Natural Pozzolan as a Partial Substitute for Cement in Concrete

Dr. Ghassan K. Al-Chaar* and Dr. Mouin Alkadi

Abstract: This test series evaluated four mixes prepared using three types of natural pozzolan, as well as a Class F
fly ash, to replace cement partially. The effectiveness of each pozzolan in controlling alkali-silica reactions was
studied. Correlations were made between the mechanical properties of the proposed mixes and a Portland cement
control mix. The results were also compared with industry standards for mortars made with fly ash and silica fume.
Results indicate that one type of pozzolan may be used as a substitute for fly ash, but not for silica fume.

Keywords: Natural pozzolan, cement replacement, concrete, mortar, fly ash, silica fume

1. INTRODUCTION pozzolan materials as an additive or substitute for ce-

ment in concrete mixtures.
1.1. Background
1.3. Approach
A pozzolan is a siliceous material that can be used as
an inexpensive substitute for cement in mortar mix- This series of experiments subjected a Class F fly ash
tures. Pozzolans participate in a cementitious reaction and three samples of different natural pozzolans to the
with calcium hydroxide (i.e., lime) and other alkalis. following laboratory tests: chemical composition,
Pozzolans are effective at lowering the mortar’s heat of moisture content, loss on ignition, compressive
hydration, which improves its workability and durabil- strength, strength activity index, expansion from alkali-
ity. They can also improve concrete and mortar re- silica reaction (ASR), heat of hydration, slump, drying
sistance to both sulfate attack and the alkali-silica reac- shrinkage, and autoclave expansion.
tion (ASR), which makes it beneficial to use in large
concrete projects such as bridges and dams (Gibbons
1997). The samples used in this series were Pozzolan J, col-
lected from a site in Jordan; Pozzolan S1, from Saudi
Arabia; and Pozzolan S2, from South Africa. The pur-
Major sources of natural and manmade pozzolans in- pose of this test series was to assess the effectiveness
clude volcanic mineral deposits, fired and crushed clay, of the test pozzolans in controlling the ASR and reduc-
and fly ash, which is created during the burning of coal ing the heat of hydration when used as cement-
for power generation (Gibbons 1997). Most pozzolans replacement materials.
are plentiful, but current uses for them are limited.
Consequently, they represent a potential source of in-
expensive construction material. 1.4. Literature Review
Port-
Determi- Fly Pozzola Pozzola Pozzola
A literature land
search was
nate Ash conducted
nJ to nreview
S1 studies
n S2
With characteristics complementary to Portland ce- cement
addressing concrete degradation
51.0
caused by the reaction
ment, a pozzolan may be used to replace a significant SiO (%) aggregates
of 2alkali 20 in cement
6 42.56 48.44 heat44.7
and excessive of
portion of cement in a concrete mixture. This study hydration during the curing
32.2 process.
explored the properties of some pozzolans and various Al O (%)
2 3 5.68 3 13.55 15.97 14.5
concrete mixes after the addition of pozzolan speci- CaO (%) 64.94 4.18 9.75 8.53 9
mens. Alkalis in cement (typically calcium hydroxide and
Fe2O3 (%) 3.98 3.42 13.24 13.2 11.8
sodium and potassium oxide) can react with aggregates
MgO (%) 0.7 1.06 11.15 7.89
containing reactive silica or carbonate mineral constit- 7.8
1.2. Objective SO (%)
uents.
3 2.81 0.42 0.35 0.1
In cured cement, these reactions produce differ- 0.15
ent
Othertypes
(%) of expansion
1.89 that can cause
7.63 9.4 concrete
5.87 deterio-
12.05
The objective of this study was to investigate the feasi- ration
Water through internal cracking, surface cracking,
bility and effectiveness of using naturally occurring -
Require- aggregate
and/or 90
pop-out 100 100
(Dolar-Mantuani 100
1983).
ment (%)
Classic
Free Waterresearch by Stanton (1940) ascribed ASR deg-
radation - expansive0.1
to an chemical0.1reaction 0.1
between the 0.1
(%)
alkalis
Loss on contained in the cement paste and certain reac-
1.16 0.81 2.56 1.26 1.5
* Ghassan K. Al-Chaar, Ph.D., Structural Engineer, Construc- Ignition
tive (%) of silica
forms within aggregate. Stanton identified
tion Engineering Research Laboratory, Champaign, IL Insoluble
opal
Residueand chert as0.32
common
- forms
- of reactive
- silica.
-
For cracking and expansion to result from ASR, the following shows (%)
chemical composition, loss on ignition, density, and
Blaine
combination of conditions is normally re- quired (Hobbs 1988): fineness of all cementitious materials,461
while Figure
Fineness320 238 320 1 shows
564
their (m
particle
2
/kg) size distributions.
Density
- 2.2 2.86 2.8 2.8
(g/cm3)
 1. significant quantity of reactive silica Table 1. Analysis of Cementitious materials
2. reactive silica within a critical range of pro-
portions
3. available alkalis above a critical level
4. water from an external source.

