Construction and Building Materials 24 (2010) 1424–1431

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Construction and Building Materials

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Resistance to wear of fast-track Portland cement concrete

Nader Ghafoori *, Matthew W. Tays
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 4505 Maryland Parkway, Box 454015, Las Vegas, NV 89154-4015, USA

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: The selected fast-track Type I Portland cement concretes were studied for resistance to wear at both
Received 2 September 2009 opening and maturity (28 days) times. The effect of four cements contents, namely: 386, 445, 505, and
Received in revised form 13 January 2010 564 kg/m3 (with and without an accelerating admixture) is also ascertained. The trial matrices were
Accepted 15 January 2010
examined for plastic and bulk properties, and wear resistance. Depth of wear and rate of deterioration
Available online 7 February 2010
as functions of matrix proportions and constituents, opening-time categories, and testing duration were
determined. The influence of variables such as cement content, curing age, and accelerating admixture on
Keywords:
compressive strength and abrasion resistance of the selected matrices were studied. The coefficient of
Fast-track concrete
Abrasion resistance
variation and abrasion index for the abrasion test of the trials concrete were also examined. Lastly, the
Wear relationship between the abrasion resistance (depth of wear) and compressive strength at both opening
Strength and maturity ages were investigated.
Curing Ó 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Opening-time
Maturity

1. Introduction Fast-track concrete mixtures can be successively produced

Over the years, Portland cement concrete has continually
gained acceptance as one of the most commonly used civil engi-
neering materials. Today, many miles of the interstate highways,
secondary/county roads, city streets, and airports consist of Port-
land cement concrete pavements.
When concrete road pavements were constructed years ago, the
rapid increase in traffic volume and high levels of heavy truck
traffic, which pavements must now carry, were not anticipated.
Taking into account that many of these pavements have had little
or no maintenance or resurfacing, their design life and rideability
have now been reached or exceeded. Conventional improvement
methods incur high replacement costs and cause several days of
traffic interruption especially in heavy-traffic areas, such as major
intersections, and on toll ways, where congestion/delay is most
prevalent.
In order to maintain minimal traffic interruption, new technol-
ogies have been developed that enable concrete contractors to
rehabilitate and resurface pavements more efficiently. One of these
methods is fast-track concrete pavement technology where higher
proportions of the standard Type I cement or high-early-strength
cement, (Type III cement), is used to allow roadways to open more
rapidly. In almost all cases, roadway opening strengths can be met
within 12 h or less by means of combining these cement types and
varying amounts of matrix constituents [1].
* Corresponding author.
E-mail address: nader.ghafoori@unlv.edu (N. Ghafoori).
using ASTM C 150 [2] Types I, II, or III Portland cements provided
adequate chemical admixtures are used [3]. The utilization of fly
ash, as a secondary cementitious material, in fast-track concrete
applications has been limited and currently there is no record of
ground blast-furnace slag ever employed in fast-track concrete
[4]. Air-entraining admixtures have been used extensively in
fast-track concrete applications, ranging from 136 to 1018 ml/m3
[3,4]. Water-reducing admixtures have also been implemented
on numerous applications as well. For fast-track concrete mixtures,
water-reducing admixtures Types A, E, and F were found appropri-
ate. While accelerator admixtures have not been used to the extent
as water-reducers and air-entrainment admixtures, the most fre-
quently used accelerating admixture is calcium chloride (CaCl2).
It has been used for full-depth and partial depth concrete pave-
ment patching for quick curing and opening-to-traffic. In addition
to increasing early strength gain, it has been found that calcium
chloride positively affects concrete’s resistance to abrasion and
erosion, thus creating a higher quality product [5]. Aggregates sat-
isfying ASTM C 33 [5] have been used in fast-track concrete mix-
tures and are providing good service [6].
Fast-track paving typically does not require any special equip-
ment or newly developed technique. Yet, fast-track paving does re-
quire well-planned and organized construction sequencing due to
shorter time available for placement [4]. Either conventional slip-
form pavers or hand placement may be used to place fast-track
concrete. Successful projects have been known to use both.
The most commonly used curing methods in fast-track concrete
projects are the application of curing compounds and placement of

0950-0618/$ - see front matter Ó 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2010.01.014
 N. Ghafoori, M.W. Tays / Construction and Building Materials 24 (2010) 1424–1431 1425

