-cement blend than the control. The heat
of hydration of GWCB-cement mixture was lower than the control.

Brick Powder as a Pozzolan

As brick waste is a problem in Albania, there should be introduced new ecological

utilizations to reduce the environmental pollution and its physical occupation in fields. In
fact, the fine ground brick powder is an artificial pozzolanic material. The source of the brick
powder can be both brickworks, where small amount of production is considered as a waste
product and also the waste material from the building demolition. The usage of ground clay
bricks and tiles as pozzolans has been known for years, however only a few studies dealing
with the pozzolanic properties of such materials were made. First it is necessary to know
which level of ground clay brick powder acts as a pozzolan and how does it affect the
properties of concrete. Also it is necessary to determine the optimum amount of admixture
considering to changes in physical properties of concrete.

Adbelghani Naceri investigated the use of waste brick powder as a partial replacement for
cement in the production of cement mortar. A substitution of cement by 10% of waste brick
increased the mechanical strength of the mortar. The results of the investigation confirmed
the potential use of this waste material to produce pozzolanic cement. Paulo B. Cachim
evaluated the properties of concrete made with crushed bricks replacing natural aggregates.
Observed results indicate that ceramic residuals could be used as partial replacement of
natural aggregates in concrete without reduction of concrete properties for 15% replacement.
Ge et al., have presented a research that that studied the effect of clay brick powder on
concrete mechanical properties, including compressive strength, static elastic modulus, and
flexural strength. Experimental results showed that it can be used as partial replacement of
cement in concrete. Kammal Uddin investigated the overview of the physical and chemical
properties of brick dust as a mineral admixture. Concrete prepared with 20% cement replaced
by brick powder also shows good resistance to sulfate attack. [ CITATION Ush16 \l 1033 ]

Bibliography
ASTM. (2007). Standard Test Method for Compressive Strength of Hydraulic Cement Mortars (2-in or [50 
mm] Cube Specimen). C109-03. ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA.
ASTM. (2007). Standard Test Methods for Sampling and Testing Fly Ash or Natural Pozzolans for Use in
Portland-Cement Concrete. ASTM, International,: ASTM Internationa.

C618-15, A. (2015). Standard Test for Coal Fly Ash and Raw or Calcined Natural Pozzolan for Use in
Concrete. West Conshoshocken PA: ASTM, International.

Erdogan, T. (1997). Admixtures for Concrete. Ankara, Turkey: Middle East Technical University.

Usha, Rani; Martina, Jenifer. (2016, February 02). Mechanical Properties of Concrete with Partial
Replacement of Portland Cement with Clay Brick Powder. Retrieved from www.ijert.org