Materials Today: Proceedings xxx (xxxx) xxx

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Use of zeolite and industrial waste materials in high strength

concrete – A review
Gowram Iswarya ⇑, Beulah M
Christ (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru 560074, India

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

Article history: Concrete is widely used in construction material by the construction industry. It is considered as a vital
Received 3 June 2020 material because of its properties. Different grades of concrete (M10, M20, M30, M40, M50, M60 and M70) are
Accepted 16 June 2020 used in construction and are chosen based on the requirements. Higher grade concrete requires cement of
Available online xxxx
different properties. The manufacturing process of cement, releases a huge amount of Carbon footprints.
To reduce the emission of CO2, usage of virgin cement can be minimized by partially replacing with poz-
Keywords: zolanic materials or industrial wastes like zeolite, metakaolin, silica fume and fly ash. These materials
Concrete
improve the durability and strength of concrete by filling the pores and reduce the porosity and perme-
Fly ash
Industrial waste
ability of the concrete without compromising on the desired properties. For sustainable development and
Metakaolin protecting the environment, enormous research has been done on concrete by using various industrial
Silica fume waste materials. This article is a state-of-the-art review of research on the use of industrial waste mate-
Zeolite rials to produce High Strength Concrete (HSC). Different materials were studied to prepare HSC by using
distinct methods. Different experimental tests were conducted on concrete when cement is partially
replaced with industrial waste materials and are compared with conventional concrete. It is observed
that the partial replacement of cement with zeolite, metakaolin, fly ash, and silica fume, the properties
of concrete increases up to certain age and mixing proportions when compared to conventional concrete.
It is observed that there is limited research was done on zeolite with the combination of industrial waste
materials for health analysis of the structures at different w/c ratios for large production. So, further
investigation is needed on the technical, environmental, economic aspects and educating the public
through the use of industrial waste materials as a sustainable approach.
Ó 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the 2nd International Con-
ference on Manufacturing Material Science and Engineering.

1. Introduction
For decades in the construction industry, concrete and its con-
stituents are widely used. Though there is much significance of con-
struction materials, but it shows the potential challenges as well as
consequences by overuse of these concrete materials [1,2]. The main
challenges are lack of availability of aggregates, cost-effectiveness,
CO2 emission impact on the environment due to cement production
and waste generation by demolition. So, research on concrete when
cement is partially replaced with silica fume, zeolite [3], fly ash [4–
6], and metakaolin [7] was done. The concrete mix proportions of
high strength concrete were designed according to the ACI method
and the guidelines provided in ACI 211.1 (ACI, 1991) [8,9]. Concrete
mix proportions were designed to reach compressive strengths that
exceed 60 MPa when cured with water immersion method for
28 days. The compressive, tensile, and flexural strength of hardened
concrete were tested [10–12].
2. Review of research on the utilization of industrial waste
materials to produce concrete
The extensive research on the utilization of cementitious mate-
rials [13,14] to prepare concrete can be divided into different cat-
egories based on the material used: metakaolin [15–18], zeolite
[19], silica fume, fly ash and as detailed below.
2.1. Preparing concrete by partial replacement of cement with
metakaolin

⇑ Corresponding author. To reduce the usage of OPC, it is replaced with zeolite and meta-
E-mail address: gowram.iswarya@res.christuniversity.in (G. Iswarya). kaolin [20–22] which are naturally available in nature. These min-

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2020.06.329
2214-7853/Ó 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the 2nd International Conference on Manufacturing Material Science and Engineering.