insulating blankets. The curing compound enables the slab to re-
tain moisture until it has set properly and curing blankets can be
placed, and it continues to provide moisture retention for the slab
once the curing blankets are removed [6]. Insulating blankets are
commonly used on fast-track pavements to minimize heat loss
and reduce the effect of ambient air temperature and solar radia-
tion on the pavement. Most projects recommend a thermal resis-
tance (R) rating of at least 2.45  105 h m2 °C/joule and for the
blankets to remain in place until the required strength is reached
[7].
According to the Federal Highway Administration, opening-
times should not be determined arbitrarily on the elapsed time
after placement but rather on the strength of the concrete [8].
The recommended opening flexural strength for pavements carry-
ing automobiles requires 1.0 MPa in third point loading [9]. For
thin slab that will carry trucks, it is recommended a flexural
strength of 4.5 MPa be obtained prior to opening-to-traffic [8].
Iowa DOT (IDOT) brought about the first major application of
fast-track concrete technology in 1986 [10]. The goal of the project
was to place a bonded concrete overlay on US-71 near Stormlake,
Iowa, within 24 h and provide a flexural strength of 2.4 MPa. The
mixture satisfied the 24 h requirement and met the specified
strength in less than 12 h [11]. Since the Iowa DOT experience with
the fast-track concrete application, a wide range of placement
methods, mixture proportions, and curing methods have been pro-
posed and utilized. Other states experiencing fast-track concrete
highway projects were Colorado, Kansas, Michigan, Montana, Ne-
braska, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Wyoming, and Wis-
consin [4].
2. Research objectives
The research investigation presented herein was intended to:
(1) evaluate the resistance to wear of Portland cement Type I con-
crete in early-opening-to-traffic pavements, (2) ascertain parame-
ters influencing abrasion resistance, (3) compare surface and bulk
properties at opening and maturity times, and (4) provide relation-
ships among abrasion resistance, compressive strength, cement
content, and curing age.
properties: SGOD = 2.6, SGSSD = 2.63, absorption = 1.10%, and FM = 2.56. The fine
aggregate satisfied ASTM C 33 [5] gradation requirements. Crushed limestone
coarse aggregate had nominal maximum size of 19 mm. Gradation tests conducted
in accordance to ASTM C 33 [5] classified the aggregate as grade 57. The physical
characteristics of the coarse aggregate were as follows: SGOD = 2.64, SGSSD = 2.67,
absorption = 1.20%, and dry rodded unit weight = 1567 kg/m3. Tap water, preheated
to the temperature of 49 ± 1 °C was used throughout the investigation. Both high-
range water reducing and air-entraining admixtures were used to attain the desired
workability and air content of the freshly mixed concretes. An accelerating admix-
ture (CaCl2), meeting the requirements of the ASTM D 98 [12], was used at a con-
stant dosage rate in selected fast-track concretes.
3.2. Mixture proportions and design
Dry quantities of the matrix constituents used for each mixture are presented in
Table 1, along with the actual water and water-to-cement ratio. The weight of the
coarse aggregate remained constant at 1060 kg/m3 for all mixtures. This amount
was determined based on physical characteristics and size distribution of the coarse
aggregate, as well as the gradation of the fine aggregate expressed in terms of fine-
ness modulus. Four cement contents, namely: 386, 445, 505, and 564 kg/m3 were
used. With the exception of two mixtures, all selected matrices had a uniform
water-to-cement ratio of 0.350. The quantities of the water-reducing admixture
were determined by observing the consistency of the concrete using different trial
batches until a satisfactory slump of 127 ± 6 mm was attained. The amount of the
air-entraining admixture, which varied for each mixture, produced 6 ± 1% air con-
tent in nearly all of the trial fresh concretes. A constant amount of an accelerating
admixture (2% by weight of Portland cement) was used for the selected matrices.
3.3. Mixing, sampling, curing, and testing procedures
Concrete components were mixed using a rotating electric counter-current pan
mixer. A uniform volume of 0.017 m3 was used for all matrices. The batches were
used to cast 102  102  355 mm beams or 102  204 mm cylindrical specimens.
Test specimens were initially cured in insulation boxes constructed of Styrofoam
and lined with an insulation blanket having thermal resistant ‘‘R” value of
2.45  105 h m2 °C/joule. The time that the specimen remained in the insulation
boxes varied depending on its opening-time classification. The temperatures of
the test cylinders were monitored with a temperature-monitoring device that
downloaded information to a computer at designated intervals. In order to compare
the performance of the samples at opening-time with that of the matured concrete,
a group of test specimens was then moist-cured for 28 days in a lime-saturated tank
containing tap water at a temperature of 23 ± 2 °C.
The eight matrices selected for this investigation were examined for plastic
properties (slump (ASTM C 143) [13], air content (ASTM C 173) [14], bleeding
(ASTM C 232) [15], setting times (ASTM C 403) [16], and adiabatic temperature
(ASTM C 1064) [17]) and bulk characteristics (demoulded unit weight (ASTM C
138) [18] and compressive strength (ASTM C 39) [19]). The resistance to wear
was measured using ASTM C 779 [20] Procedure C, Ball Bearings.

3. Experimental program 4. Results and discussion

3.1. Raw materials
The raw materials included ASTM C 150 [2] Type I Portland cement, siliceous
fine aggregate, crushed limestone coarse aggregate, chemical admixtures (high-
range water reducing, air-entraining, and accelerating admixtures), and tap water.
ASTM C 150 [2] Type I Portland cement had the following chemical constituents and
percentages: SiO2 = 21.0%, Al2O3 = 4.50%, Fe2O3 = 3.0%, MgO = 4.6%, SO3 = 2.8%,
C3A = 6.7%, C3S = 50.4%, Na2O equivalent = 0.58%, Loss on Ignition = 1.0%, and Insol-
uble residue = 0.24%. The natural siliceous fine aggregate had the following physical
4.1. Fresh properties
Test results relevant to the fresh properties of the trial fast-track
concretes are shown in Table 2. A slump value of 127 ± 6 mm was
kept constant for all trial matrices. The pre-designated slump value
was used to quantify the dosage rate of the water-reducing admix-
ture as shown in Table 1. In general, increased dosage rates of the

Table 1
Mixture constituents and proportions of fast-track concretes.