Suitable precautions must be taken to minimize or

eliminate harmful expansion and cracking, such as:

1. decreasing the amount of reactive aggregate

(Björk 2002)
2. using low-alkali cement as per ASTM C150-
09
3. using mineral admixtures such as pozzolans or
blast furnace slag (Lane et al.; Wang and
Gillott 1993; Thomas and Innis 1998)
4. reducing the availability of water such that the
relative humidity in concrete pores falls below
about 85–90%

In mass and high-strength concrete, the production of

heat during the hydration reaction creates thermal gra-
dients which can induce cracking in hardening concrete
(Yeon et al. 2012, De Schutter 2002). Thermal crack-
ing can be mitigated by reducing the heat of hydration,
a goal which can be achieved through the use of
pozzolans or ground, granulated blast furnace slag
(Tokyay et al. 2012, Nili and Salehi 2010).
120

2. CHARACTERISTICS OF CONCRETE 100

Type I Cement Type F FLy Ash Pozzolan J Pozzolan S1 Col 2 vs Col 7
FORMULATED WITH POZZOLAN
ADDITIVES 80
Passing (%)

60

2.1 Concrete Formulation Components 40

2.1.1 Cementitious Materials 20

For this investigation, pozzolanic materials were se- 0

lected which conformed to ASTM C618-00. Natural
pozzolan was used from Saudi Arabia (Pozzolan S1), 1000 100 10 1 0.1
South Africa (Pozzolan S2), and Jordan (Pozzolan J). Particle Size (micron)
This phase of testing also included a Class F fly ash, Figure 1. Gradations of cementitious materials
whose properties are specified in ASTM C618-00.
2.1.2 Aggregate Materials
The natural pozzolan samples were crushed, ground,
Washed, surface-dry basalt aggregates were used in
and tested. A Cilas Granulometre 715 device was used
this study. Fine aggregate, consisting of crushed basalt
to determine the grain size distributions of the materi-
rocks, was sifted, washed over a #100 (150 µm) sieve
als. Type I Portland cement was used in the production
with a water spray, and re-graded to the final, desirable
of concrete mixes. Chemical properties of the cement
particle size distribution. Grain size distributions for all
were tested periodically in the laboratory. Table 1
aggregates are shown in Figure 2. Coarse aggregates
were used for slump testing, only. 120
3/4-inch Aggregate 3/8-inch Aggregate Fine Sand

2.2 Compressive Strength Testing t s on the specimens (50- use 15, 20, 25, 30,
e compres mm cubes). In d to and 40% of the
This investigation used procedures outlined by ASTM ri sive test mixtures, repl mass of the
C109/C109M-08 to evaluate the effect of the replace- a strength mineral ace Portland
ment of Portland cement with different pozzolanic ma- l of test admixtures were 10, cement used in
the control mix- ture. The results are presented in 100

Figure 3 through Figure 6.