Please cite this article as: G. Iswarya and M. Beulah, Use of zeolite and industrial waste materials in high strength concrete – A review, Materials Today:
Proceedings, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2020.06.329
2 G. Iswarya, M Beulah / Materials Today: Proceedings xxx (xxxx) xxx
eral admixtures are blended and replaced with cement up to 20%
and a concrete mix was prepared to study strength and durability.
The water/cement ratio is kept constant for all the mix designs. The
results showed that there are beneficial effects of mineral admix-
tures when replaced with cement and produce environmental-
friendly green concrete [23]. Metakaolin has a great impact on con-
crete to resist the penetration of chloride ions due to the chloride
binding capacity of cementitious materials [24]. The combination
of 10% zeolite and 10% metakaolin when mixed with 100% micro
nanobubbles of water is the best design that increased compres-
sive strength, tensile strength, and flexural strength. At the age of
28 days it was observed that water absorption was decreased at
30 mins, 24-hr, and also chloride permeability when compared
with the control sample [25].
2.2. Preparing concrete by partial replacement of cement with zeolite
In China, blended cement is produced by mixing cement with
natural pozzolanic material [26] like zeolite. This mineral admix-
ture helps in enhancing the properties of concrete. Natural zeolite
is widely used in the cement industry as a cement blending mate-
rial because it is a type of mineralogical material which contains
large quantities of reactive SiO2 and Al2O3 [27,28]. Zeolite con-
tributes to the strength of concrete mainly by the pozzolanic reac-
tion with Ca(OH)2 like any other pozzolanic materials. The
reactivity of zeolite material in comparison with other pozzolans
is of much interest [29]. The properties of concrete can be
improved by replacing cement with zeolite. This mineral admix-
ture reduced the porosity of the blended cement paste thus
improved interfacial microstructure properties between the aggre-
gate and blended cement paste in prepared concrete [30]. Replace-
ment of cement with zeolite gives strength to the concrete which is
equal to conventional concrete when mixed with designed mixing
proportions. Zeolite usage in concrete does not harm the environ-
ment because of the natural availability [31]. Two types of con-
crete’s hygrothermal behavior were studied i.e. reference
concrete (without any admixtures) and natural zeolite concrete
by 40% cement replacement [32]. Using the computer simulation
tool HEMOT, the computations were performed that process input
parameters by the finite element method. The simulation was
assumed under the dynamic climatic conditions of Prague. The
results obtained by computational simulations showed that natu-
ral zeolite was not found related (any positive effect on freeze/
thaw resistance) to unprotected building envelope but the
hygrothermal performance of zeolite concrete will be considerate
to external layers and hence extend their service life [33,34]. The
mechanical properties of the concrete sample that contains natural
zeolite were investigated in many works and durability properties
with blended Portland cement-zeolite binders were analyzed [35].
2.3. Preparing concrete by partial replacement of cement with fly ash
For long service life in aggressive environments, the durability
of concrete is a major factor that has to be considered. Concrete
includes a large amount of natural resources in the form of aggre-
gates, cement, and water [36]. About 7% of the total greenhouse gas
emission in this world is produced by Cement production by con-
suming huge energy. To increase the durability and sustainability
of concrete, supplementary cementitious materials like fly ash, sil-
ica fume, and slag are used in large amounts from the last few dec-
ades [37,38]. In the production of high-strength concrete [39] there
requires a high volume of industrial by-products that are tested in
the laboratory. High-calcium fly ash and ladle furnace slag as bin-
der i.e. partial replacement of cement and electric arc furnace slag
as aggregates are the by-products used. This is because of the
increase in natural resource consumption has led to a major inter-
Please cite this article as: G. Iswarya and M. Beulah, Use of zeolite and industrial waste materials in high strength concrete – A review, Materials Today:
Proceedings, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2020.06.329
national problem with financial, severe environmental and social
consequences [40]. When fly ash is replaced by Portland cement
and water it produces a product that is similar to the product
formed by cement hydration but it has a denser microstructure
that is of less permeable. According to ACI Committee 211 2008,
fly ash replacement level is 15–25% recommended for high
strength concrete whereas 50% for normal strength concrete as a
total binder [41,42]. Accelerated rebar corrosion tests and high-
temperature test experiments were carried out to obtain the dura-
bility performance of different blended cements. The results were
obtained from microstructure analysis where it showed that, under
the effect of high temperature the performance of fly ash is better
than other mineral additives used in the study [43]. Though fly ash
slower the hardening of concrete but it proved that it is the most
economical among all these choices [44]. High-volume fly ash
(HVFA) concrete with 50% or more than that is replaced by fly
ash with cement and is studied extensively. High-volume fly ash
often used to achieve a good slump for self-compacting concrete
[45,46].
2.4. Preparing concrete by partial replacement of cement with silica
fume
Along with zeolite [47–50] other mineral admixtures like silica
fume ash also helps the concrete to enhance the performance. High
strength concrete is being widely produced as an appropriate sub-
stitute for the normal strength concrete to produce HSC lower W/C
and higher binder content is needed [51–53]. As a result, high-
range water-reducing admixtures (HRWRA) are required to
achieve the needed workability. To improve the mechanical prop-
erties and durability of HSC, silica fume is being used [54,55].
When properly designed for low water/binder ratio, the presence
of silica fume explains that the mechanical performance of the high
strength concrete. This silica fume provides good particle packing
and increases the resistance of the concrete to aggressive environ-
ments because of its strong pozzolanic property [56]. When com-
pared with other pozzolanic materials silica fume has a high
specific surface area, thus improve the strength of concrete more
effectively [57–66].
Chemical compositions of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC),
zeolite, silica fume, metakaolin and fly ash are given in Table 1.
Physical properties of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), zeolite,
silica fume, metakaolin, fly ash are given in Table 2.
3. Test on concrete
Concrete is tested most commonly by the compressive strength
test. The reason behind this is to understand the fact that this test
is relatively inexpensive and easy too. From the past many decades’
concrete technology made many changes in bringing HSC which
has been started using for new construction material. Different
tests can be conducted on hardened concrete like compressive
strength test for cube, split tensile test for cylinders, and flexural
test for beams where single point load, two-point load, three-
point loading can be applied based on the research requirement
[10,27,67–69]. There are different standard cube moulds, cylinder
moulds and beam moulds are available in the market. The relation-
ship for strength between cylinder and cube is based on fracture
mechanics theories. The shape of the specimen influences the crack
pattern. The strength obtained from concrete cylinders and cubes
are obtained by the standard relationship between them [30].
By conducting experimental tests like compressive strength,
water permeability, water absorption, electrical resistivity, rapid
chloride permeability, and carbonation test at different ages, the
role of zeolite in concrete can be identified [36]. For this replace-
 G. Iswarya, M Beulah / Materials Today: Proceedings xxx (xxxx) xxx 3