Mixture designation Cement content Actual Designed W/C Fine aggregate Coarse aggregate Chemical admixtures (kg/m3)
(kg/m3) water (kg/m3) (kg/m3)
HRWRAa AEAb
I-386 386 133 0.35 729 1059 3.05 0.14
I-445 445 154 0.35 627 1059 2.46 0.62
I-505 505 175 0.35 525 1059 1.4 1.76
I-564 564 181 0.325 458 1059 1.34 1.96
I-386AA 386 131 0.35 729 1059 7.62 0.11
I-445AA 445 153 0.35 627 1059 4.21 0.62
I-505AA 505 173 0.35 525 1059 3.99 1.76
I-564AA 564 179 0.325 458 1059 4.46 1.96

1 kg/m3 = 1.685 lb/yd3.

a
High-range water reducing admixture.
b
Air entraining admixture.
1426 N. Ghafoori, M.W. Tays / Construction and Building Materials 24 (2010) 1424–1431

Table 2
Fresh properties of fast-track concretes.

Mixture Slump Measured air Initial time of Final time of Freshly mixed concrete Peak concrete Time to
designation (mm) content (%) setting (h) setting (h) temperatures (°C) temperatures (°C) peak (h)
I-386 133 6.4 4.54 6.01 26 47 14.25
I-445 133 6.2 4.34 5.75 27 51 13.13
I-505 127 5.0 4.19 5.44 29 55 12.63
I-564 121 3.8 3.66 4.8 32 58 12.00
I-386AA 121 6.5 5.47 6.21 28 48 12.00
I-445AA 127 5.5 3.03 3.82 29 52 9.38
I-505AA 127 4.9 2.81 3.52 31 55 9.25
I-564AA 121 4.9 2.58 3.13 32 59 9.00

1 mm = 0.0394 in., 1 °C = (5/9)(°F32).

water-reducing admixtures were required with the use of the
accelerating admixture. Various dosage rates of the air-entraining
admixture, as shown in Table 1, was used to achieve an average
air content of 6 ± 1%. With increases in cement content, higher dos-
age rates of the air-entraining admixture were needed. Some trial
matrices with high cement content demanded extreme dosages
that were not practical and, thus, the maximum dosage rate was
limited to 326 ml per 100 kg of Portland cement. On the whole,
the addition of the accelerating admixture did not have any impact
on the dosage rate of the air-entraining admixture.
The bleeding of the selected fast-track concretes was investi-
gated. Irrespective of the matrix constituents and proportions, no
bleeding was observed from any of the mixtures used in this
investigation.
Both initial and final setting times showed similar reductions
with increases in cement content. As the cement content increased
from 386–445 to 505–564 kg/m3 the initial and final times of set-
ting decreased by 4%, 4%, and 12%, respectively, for the matrices
without an accelerating admixture. The same matrices incorporat-
ing an accelerating admixture displayed a decrease in initial and fi-
nal times of settings by approximately 42%, 8%, and 10%,
respectively, as the cement content increased by the same amount.
When comparing mixtures without an accelerating admixture to
those with an accelerating admixture, the initial and final times
of setting dropped by an overall average of 33% (I-386 not
included).
The adiabatic temperatures of the selected fast-track concretes
were measured and the results are shown in Table 2. The freshly
mixed concrete temperatures were at the higher end of the typical
range 10–32 °C and varied from 26 to 32 °C partly due to the used
heated mixing water. As the cement content increased from 386–
445 to 505–564 kg/m3, the average increase in peak temperature
was 7% while the time-to-reach the peak temperature decreased
by 6%. The same mixtures, with the addition of the accelerating
admixture, increased by an average of 7% in peak temperature
and reduced by roughly 9% in time-to-reach peak temperatures
as the cement content increased from 386–445 to 505–564 kg/
m3. The addition of the accelerating admixture did not have as
much as an effect on the peak temperatures as did the increase
in cement content. However, the accelerating admixture had effect
on time to peak, and it generated an average reduction of 24%,
when compared to concrete without accelerating admixture.
4.2. Bulk characteristics
4.2.1. Opening-to-traffic time
Using the set flexural strength of 4.5 MPa and the equation pro-
vided by ACI committee 363, a compressive strength of approxi-
mately 20.7 MPa is obtained [21]. Consequently, for the purpose
of this investigation, all opening-time categories were determined
by attaining a minimum compressive strength of 20.7 MPa. The re-
sults of the study revealed 8 and 12 h opening-times for the mix-
tures with and without the accelerating admixture, respectively,
as shown in Table 3.
4.2.2. One day demolded unit weight
As shown in Table 3, the unit weight of the selected concretes
obtained at the pre-assigned opening-time marginally increased
with increases in cement content. A similar pattern was obtained
with the use of the accelerating admixture.
4.2.3. Compressive strength
The test results of the selected trial matrices as related to the
compressive strength at different curing ages are presented in Ta-
ble 3. In general, the compressive strengths of the trial matrices
marginally improved with an increase in the cement content at
both opening-time and 28 days. When the cement content in-
creased from 386–445 to 505–564 kg/m3 the compressive
strengths at the opening-time of 12 h (for the mixtures without
accelerating admixture) experienced improvement of 2%, 2%, and

Table 3
Bulk properties of fast-track concretes.