80

Passing (%)
60

40

20

100 10 1 0.1 0.01

Particle Size (mm)

Figure 2. Gradations of aggregates
The control mixture consisted of:
18

• 500 g of Portland cement 16

180 Days
90 Days
• 1375 g of graded standard sand (ASTM 28 Days
7 Days
14
C778-06)
• 242 mL of water. 12

f'c (MPa)
10

Test mixtures consisted of: 8

• 450, 425, 400, 375, 350, 300 g of Port- 4

land cement 2
• 50, 75, 100, 125, 150, 200 g of mineral 0
admixtures 0 10 20 30 40

• 1375 g of graded standard sand Cement Replacement (%)

• 242 mL of water. Figure 3. Effect of cement replacement with fly ash on
strength development
The test mortars contained 1 part cement to 2.75 parts
graded aggregate (by mass) and a water-to-cement ratio 18
equal to 0.485 (by mass). 180 Days
90 Days
16
28 Days
7 Days
14
Mixtures of the dry ingredients were prepared, water
was added, and the specimens were mechanically 12

mixed in accordance with ASTM C305-06. After mix-

f'c (MPa)

10

ing, prisms were poured in lifts and tamped as required 8

by ASTM C109/109M-08. Immediately after molding, 6

the specimens were placed in a moist room at 23.0 ±
4
2.0 °C. After 24 hours, the prisms were removed from
the moist room and placed in water storage tanks until 2

testing. The compressive strengths of two control spec- 0

0 10 20 30 40
imens and two specimens of each test mixture were
Cement Replacement (%)
determined at 7, 28, 90, and 180 days. Figure 3 through
Figure 6 show the results, which demonstrate that the Figure 4. Effect of cement replacement with Pozzolan J
natural pozzolans produce strengths similar to the fly on strength development
ash.
 18 2.3 Strength Activity Index Testing
180 Days
16 90 Days
28 Days
7 Days The purpose of this portion of the study was to deter-
14
mine the strength activity index for concrete samples
12
blended with fly ash, Pozzolan J, and Pozzolan S1.
Test specimens from a control mixture and a test mix-
f'c (MPa)

10

8
ture were molded in accordance with ASTM
C109/C109M-08. In the test mixture, 20% of the mass
6
of Portland cement used in the control mixture was
4
replaced by the same mass of the test pozzolan. Test
2 cube batches were produced in accordance with ASTM
0 C311-00. The following formulas were used:
0 10 20 30 40

Cement Replacement (%)

Control Mixtures
Figure 5. Effect of cement replacement with Pozzolan
S1 on strength development  500 g of Portland cement
 1,375 g of graded standard sand (Ottawa
sand, ASTM C778-06)
25  242 mL of water
180 Days
90 Days
28 Days
20 7 Days

Test Mixtures
15  400 g of Portland cement
f'c (MPa)

 100 g of test sample (pozzolan)

10  1,375 g of graded standard sand
 242 mL of water required for flow ±5 of con-
5 trol mixture

0 After molding, the specimens were placed in a moist

0 10 20 30 40
room at 23.0 ± 2.0 °C. After 24 hours, they were re-
Cement Replacement (%)
moved from the moist room and stored until testing in
Figure 6. Effect of cement replacement with Pozzolan saturated lime water as specified in ASTM
S2 on strength development
C109/C109M-08. Compressive strength was deter-
mined for two control specimens and two specimens of
each test mixture at 7 and 28 days. Pozzolanic activity
120 indexes were calculated as follows:
28 Days
100 7 Days

Strength activity index

80 = A/B x 1000,
with Portland cement
Activity Index (%)

60
where
40

A= average compressive strength of test mix cubes

20
B= average compressive strength of control mix cubes
0
Fly Ash Pozzolan J Pozzolan S1
ASTM C618-00 requires a minimum strength activity
Figure 7. Effect of various pozzolans on strength index of 75% at both 7 and 28 days. As shown in Fig-
activity index ure 7, the Class F fly ash and Pozzolans J and S1 meet
or exceed this requirement.
2.4 Alkali-Silica Reactivity Testing d the potential of a concrete mixture to un- dergo
et ASR, which produces potentially harmful expan-
The purpose of this test series was to evaluate the ef- e sion.
fectiveness of the three subject pozzolans in controlling ct
ASR when used as a cement substitute. The investiga- i
tion was carried out under laboratory conditions using o
procedures described in ASTM C1260-07, Standard n
Test Method for Potential Alkali Reactivity of Aggre- o
gates (Mortar-Bar Method). This method enables the f
 0 10 20 30 40