Table 1
Chemical compositions of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), zeolite, silica fume, metakaolin and fly ash.

Material Cement Zeolite Silica Fume Metakaolin Fly Ash

CaO 63.00–66.80 1.68–3.67 0.20–1.68 0.02–3.32 0.65–42.10
SiO2 18.30–34.00 62.78–75.34 86.46–97.00 47.64–74.20 32.60–64.24
Al2O3 2.40–5.55 8.77–15.28 0.20–1.13 17.60–50.22 10.60–31.60
Fe2O3 2.30–6.70 0.40–4.20 0.50–4.63 0.24–4.28 2.80–13.77
MgO 0.90–3.91 0.48–1.19 0.40–1.80 0.05–0.34 0.28–5.88
Na2O 0.10–1.65 0.35–2.04 0.10–1.00 0.09–0.45 0.18–2.44
K2O 0.40–1.75 0.74–3.60 0.45–1.25 0.10–0.60 0.65–1.73
SO3 1.24–3.21 0.02–0.52 0.05–0.87 0.00–0.43 0.10–4.60
TiO2 – 0.14–0.20 <=0.01 0.20–0.55 –
Reference [3,5–8,13,20,29,31,32,40] [9,23,28,29,31,32,46] [4–6,24,30,37,69] [11,12,16–18,20,50] [7–9,13,39,69]

Table 2
Physical properties of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), zeolite, silica fume, metakaolin, fly ash.