Mixture designation Opening time (h) One day demolded Compressive strength (MPa)
unit weightb (kg/m3) Curing age
6h 8h 12 h 3 days 7 days 28 days
I-386 12 2332 –a 6.2 21.4 –a –a 46.1
I-445 12 2333 –a 10.3 21.9 36.4 36.9 46.2
I-505 12 2335 –a 11.4 22.4 –a –a 46.3
I-564 12 2366 –a 13.7 24.5 –a –a 51.1
I-386AA 8 2364 –a 17.0 27.9 –a –a 55.4
I-445AA 8 2366 –a 21.2 28.7 –a –a 56.5
I-505AA 8 2368 16.1 22.8 29.5 –a –a 57.6
I-564AA 8 2377 22.3 27.3 33.3 –a –a 63.5

1 kg/m3 = 1.685 lb/yd3, 1 MPa = 145 psi.

a
Not available.
b
At corresponding opening-time.
 N. Ghafoori, M.W. Tays / Construction and Building Materials 24 (2010) 1424–1431 1427

9%, respectively. It should be noted that the mixtures made with
564 kg/m3 of cement had a slightly lower water-to-cement con-
tent than other matrices. The corresponding strength gains at the
opening-time of 8 h (for the mixtures with accelerating admixture)
were 3%, 3%, and 13%, respectively. For the same increase in ce-
ment content, the selected matrices experienced average improve-
ments in the 28-day moist-curing compressive strength of 0.2%,
0.2%, and 10%; and 2%, 2%, and 10%, respectively; for the mixtures
with and without accelerating admixture. The perceptible gain in
strength recorded when the cement content increased from 505
to 564 kg/m3 indicated that the opening-time of the mixtures I-
564 and I-564AA could be less than the reported 8 and 12 h for
the matrices with and without accelerating admixtures, respec-
tively. The length of curing time from the designated opening-time
to 28 days had a significant influence on the compressive strength.
The trial matrices showed average improvements of 10% and 37%
in compressive strength for the mixtures without and with the
accelerator, respectively, as the curing age increased from open-
ing-time to maturity.
4.3. Resistance to wear
The test results of the abrasion resistance for the selected matri-
ces at the designated opening-times and 28-days moist-curing age
are shown in Table 4. For the opening-time abrasion tests, the abil-
ity to resist wear was measured as a function of time-to-reach the
terminal depth of (3 mm). In fact, at the designated opening-time,
the matrices with cement contents of 386, 445, 505, and 564 kg/m3
and incorporating an accelerating admixture reached their ulti-
mate depth of wear at 4.5, 7, 11 and 18 min, respectively. The cor-
responding times for the test samples without an accelerating
admixture were 3.5, 4.5, 8.5, and 13 min, respectively. For the ma-
tured concretes (at ages of 28 days and beyond), the resistance to
wear was measured as a function of depth of wear after 20 min
of testing. The influence of the cement content, curing age, and
accelerating admixture on abrasion wear is discussed in the fol-
lowing sections. The coefficient of variation for the abrasion test
of the trials concrete is also examined and presented.
4.3.1. Influence of cement content
As the cement content increased from 386–445 to 505–564 kg/
m3, the times to reach the ultimate abrasion depth (3 mm) of the
test samples made without an accelerating admixture and cured
up to the designated opening-time increased by roughly 29%,
89%, and 53%, respectively. The corresponding times augmentation
were 56%, 57%, and 64%, respectively, for the specimens incorpo-
rating an accelerating admixture. At the maturity age (28 days),
all the selected matrices reached the ultimate depth of wear before
the completion of the maximum 20 min testing time. For the same
increase in cement content, the test samples without an accelerat-
ing admixture and moist-cured for 28 days, experienced abrasion
resistance improvement of nearly 23%, 20%, and 5%; and 22%,
13%, and 8% after 5 and 20 min, respectively. The corresponding
gains in wear resistance were 44%, 33%, and 18%; and 50%, 35%,
and 7% for the specimens made with an accelerating admixture.
The improvement in depth of wear, with increases in cement con-
tent, can be attributed to the formation of a binder-rich and denser
matrix which, in turn, enhanced the surface property of the fast-
track concretes. Moreover, the resistances to wear improvements
with increases in cement content were more dominant at the des-
ignated opening-times than at the maturity age. This finding can be
explained through the quality of cement paste at the time of test-
ing. The test specimens cured up to the pre-selected opening-age
had insufficient time needed to adequately hydrate and develop
the appropriate surface property. As a result, they were sensitive
to increases in cement content. On the other hand, after 28 days
of moist-curing, the cement paste was nearly fully hydrated and
matured, making the influence of the cement content less
significant.
4.3.2. Influence of curing age
Fig. 1 displays a typical trend for the effect of curing age on
resistance to wear of the selected fast-track Portland cement con-
cretes at opening and maturity ages. From Table 4 and Fig. 1, it can
be observed that:
(1) Significant improvements in wear resistance were observed
between designated opening-times and 28-days curing.
Moreover, the wear resistance improvements with increases
in curing age were far more affected by the addition of the
accelerator than increases in cement content.
(2) None of the samples tested at their selected opening-time
were able to complete the 20 min testing period. However,
all samples were able to be abraded for the full 20 min with-

Table 4
Depth of wear of test specimens at different time intervals.