0.04
Cement Replacement (%)
14 Days
10 Days
5 Days

0.03

Expansion (%)
0.02

0.01

0.00

Four levels of cement replacement were investigated:

Figure 8. Effect of cement replacement with fly ash on
10, 20, 30 and 40%. Basalt aggregates were crushed, ASR expansion
sieved, washed, and re-graded as summarized in Sec-
tion 2.1.2. The dry materials for the test mortar were
prepared using a mixture of 1 part cement to 2.25 parts 0.035

graded aggregate (by mass) to cast 25 x 25 x 286 mm 14 Days

10 Days
0.030
bars. A water-to-cement ratio equal to 0.47 (by mass) 5 Days

was used. Each mold was placed in a moist cabinet or 0.025

room immediately after it was filled. The specimens

Expansion (%)
remained in the molds for 24 ± 2 hours, after which 0.020

they were de-molded and placed in a storage container 0.015

with enough tap water to totally immerse them for 24
hours at 80 ± 2.0 °C. 0.010

0.005

The initial length of each test specimen was then meas-

0.000
ured using a length comparator in accordance with 0 10 20 30 40

ASTM C490-08, Standard Practice for Use of Appa- Cement Replacement (%)
ratus for the Determination of Length Change of Hard- Figure 9. Effect of cement replacement with Pozzolan J
ened Cement Paste, Mortar, and Concrete. Subse- on ASR expansion
quently, test specimens were stored in a container at 80
± 2.0 °C with enough NaOH solution for the samples to
be totally immersed. Expansion data were recorded 0.04
14 Days
periodically, with at least three intermediate readings 10 Days
5 Days
between the start and finish of the test.
0.03

A 14-day expansion greater than 0.20% indicates a

Expansion (%)

potentially reactive aggregate in the field, while a 14 0.02

day expansion smaller than 0.10% indicates a nonreac-
tive aggregate. Figure 8 – Figure 10 show the expan-
sion test results. These results show that, although fly 0.01

ash is slightly more effective than the natural

pozzolans, both pozzolans significantly reduce the 14-
day expansions and control ASR. 0.00
0 10 20 30 40
Cement Replacement (%)

Figure 10. Effect of cement replacement with Pozzolan S1

2.5 Heat of Hydration Testing
Heat of hydration is the quantity of heat (in joules per
gram of unhydrated cement) that develops over the
course of hydration at a given temperature. The most
common method of determining the heat of hydration
is described in ASTM C186-98, Standard Test Method
for Heat of Hydration of Hydraulic Cement. It is ac-
complished by measuring the heat of solutions of
on ASR expansion
Three mixes were designed with 20% pozzolan, but
each used pozzolan of a different fineness. As shown in
Figure 15, the early compressive strengths of these
specimens increased with increasing pozzolan fineness.
500
28 Days
Heat of Hydration (J/g)

14 Days
7 Days
unhydrated and hydrated cement in a mixture of nitric 400
3 Days
1 Day
and hydrofluoric acids. The difference between the two
values represents the heat of hydration.
300

This method was used to calculate the heat of hydration 200

for one Portland cement control mixture and two test
mixtures incorporating fly ash and Pozzolan S1. The
100
results at curing durations of 1, 3, 7, 14, and 28 days
are shown in Figure 11. This test series determined that
the Pozzolan S1 mixture produced about 15% less heat 0
100% Cement 57.5% Fly Ash 57.5% Pozzolan S1

of hydration than the fly ash mixture, where the fly ash
Figure 11. Effect of various pozzolans on heat of
mixture produced about 30% less heat of hydration hydration
than the control mixture.
Table 2. Mixture for control specimens
2.6 Effect of Pozzolan and Water-to-Cement Ra-
tio on Slump