Material Specific surface area Specific gravity Density Fineness Initial setting time Reference
Cement 3519 – 3.15 – – [3]
355 (m2/kg) 3.1 – – – [6]
0.962 (m2/g) – 3140 (Kg/m3) 11% 125 (min) [7]
– 2.67 – 6.45% – [13]
3520 (cm2/g) 3.15 – – – [18]
339 (m2/kg) 3.15 – – 105 (min) [39]
3807 (cm2/g) 3.14 – 8.98% 141 (min) [40]
Zeolite 3980 – 2.91 – – [3]
750 (m2/kg) 2.16 – – – [6]
10000 (cm2/g) 2.2 – – – [28]
Silica Fume – – 2.29/g cm 3- – – [4]
2*104 (m2/kg) 2.2 – – – [6]
20,000 (m2/kg) – 2.2 – – [30]
Metakaolin 12,680 (cm2/g) 2.62 – – – [18]
Fly Ash 0.938 (m2/g) – 2420 (Kg/m3) 19% 145 (min) [7]
– 2.59 – 2.57% – [13]

ment of cement, the compressive strength, effective fracture
toughness, bending strength, and specific fracture energy were
worse when compared to reference Portland-cement concrete
whereas frost resistance, de-icing salt-resistance, and chemical
resistance for MgCl2, NH4Cl, Na2SO4, and HCl are improved. For
hardened concrete mix which contains 20% zeolite, hygrothermal
performance, water vapor diffusion coefficient, water absorption
coefficient, water vapor sorption isotherms, specific heat capacity
and thermal conductivity are satisfactory [67,70].
X-ray diffraction analysis helps in determining the active com-
ponents of the zeolite; SEM helps in determining the particle form
and size. 5 batches of specimens were made with the zeolite con-
tent ranging from 0 to 10% in replacement of cement. The density
of concrete, ultrasonic pulse velocity and compressive strength of
the concrete is increased. Modified concretes have lower water
absorption and higher closed porosity, subsequently, both improve
the freeze–thaw resistance of concrete, it is a very important prop-
erty for concrete applications [71].
XRD analysis of zeolite is shown in Fig. 1(a) is from [9] and
image of microstructure of zeolite admixture from ALF3 waste
(50,000 and 20,000 times magnification) is shown in Fig. 1(b) are
from [68]. XRD analysis of fly ash is shown in Fig. 2(a) from [9],
XRD analysis of OPC, Metakaolin, Silica fume is shown in Fig. 2
(b) from [10].
The high strength concrete properties are highly influenced by
environmental conditions and the duration of the curing method.
Thirty years ago it is said that HSC had a compressive strength of
40 MPa. Concrete strength obtained by the reaction between
cement compounds and water. The concrete properties are
improved with age by curing conditions by the internal moisture
content of cement which is above 80%. The types of samples, type
of curing, duration of curing, and environmental conditions are the
basis on which the efficiency of curing depends. The strength of
concrete is highly influenced by environment and storage condi-
tions that are treated with or without (sprinkling) water indoor
or outdoor [72].
By using X-ray diffraction, hydration products of plain cement,
complex binder containing 15% Fly ash microsphere and a complex
binder containing 15% silica fume at 90 days were mineralogically
determined. To obtain yield stress and viscosity values, all paste
samples were subjected to the rheometer test. Hardened concrete
samples with dimensions 100*100*100 mm were cast and these
samples were cured at room temperature of 20 ± 1 °C and
95 ± 5% relative humidity. The compressive strengths test was con-
ducted at the age of 3, 7, 28 and 90 days. Fly ash microsphere can
improve pore structure at late ages which is similar to silica fume.
In addition to this Fly ash microsphere can improve late-age
strength, flowability, and permeability to chloride ions by decreas-
ing early-age autogenous shrinkage of concrete [73]. The first part
is the Physico-chemical characterization of zeolite and the second
part assesses its potential as a pozzolan in structural concrete. The
density of clinoptilolite zeolite is determined by a pycnometer and
found as 2.13 g/cm3. Specific surface and Granulometry distribu-
tion are calculated. The chemical composition of the zeolite is
determined by FRX using Rigaku FX2000 equipment (LOI: loss of
ignition). Two series of concrete were designed were the first
design mix contain normal Portland cement which is replaced with
5, 10, 15, and 20% and the second design mix contain compound
Portland cement which is replaced with 5, 10, 15, and 20%. Other
concrete ingredients are collected from the parts of Argentina.
The W/BM (water - binder material) ratio remained constant at
0.41. Fresh state of concrete was texted with Abram’s cone. The
hardened concrete was tested using a compression test for 7, 28,
90, 180 days. The concrete mixture containing 10% zeolite was pre-
sented the least resistance to traction, resistance increased gradu-
ally [74,75].