Mixture designation Time interval (min)

0.5 1 2 3 4 5 10 15 20
Depth of wear at opening-time (mm)
I-386 0.55 1.21 2.21 2.93 –a
I-445 0.38 0.88 1.80 2.53 3.01 –a
I-505 0.35 0.70 1.31 1.78 2.15 2.44 –a
I-564 0.31 0.58 1.07 1.48 1.83 2.11 2.87 –a
I-386AA 0.55 1.09 2.03 2.65 2.97 –a
I-445AA 0.41 0.80 1.46 1.99 2.39 2.70 –a
I-505AA 0.34 0.65 1.18 1.59 1.91 2.17 2.96 –a
I-564AA 0.28 0.49 0.85 1.14 1.39 1.59 2.28 2.80 –a
Depth of wear at 28 days moist-curing (mm)
I-386 0.25 0.41 0.71 0.97 1.21 1.42 2.20 2.71
I-445 0.17 0.31 0.56 0.77 0.94 1.10 1.64 2.06 2.35
I-505 0.20 0.28 0.44 0.60 0.74 0.88 1.49 1.95 2.29
I-564 0.16 0.24 0.40 0.55 0.70 0.84 1.42 1.84 2.10
I-386AA 0.15 0.27 0.49 0.68 0.84 0.98 1.48 1.87 2.09
I-445AA 0.12 0.19 0.30 0.39 0.47 0.55 0.79 0.94 1.05
I-505AA 0.08 0.13 0.21 0.27 0.32 0.37 0.49 0.59 0.68
I-564AA 0.06 0.10 0.17 0.23 0.27 0.30 0.40 0.52 0.63

1 kg/m3 = 1.685 pcy, 1 mm = 0.0394 in.

a
Indicates that testing was terminated before 20 min as a depth of wear of 3 mm was reached.
1428 N. Ghafoori, M.W. Tays / Construction and Building Materials 24 (2010) 1424–1431

3.5 0.1378 Table 5

Coefficient of variation for abrasion test at opening-time and 28 days ages.

3 0.1181 Mixture Time interval (min)

designation
0.5 1 2 5 10 15 20

2.5 0.0984 Opening-time interval (min)

Depth of Wear (mm)

I-386 10.99 9.48 12.37 –a –a –a –a

Depth of Wear (in.)

I-445 15.91 15.23 13.2 7.35 –a –a –a
2 0.0787 I-505 11.99 17.26 13.85 5.51 –a –a –a
I-564 13.48 17.89 24.96 14.91 5.98 5.67 –a
I-386AA 7.06 20.14 9.86 5.25 –a –a –a
1.5 0.0590 I-445AA 16.18 10.65 16.75 8.79 –a –a –a
I-505AA 15.44 25.64 32.3 12.91 8.26 –a –a
I-564AA 19.8 21.53 17.36 17.59 17.42 5.49 4.49
1 0.0394
28-day time interval (min)
I-386 19.48 23.14 25.77 18.58 15.13 10.62 4.82
I-386-OT I-445-OT
0.5 I-505-OT I-564-OT 0.0197 I-445 35.92 23.45 32.27 37.59 31.91 11.73 7.22
I-386-28D I-445-28D I-505 16.39 21.78 26.81 24.28 17.69 12.79 10.2
I-505-28D I-564-28D I-564 22 18.18 30.53 21.85 11.6 10.5 7.29
0 0.0000 I-386AA 30.09 44.01 55.77 33.2 11.57 9.18 7.8
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 I-445AA 32.54 34.48 33.56 24.99 18.53 18.24 8.7
Time (minutes) I-505AA 26.2 34.45 37.06 23.31 16.02 11.56 6.18
I-564AA 58.26 51.43 40.66 37.1 36.58 17.67 8.28
Fig. 1. Abrasion resistance of fast-track concretes at opening-time and 28 days.
a
Not available.