Ten specimens were created with varying amounts of

Pozzolan S1 (between 0 and 30%), and water-to-
cement (W/C) ratios varying between 0.456 and 0.5.
Table 2 displays two slump testing mixture examples: a
control mix and a 10% pozzolan mix. The slumps of
nine specimens at 0, 30, and 45 minutes are shown in
Figure 12. The results in Figure 12 show that increas-
ing the amount of pozzolan generally increased the
slump and workability of these specimens. In five spec-
imens, the amount of pozzolan also varied between
10% and 30%, but the W/C ratios were decreased. As
expected, reducing the W/C ratio reduced the slump of
the specimens.

2.7 Effect of Pozzolan and Water-to-Cement

Ratio on Strength
Specimens with varying amounts of Pozzolan S1 and
W/C ratios were tested in compression after 7 and 28
days to determine the effect of the pozzolan and W/C
ratio on the early compressive strength. The results of
these tests are shown in Figure 13.

Activity indexes are calculated by dividing the speci-

men strength by the strength of a control specimen at
the same age and multiplying by 100%. The results in
Figure 14 show that increasing the percentage of
pozzolan generally decreases the activity index.
Test Mixes
Pozzolan replacement 0% 10%
Total Volume (m3) 0.03 0.03
W/c 0.5 0.45
Ingredients
O. P. C. kg 10.5 8.4
Pozzolan " 0 2.1
3/4" " 22.35 22.92
3/8" " 13.08 13.41
F. Sand " 19.08 19.56
Free water L 5.25 4.719
Total water " 5.652 5.139
Pr - 150 " 0.063 0.063
Slump (mm)
Initial 170 50
 30 min 120 -
45 min 105 -
60 min 95 -
Temperature (oC)
Water 16 16
Ambient 15 16.8
Concrete(i) 20.5 20
Concrete(f) 19.5 -
 135
38-micron 32-micron 20-micron
130

125

Activity Index (%)

120
220
200
115
180
Slump (mm)

160
140 110
120 35
100 30 105
80
25
60 100
Initial Value 20
0.50 30-min 15
0.49 45-min 95
10
0.48
7 Days 28 Days
5
0.47
0 Age (days)
0.46
0.45
Figure 15. Effect of Pozzolan S1 fineness on activity index
Figure 12. Slump versus W/C-ratio and (20% replacement)
cement replacement with Pozzolan S1
3. COMPARISON OF POZZOLAN S1 WITH
ASTM SPECIFICATIONS FOR FLY ASH
AND SILICA FUME

The properties of 20-micron fine natural Pozzolan S1

were investigated and compared with the ASTM speci-
45
fications for fly ash and silica fume to determine the
40
extent of their similarity. The following ASTM specifi-
cations were used as reference standards:
f'c (MPa)

35

30
35
25
30 • ASTM C618-00, Standard Specification
20 25 for Coal Fly Ash and Raw or Calcined
0.50
28-day 15
20
Natural Pozzolan for Use as a Mineral
0.49
0.48
7-day 10 Admixture in Concrete
0.47
5
• ASTM C1240-00, Standard Specification
0
0.46
for use of Silica Fume as a Mineral Ad-
0.45
mixture in Hydraulic Cement Concrete
Figure 13. Strength versus W/C-ratio and
cement Mortar and Grout.
replacement with Pozzolan S1
3.1 Physical Tests
The following physical tests were conducted on the
pozzolan specimens:

 strength activity index (ASTM C311-00)

100
 density (ASTM C188-95)

90
fineness per sieve analysis (ASTM C311-00)
Activity Index (%)