Please cite this article as: G. Iswarya and M. Beulah, Use of zeolite and industrial waste materials in high strength concrete – A review, Materials Today:
Proceedings, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2020.06.329
4 G. Iswarya, M Beulah / Materials Today: Proceedings xxx (xxxx) xxx

Fig. 1. (a) XRD Analysis of Zeolite [9]; (b) Microstructure of zeolite admixture from ALF3 waste (50,000 and 20,000 times magnification) [68].

Fig. 2. XRD Analysis of fly ash [9]; XRD Analysis of OPC Metakaolin, Silica fume [10].

To save cost and time, accurate estimation is needed. To predict 4. Discussion

the compressive strength of HSC extreme learning machine (ELM)
was used. It is a new method for training artificial neural networks
(ANN) where the best generalization performance and fast learning
speed in many applications. Using 324 data records this model was
developed and all records were obtained from laboratory experi-
ments [76]. High strength concrete is tested for strength and dura-
bility based on the descriptive-analytical method. Easy
communication with different programming languages can be
done using MATLAB software [77,78].
From the study it was observed that, natural zeolite and various
industrial waste materials can be used as an alternative material
for the replacement of cement.
The following Table 3 shows the summary of types of materials
– replacement of cement in percentage of weight – tests conducted
on concrete – effect on concrete by using the material-number of
curing days of concrete in previous research works.

Please cite this article as: G. Iswarya and M. Beulah, Use of zeolite and industrial waste materials in high strength concrete – A review, Materials Today:
Proceedings, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2020.06.329
 Table 3
Proceedings, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2020.06.329
Please cite this article as: G. Iswarya and M. Beulah, Use of zeolite and industrial waste materials in high strength concrete – A review, Materials Today:

Summary of usage of zeolite and industrial waste materials in concrete.

S. Material % replaced with cement Tests conducted Effects on concrete by using material Number of Reference
No days
1 Cement 100% R–e curve, size effect, crack pattern In cubes, the formation of cracks throughout the hardened specimen 6 months [2]
is denser than cylinders
2 Zeolite 0%, 15%, 25% Compressive strength, degree of reaction of zeolite, porosity of Zeolite cement pastes with a low w/c ratio have more strength. The 3, 7, 28, [3]
pastes. porosity of the paste reduces when 15% zeolite is added. 90,
180 days
3 Silica fume 10% Compressive strength, bending strength, the pore size distribution High bending strength of 30 Mpa regardless of curing temperature. 7 days [4]
of specimens. The pore size distribution for hardened concrete depends on curing
temperature
4 Silica fume 0%, 6%, and 10% The compressive strength at a temperature of 200c to 100, 200, and The optimum values of concrete containing SF and w/c are 6% and 7, 28 days [5]
3000c. 0.35 at low w/c at high temperatures in comparison with the OPC
concrete
5 Zeolite 5%, 10%, 15%, 30% Compressive strength, slump, initial surface absorption, chloride Increase in compressive strength for all the three materials from 5% 7 and [6]
Pulverized fuel 5%, 10%, 15%, 30% diffusion. till 30%, and chloride diffusion and initial surface absorption 28 days
ash 5%, 10%, 15%, 30% improves with the permeation characteristics of the concrete
Silica fume (10 ± 60 min)