out reaching the depth limit of 3 mm after 28 days of moist-

curing. Since the samples tested at the opening-time had not
ing the repeatability or accuracy of the test results. Following each
reached full maturity, their abrasion resistance between the
abrasion test, the abrasion path of the test specimen was carefully
opening-time and 28-days curing were measured by taking
observed and when the abrasion path was not completely uniform,
the time the weakest mixture reached the terminal depth
the result was discarded. The coefficients of variations of the trial
of 3 mm and comparing all others at the same time period.
concretes at different curing periods are documented in Table 5.
(3) For the mixtures without an accelerating admixture, the trial
It was observed that the initial coefficients of variations gradually
concretes made with cement content of 386, 445, 505, and
decreased as testing progressed, indicating an improvement in the
564 kg/m3 showed improvements of 64%, 69%, 66%, and
test accuracy with time. These findings can be attributed to the fact
62%, respectively, in abrasion resistance at the 4 min testing
that: (1) although the test specimen was accurately leveled, the
period as the curing age increased from the opening-time to
abrasion apparatus was never perfectly seated on the concrete sur-
28 days. The same mixtures with the accelerator made
face at initial testing, thus contributing to higher variations and (2)
improvements of 70%, 80%, 83%, and 81%, respectively, in
as testing progressed, a more uniform path developed for which
abrasion resistance at the 5 min testing period as the curing
the ball bearings followed.
age increased from opening-time to 28 days.
(4) When viewed in isolation, as the ultimate depth of wear
4.3.5. Abrasion index
attained at the opening-time was compared to the corre-
Abrasion indices of the trial matrices were evaluated using the
sponding result at 28 days, the same matrices without an
equation: IA = (R1/2)/P, where: IA = abrasion index, R = the recom-
accelerator increased in wear resistance by 3%, 26%, 26%,
mended ball race revolution (in thousands), and P = depth of pen-
and 32%, respectively. Identical mixtures with the accelerat-
etration (in in.or mm). The following guidelines for the abrasion
ing admixture performed better than those without an
indices of vehicular applications were used [21]:
accelerator by exhibiting wear resistance gains of 32%, 66%,
78%, and 80%, respectively, for the same curing periods.
4.3.5.1. Pedestrian applications.
IA = 2.0 (for P in mm) busy shopping footpaths and malls with
heavy pedestrian traffic.
4.3.3. Influence of accelerating admixture IA = 1.2 (for P in mm) for footpaths in other areas.
As it can be seen in Table 4, with the addition of the accelerating
admixture, the wear resistance improved depending on curing age. 4.3.5.2. Vehicular applications.
This is due to the fact that the accelerator enhances the rate of IA = 1.5 (for P in mm) for public roadways and industrial hard-
hydration of the cement paste at early age and, in combination settings.
with increases in curing time, results in an increased paste quality IA = 1.2 (for P in mm) for car-parks with vehicular traffic under
and surface characteristic. 2722 kg.
At the times to reach the ultimate depth of wear, the test spec-
imens made with 386, 445, 505, and 564 kg/m3 and accelerating The results obtained at both opening and 28 days ages are
admixture experienced improvements in depth of wear of 12%, shown in Table 6. A number of observations can be made:
20%, 10%, and 16%; and 32%, 56%, 70%, and 70% at the designated
opening-time and after 28 days of moist-curing, respectively, when (1) The abrasion indices increased as the selected fast-track con-
compared to the mixtures without accelerating admixture. cretes matured. This indicates an improvement in wear
resistance with increases in curing time.
4.3.4. Coefficient of variation (2) The abrasion indices increased with increases in cement
The reproducibility of test results is an important factor in any content and with the addition of the accelerating admixture.
test method. The appropriateness of the testing apparatus was The mixtures containing the accelerating admixture dis-
examined by visually inspecting the tested specimens and evaluat- played the highest resistance to wear both at the designated
 N. Ghafoori, M.W. Tays / Construction and Building Materials 24 (2010) 1424–1431 1429

Table 6 time to hydrate sufficiently. However, after 28-days curing, the ef-
Abrasion index of fast-track concretes at opening-age and 28 days. fect of the cement factor was less significant as the cement paste
Mixture Maximum abrasion index Abrasion index of 28-day samples was given the time required for proper hydration.
designation of opening-age samples at various testing times (min)
1 5 10 15 20 4.4.2. Effect of curing age
I-386 0.6 2.4 1.6 1.4 1.4 1.5
It was found that the length of curing from the opening-time to
I-445 0.7 3.2 2 1.9 1.9 1.9 28 days also influenced the resistance to wear more than it did the
I-505 0.9 3.5 2.5 2.1 2 2 compressive strength. As alluded to earlier, the influence of curing
I-564 1.1 4.1 2.7 2.2 2.1 2.1 age was examined using two different assessment methods.
I-386AA 0.7 3.7 2.3 2.1 2.1 2.1
In the first method, improvements in resistance to wear was
I-445AA 0.8 5.4 4.1 4 4.1 4.3
I-505AA 1 7.7 6.1 6.4 6.5 6.6 evaluated by taking the time increment the weakest mixture
I-564AA 1.4 9.7 7.4 7.9 7.5 7.2 reached the terminal depth of 3 mm at the opening-time and com-
paring all others at the same time period. This approach was em-
ployed for both opening and 28-day times. As the curing period
increased from the opening-time to 28 days, the overall average in-
crease in compressive strength for all mixtures was 110% whereas
opening-time and 28-days moist-curing. The rapid hydra-
the corresponding increases in abrasion resistance was 190%.
tion brought about by the accelerator at early ages increased
The second evaluation method compared the ultimate depth of
the quality of the cement paste and the resultant surface
wear (3 mm) obtained at the opening-time with that obtained
property.
from the 28-day moist-cured specimens. As the curing age in-
(3) The abrasion indices decreased with time and then gradually
creased from the opening-time to 28 days, the average increases
leveled out. This indicates that the abrasion resistance
in wear resistance and compressive strength were both 140%.
remained constant once the surface skin was worn away
and the body of the concrete specimen was reached. The
value of the abrasion index for the selected fast-track con- 4.4.3. Effect of accelerating admixture
cretes remained fairly unchanged after 5 min of testing, Although accelerating admixtures are used to accelerate the
meaning that the duration of testing was sufficient to obtain strength development of concrete at an early age [22], it was found
the abrasion index of the trial matrices. that, on the whole, the addition of the accelerating admixture
(4) All selected mixtures did not produce abrasion indices influenced the abrasion resistance more than it did the compres-
higher than the 50.8 (for P in in.) equivalent to 2.0 (for P in sive strength. The eight different concretes increased approxi-
mm), at the designated opening-time and thus did not meet mately 100% in wear resistance while a 6% increase in
the IA requirements. compressive strength was detected.
(5) With the exception of the mixtures without an accelerator
and containing cement content of 386 and 445 kg/m3, all 4.5. Relationship between depth of wear and compressive strength
Type I cement mixtures produced abrasion indices higher
than the 2.0 (for P in mm) after 28 days of moist-curing. This Portland cement concrete is usually considered abrasion resis-
demonstrated their suitability for all pedestrian and vehicu- tant when it possesses a minimum compressive strength of
lar applications upon maturity. 27.6 MPa [23]. However, as noted earlier, other factors such as cur-
ing conditions and age and finishing techniques may affect the
abrasion resistance more than the compressive strength [24]. The
4.4. Comparison of surface and bulk characteristics relationship between the abrasion resistance and compressive
strength of the fast-track concretes at both opening and maturity
The test results reported in Tables 3 and 4 indicate that the ce- ages were examined. The most suitable relationships, at a confi-
ment content, curing age, and accelerating admixture influenced dence level of 95%, between the time-to-reach the maximum
the resistance to wear more than they did the compressive allowable abrasion depth and the compressive strength in one
strength. The influence of cement content, curing age, and acceler- hand, and between the depth of wear and compressive strength,
ating admixture on bulk (compressive strength) and surface (resis- in the other hand are given in Eqs. (6)–(9) of the section below.
tance to wear) properties are discussed in the subsequent
paragraphs. 4.6. Statistical analyses