80
Blaine fineness (ASTM C204-00)
70

35

60 30
increase in drying shrinkage (ASTM C157)
50
25  expansion stability using autoclave (ASTM
0.50 28-day 15
20
C157-08).
0.49 7-day
10
0.48
5
0.47
0
Two types of specimens were used: (1) a control spec-
0.46
0.45 imen with 100% Portland cement and sand and (2) an
Figure 14. Activity index versus W/C and activity specimen with 80% cement, 20% natural
cement replacement with Pozzolan S1 Pozzolan S1, and sand. The chemical composition and
physical properties of the control specimen were used 3.2 Chemical Tests
for comparison with the activity specimen. The results
of the physical tests are shown in Table 3 and Table 4. Chemical analysis of the specimens was conducted to
determine the effectiveness of the natural pozzolan in
contributing to sulfate resistance. The results of the
chemical analysis are given in Table 5 and Table 6.
Table 4. Density, fineness, dry shrinkage, and volume
stability
3.3 Physical Analysis Physical Property Results
Density 2.83g/cm3
The physical properties of the natural pozzolan speci- Fineness Sieve analysis 10.8%
mens are compared with the ASTM requirements for Blaine 359 m2/kg
fly ash and silica fume in Table 7. As shown in this Increase in drying shrinkage after 28 days -0.009% *
table, the natural pozzolan specimens met the require- Volume stability (autoclave expansion /
0.2%
contraction)
ments for fly ash but not for silica fume. The fineness
values were less than 34%, and the strength activity * The ASTM standard specifies to add (-) sign if the dry
shrinkage rate of control specimens is greater than the
indexes were greater than 75%. Their volume stabili- tested specimens
ties were less than 0.8%, and the increase in drying
shrinkage at 28 days was less than 0.03%. While the Table 5. Chemical composition
natural pozzolan met the silica fume requirements for Chemical Control Natural
Blaine fineness and the percentage remaining on the 45 Composition,% Cement Pozzolan S1
micron sieve, it is significant that it did not meet the 7- SiO2 19.26 48.44
day strength activity index of 85%. CaO 63.34 8.53
Fe2O3 3.6 13.3
Al2O3 5.35 15.97
3.4 Chemical Analysis MgO 2.36 7.98
SO3 2.48 0.1
The chemical test results for the natural pozzolan spec- K2O 0.51 1.37
imen were compared with the ASTM requirements, as Cl 0.011 0.012
shown in Table 8. The natural pozzolan specimens met
all requirements for fly ash but did not meet the 85% Table 6. Chemical properties
silicon dioxide requirement for silica fume. It is worth Control Natural
noting that the ASTM specification for class F fly ash Property Cement Pozzolan S1
requires the sum of Fe2O3, Al2O3, and SiO2 to be at Loss on Ignition,% 2.35 1.26
least 70%. It also specifies SO 3 less than 5%, moisture Moisture Content,% - 0.34
content less than 3%, and loss on ignition less than 6%. PH - 9.0
Carbon Content,% - 0.33
Table 3. Strength activity index results Insoluble Residue,% 0.74 -