4.4.1. Effect of cement content
At the designated opening-times, when the fast-track concretes
increased in cement content from 386–445 to 505–564 kg/m3, the
matrices made with and without an accelerating admixture expe-
rienced overall average improvements in times to reach the ulti-
mate depth or wear of nearly 59% and 57%, respectively; whereas
the compressive strength of the same matrices improved by only
17% and 5%, respectively. The same mixtures at 28-days moist-cur-
ing displayed an average abrasion resistance increase of 31% and
11%, respectively, while the compressive strength improved only
by 5% and 4%, respectively. Similarly to the results presented ear-
lier, resistance to wear and compressive strength improvements
with increase in cement content were higher at the pre-selected
opening-times than at maturity (28 days). As noted before, the
samples cured up to the designated opening-times were more sen-
sitive to increase in cement factor because they lacked enough
A statistical program [25] was used to determine the best-fit
predictive equations, at 95% confidence level, for the compressive
strength, resistance to wear, and abrasion index of the trial con-
cretes. The predictive equations were tested for accuracy using
R2 (the coefficient of multiple determinations). Correlations
between the data predicted from the regression equations and
the actual test results were evaluated using F and T tests. The rela-
tionship among the dependable variables (compressive strength,
depth of wear, time-to-reach the ultimate depth of wear) and inde-
pendent variables (curing age, cement content, and accelerating
admixture) for the experimental program of this study are as
follows:
4.6.1. Compressive strength
CS ¼ 47:7 þ 0:000016CC2 þ 0:000057CCAA2 þ 48:0CA0:1 ð1Þ
1430 N. Ghafoori, M.W. Tays / Construction and Building Materials 24 (2010) 1424–1431
4.6.2. Resistance to wear
ðDOWÞOT ¼ 6:63  103 þ 0:54T þ 1:2  102 CC
 6:07  102 T2  3:44  105 CC2
þ 5:79  104 CC  T þ 1:54  103 T3
þ 2:1  108 CC3  2:91  107 T  CC2
þ 4:39  107 T2  CC
ðDOWÞAAOT ¼ 4:494  103 þ 0:685T þ 5:402  103 CCAA
 6:55  102 T2  8:728  106 CCAA2
þ 1:84  104 CCAA  T þ 1:18  103 T3
 3:147  109 CCAA3  6:031  107 T  CCAA2
þ 3:71  105 T2 CCAA
ðDOWÞ28-day ¼ 7:78  103 þ 0:95T þ 4:89  103 CC
 1:74  102 T2  1:85  105 CC2
þ 2:49  103 CC  T þ 1:71  103 T3
þ 1:76  108 CC3  2:07  106 T  CC2
þ 1:68  105 T2  CC
ðDOWÞAA28-day ¼ 5:77  103 þ 1:33T þ 2:26  103 CCAA
 1:59  102 T2  8:53  106 CC2
 4:36  103 CCAA  T þ 1:54  104 T3
þ 8:21  109 CCAA3  3:78  106 T  CCAA2
þ 1:93  105 T2 CCAA
4.6.3. Depth of wear versus compression strength
0:0279
TimeðAbrÞOTmax ¼
1  0:0847CS þ 1:7962  103 CS2
13448:4769
TimeðAbrÞAAOTmax ¼ 36:5342 
CS2
þ 347912189:3615 expðCSÞ
ðDOWÞ28-day ¼ 2:098 þ 2:640  1019 expðCSÞ
 
24717:5128
ðDOWÞAA28-day ¼ exp 2084:3339 þ þ 408:2373 logðCSÞ
CS
where CC = cement content without accelerating admixture (kg/m3),
CCAA = cement content with accelerating admixture (kg/m3), CS =
compressive strength (MPa), CA = curing age (h), (DOW)28-day =
depth of wear for the 28-day cured concrete (mm), (DOW)OT = Depth
of wear for opening-time concrete (mm), (DOW)AA28-day = depth of
wear for the 28-day cured concrete with accelerating admixture
(mm), (DOW)AAOT = depth of wear for the opening-time concrete
with accelerating admixture (mm), T = Age of testing for the open-
ing-time or 28-day cured concrete (min), Time(Abr)OTmax = time-
to-reach maximum allowable abrasion depth for concrete without
accelerating admixtures at opening-time (min), Time(Abr)AAOT-
max = time-to-reach maximum allowable abrasion depth for
concrete with accelerating admixtures at opening-time (min)
The predictive equations yielded coefficients of multiples deter-
mination, R2, ranging from 95.36% to 99.45%, and Prob(t) and
Prob(F) values less than 0.01. The calculated values of the regres-
sion variables R2, Prob(t) and Prob(F) were indicative of strong rela-
tionship between the dependent and independent variables.
5. Conclusions
The following conclusions are based on the experimental results
ð2Þ presented in this paper:
(1) ASTM C 779 [20], Procedure C, Ball Bearings, proved to be
successful in measuring the relative performance of the
fast-track Portland cement concretes. The testing procedure
was relatively quick and easy to perform and produced reli-
able and repeatable results.
(2) Increases in cement content resulted in improved wear
ð3Þ resistance. At the opening-time, the overall average
improvement in resistance to wear, with increasing cement
content increment of 60 kg/m3 was 60%. Identical mixtures
at maturity (28-days cured) exhibited an overall average
improvement of 14% in abrasion resistance for every 60 kg/
m3 increases in cement content. The average wear resistance
improvements with the same increases in cement content of
the Type I Portland cement concretes were 60% and 54% at
ð4Þ time of opening and 28 days, respectively, when the acceler-
ator was added.
(3) Significant improvements in resistance to wear with
increases in curing age was observed using two distinct
methods aimed to compare the test results at opening and
maturity times. When the time-to-reach the maximum
allowable depth (3 mm) of the opening-time specimens
was employed to ascertain the abrasion depth of the equiv-
ð5Þ alent 28-days specimens, nearly a 190% reduction in depth
of wear was obtained. On the other hand, when the abrasion
results of the matured concretes were compared to the max-
imum allowable depth of wear (3 mm) at the opening-time,
only a 30% reduction in wear depth was attained. Test
results also revealed that the utilization of the accelerating
ð6Þ
admixture had a significant impact in improving resistance
to wear, at a rate of nearly 400%, when the test results were
compared at the two aforementioned curing ages. Moreover,
the reduction in depth of wear, with the addition of the
accelerator, remained nearly unaffected by the increases in
ð7Þ
cement content.
(4) With the addition of the accelerator, increases in abrasion
ð8Þ resistance were experienced at both opening-time and
28 days of moist-curing. The overall average wear resistance
improvement at opening-time was nearly 42% when the
accelerator was used. At maturity, the same mixtures
ð9Þ resulted in a significant overall average improvement of
163% in resistance to wear with the addition of the
accelerator.
(5) The abrasion indices increased with increases in cement
content and curing time, and with the addition of the accel-
erating admixture. An increase in the abrasion index is indic-
ative of an increase in the resistance to wear. The abrasion
indices marginally decreased and then leveled off after
nearly 5 min of testing. None of the selected fast-track con-
cretes satisfied the required abrasion index at the time of
opening even though the strength requirement was met.
However, after 28 days of moist-curing, nearly all mixtures
produced abrasion indices suitable for all pedestrian and
vehicular application
(6) Test results showed that the cement content, curing age, and
accelerating admixture influenced surface property more
than bulk characteristic. Averaging the abrasion resistance
improvements of the selected fast-track concrete mixtures
 N. Ghafoori, M.W. Tays / Construction and Building Materials 24 (2010) 1424–1431
without accelerating admixture, the overall depth of wear at
opening-time improved 57% whereas the compressive
strength improved only 5% with 60 kg/m3 increases in
cement content. Overall, as curing time increased from
opening-time to 28 days, the selected mixtures without
accelerating admixture improved 25% in wear resistance
and 10% in compressive strength. At opening-time, as the
cement content increased from 386–45 to 505–64 kg/m3,
the inclusion of an accelerating admixture resulted in a
59% overall average increase in resistance to wear as com-
pared to 17% in the compressive strength. Moreover, the
same mixtures containing an accelerating admixture experi-
enced wear improvement of 73% versus 38% increase in
compressive strength as the curing time increased from
opening-time to 28 days.
(7) At both opening and maturity ages, there existed a statisti-
cally significant relationship between the dependent vari-
ables (compressive strength, depth of wear, time-to-reach
the ultimate depth of wear) and independent variables (cur-
ing age, cement content, and accelerating admixture).
Conversion factors
1 mm = 0.0394 in.
1 N = 0.225 lb = 2.248  104 kip.
1 MPa = 0.145 ksi.
1 kgf/cm2 = 0.014 ksi.
1 °C = 5/9 (°F  32).
1 kg/m3 = 1.685 lb/yd3.
Acknowledgement
This research was funded in part by a faculty research grant
made possible by Tennessee Technological University.
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