Table 7. Comparison between pozzolan physical properties

and ASTM requirements
Property Control Activity Test Results ASTM C618-00 ASTM
specimen specimen for Class N Pozzolan, C1240-00
Shear Strength at 7 Pozzolan Class F and C Silica
days (N/mm2) 29.5 22.6 S1 Fly Fume
Strength Activity Ash
Index at 7days,% 76.6 Blaine Fineness 359 - 15
(m2/kg) (min.)
Shear Strength
(N/mm2) at 28 36.0 28.0 Pct. wt. 10.8 34 10
days remaining on (max.) (min.)
Strength Activity 45-micron
Index at 28 days,% 77.8 sieve
Strength 76.6 75 85
Activity Index (min.) (min.)
Table 8. Comparison between pozzolan properties and Loss on
at 7 days,% 1.26 10 6 6 6
ASTM requirements ignition (max.) (max.) (max.) (max.)
Strength 77.8 75 -
Test Results ASTM C618-00 (%)
Activity Index (min.)
for Silica SiO2
at 28 days,% 48.44 - - - 85
Natural Fly ash
Pozzolan fume (%) (min.)
Pozzolan Autoclave 0.02 0.8 -
S1 Class N expansion/
Class Class (max.)
F C contraction,%
Fe2O3 + 77.61 70 (min.) 70 50 - Pct.4.
Drying -0.009
CONCLUSIONS 0.03 -
Al2O3 + (min.) (min.) Shrinkage at 28 (max.)
SiO2 days
(%) This report has documented a program of physical and
0.34 4 (max.) 5 5 - chemical laboratory tests of some natural pozzolans and
SO3 (%) (max.) (max.) concrete mixes containing them. Analysis of test results has
Moisture 0.1 3 (max.) 3 3 - yielded the following conclusions.
content (max.) (max.)
(%)
4.1 Pozzolan S1 as a Fly Ash Substitute
Pozzolan S1 was found to provide a satisfactory substi-
tute for fly ash and other natural pozzolans when tested
against ASTM C618-00. It was clearly found to be
effective in controlling ASR. It also produces about
15% less heat of hydration than Class F fly ash, where-
as Class F fly ash produces about 30% less heat of hy-
dration than Portland cement only.
Pozzolan specimens ground to a size of 20 microns met
the chemical and physical requirements for fly ash. The
fineness values were less than 34%, and the strength
activity indexes at 7 and 28 days were greater than
75%. Volume stabilities were less than 0.8%, and the
increase in drying shrinkage at 28 days was less than
0.03%. The percentage of total iron oxide, aluminum
oxide, and silicon dioxide was greater than 70%. The
percentage of sulfur trioxide was less than 5%. Mois-
ture content was less that 3%. Loss on ignition was less
than 6%.
Based on the above findings, it is concluded that the
chemical and physical properties of Pozzolan S1 are
comparable to fly ash, and that one can be substituted
for the other.
[8] ASTM Standard C311-00. Standard Test Methods for
Sampling and Testing Fly Ash or Natural Pozzolans for
Use in Portland-Cement Concrete. West Conshohocken,
PA: ASTM International. 2000.
[9] ASTM Standard C490-08. Standard Practice for Use
of Apparatus for the Determination of Length Change
of Hardened Cement Paste, Mortar, and Concrete.
4.2 Pozzolan S1 as a silica fume substitute
Pozzolan S1 did not meet the ASTM C1240-00 chemi-
cal and physical requirements for silica fume. Its
strength activity index at 7 days was less than 85%, and
the percentage of silicon dioxide was not met. Howev-
er, it met the requirements for the percentage remaining
on the 45 micron sieve at greater than 10%, moisture
content less than 3%, loss on ignition less than 6%, and
Blaine fineness greater than 15 m2/kg.
Based on the above findings, it is concluded that
Pozzolan S1 is not a suitable replacement for ASTM
C1240-00 silica fume despite meeting the requirements
for fineness, moisture content, and loss on ignition.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors would like to acknowledge the assistance
of Kevin O’Connor, civil engineering graduate student
at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, for his
assistance with the construction of this paper.
REFERENCES
[1] ASTM Standard C109/C109M-08. Test Method for
Compressive Strength of Hydraulic Cement
Mortars (Using 2-in. or 50-mm Cube Specimens).
West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM International.
2008.
[2] ASTM Standard C150-07. Specification for Portland
Cement. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM International.
2007.
[3] ASTM Standard C157-08. Standard Test Method for
Length Change of Hardened Hydraulic-Cement
Mortar and Concrete. West Conshohocken, PA:
ASTM International. 2008.
[4] ASTM Standard C186-98. Standard Test Method for
Heat of Hydration of Hydraulic Cement. West
Conshohocken, PA: ASTM International. 1998.
[5] ASTM Standard C188-95. Standard Test Method for
Density of Hydraulic Cement. West Conshohocken, PA:
ASTM International. 1995.
[6] ASTM Standard C204-00. Standard Test Methods
for Fineness of Hydraulic Cement by Air-
Permeability Apparatus. West Conshohocken, PA:
ASTM International. 2000.
[7] ASTM Standard C305-06. Standard Practice for
Mechanical Mixing of Hydraulic Cement Pastes and
Mortars of Plastic Consistency. West Conshohocken, PA:
ASTM International. 2006.
West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM International. 2008.
[10] ASTM Standard C618-00. Specification for Coal Fly Ash and
Raw or Calcined Natural Pozzolan for Use as a Mineral
Admixture in Portland Cement Concrete. West Conshohocken,
PA: ASTM International. 2000.
[11] ASTM Standard C778-06. Standard Specification for
 Standard Sand. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM
International. 2006.
[12] ASTM Standard C1240-00. Standard Specification
for Silica Fume Used in Cementitious Mixtures. West
Conshohocken, PA: ASTM International. 2000.
[13] ASTM Standard C1260-07. Standard Test Method for
Potential Alkali Reactivity of Aggregates (Mortar-Bar
Method). West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM International.
2007.
[14] Björk, Folke, and Carl Axel Eriksson. 2002.
Measurement of Alkalinity in Concrete by a simple
Procedure, to Investigate Transport of Alkaline Material
from the Concrete Slab to a Self-levelling Screed.
Construction and Building materials. 16:535 - 542.
[15] De Schutter, G. “Finite Element Simulation of Thermal
Cracking in Massive Hardening Concrete Elements Using
Degree of Hydration Based Material Laws,” Computers
and Structures Pergamon Press 80 (2002) 2035–2042.
[16] Dolar-Mantuani, L. 1983. Handbook of
Concrete Aggregates, A Petrographic and
Technological Evaluation. Noyes Publication:
79-125.
[17] Gibbons, Pat. 1997. Pozzolans for Lime Mortars, The
Conservation and Repair of Ecclesiastical Buildings.
http://www.buildingconservation.com/articles/pozzo/pozz
o.htm
[18] Grattan-Bellew, P.E., G. Cybanski, B. Fournier, L.
Mitchell. 2003. "Proposed universal accelerated test for
alkali-aggregate reaction: the concrete microbar test".
Cement Concrete and Aggregates 25 (2): 29–34.
[19] Hobbs, D.W. 1988. Alkali-Silica Reaction in Concrete,
London: Thomas Telford: 183.
[20] Lane et al. Date Unknown. Properties and use of Fly
Ash in Portland Cement Concrete: 81-92.
[21] Mindess, Sidney, and J. Francis Young. 1981. Concrete.
Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc: 25.
[22] Nili, M. and Salehi, A.M. 2010. “Assessing the
Effectiveness of Pozzolans in Massive High-Strength
Concrete,” Construction and Building Materials. April.
Elsevier B.V.
[23] Sardela, Mauro. 2009. Siemens D5000 Theta/Theta XRD
System.
[24] Stanton, T. E. 1940. Expansion of concrete through
reaction between cement and aggregate, Proceedings
of the American Society of Civil Engineers
66(10):1781- 1811.
[25] Thomas, M. D. A. and F. A. Innis. 1998. Use of the
Accelerated Mortar-Bar Test for Evaluating the Efficacy
of Mineral Admixtures for Controlling Expansion Due to
Alkali–Silica Reaction. In Symposium on Developments
in Test Methods for Alkali–Silica Reactions. December.
[26] Tokyay, M., Delibaş, T., and Yaman, I.O. 2012. “Heat of
Hydration of GGBFS and Natural Pozzolan Incorporated
Cements,” Cement & Concrete World, Turkish Cement
Manufacturers’ Association.
[27] Wang, H. and Giliott, J. E. 1993. Effect Of Three Zeolite-
containing Natural Pozzolanic Materials On Alkali-Silica
Reaction, Journal of Cement, Concrete, and Aggregates.
July: 15(1)
[28] Yeon, J.H., Choi, S., and Won, M.C. 2012. “In Situ
Measurement of Coefficient of Thermal Expansion in
Hardening Concrete and its Effect on Thermal Stress
De- velopment,” Construction and Building Materials.
Sep- tember. Elsevier B.V
View publication stats