G. Iswarya, M Beulah / Materials Today: Proceedings xxx (xxxx) xxx

6 High-calcium fly 50% Strength of concrete, fracture toughness, durability characteristics High strength concrete with >70 Mpa at 28-days compressive 28 days [7]
ash (HFCA) 30% of concrete strength using 50% HCFA and EAF (electric arc furnace slag) as
ladle furnace slag aggregates
7 Fly ash 30% and 40% The compressive strength, sorptivity, drying shrinkage and rapid The durability properties of concrete increases. At 28 days, sorptivity 3, 7, 28, [8]
chloride permeability and chloride ion permeation reduces 56, 91 and
210 days
8 Natural zeolite, fly 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 45%, Chemical and mineralogical analyses, compressive strength, 28, 180 days compressive strength increases. The durability of 2, 7, 28, [9]
ash, ground 5% limestone 3% gypsum corrosion resistance concrete increases. 180 days
granulated blast
furnace slag
9 Zeolite, fly ash 0.4%, 0.6%, 0.8%, 1.0%, 2.5% Concrete strength, sorptivity property, permeability of concrete Zeolite is more effective when used with fly ash in concrete. 8, 90, [10]
180 days
10 Silica fume and 10% and 15% Resistance to chloride ion penetration, freezing and thawing cycles, Due to the increase in silica fume and metakaolin, chloride ion 1, 3, 7, 28, [11]
metakaolin carbonation, acid attack penetration reduces 56,
91 days
11 Ground 25%, 50%, and 100% Sulphate attack, chloride attack, compression test By replacing GGBS and MK, the strength of concrete and durability 7, 28, and [12]
granulated blast properties increases 56 days
furnace slag,
metakaolin
12 Fly ash 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, Strength tests, rapid chloride penetration tests, water permeability Fly ash concrete is less permeable and achieved great strength 3, 7, 28, [13]
60%, 70% test, tensile strength 56, 90,
180,
365 days
13 Metakaolin, Slag, 0
8, 1
0, 1
2, 1
4, 1
8 Compressive strength test, durability test With the results, silicon dioxide/ sodium oxide molar ratio 1
0 1, 2, 3 days [16]
Calcium (silicon dioxide/ sodium produced high durability
aluminate cement oxide molar ratio) of the
alkaline solution
14 Metakaolin 5%, 10%, and 15% Expansion of concrete prisms, compressive strength, sulfate attack, Sulfate resistance of metakaolin concrete for W/B ratio 0.5 found 3, 7, [17]
visual inspection of concrete specimens for cracks higher than the W/B ratio of 0.6. 28 days
15 Metakaolin 5%, 10%, 20% A kinetic reaction model, reaction degrees of cement and Coefficients of the hydration model, chloride penetrability, and 500, 1000, [18]
metakaolin, gel-space ratio, compressive strength strength model do not vary for different curing ages and mixing 1500,
proportions 2000 h
16 Metakaolin 5%, 10% and 15% Compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, elastic modulus, At 10% replacement, compressive strength of 106 Mpa, splitting 3, 7, 28 [20]
durability tests tensile strength and elastic modulus followed the trend. and
90 days
17 Metakaolin 7.5%, 15%, 22.5% High strength self-compacting concrete fresh and mechanical At higher replacement of metakaolin, the autogenous shrinkage of 28, 56, [21]
properties the concrete reduced considerably 90 days
18 Metakaolin 5%, 10% and 15% Compressive strength, durability of chloride penetration, freeze– SCC at 28 days with 15% MK reached a compressive strength of 70 7, 28 and [22]
thaw test, alkali-silica reactivity test Mpa 180 days

(continued on next page)

5
 Table 3 (continued)

6
Proceedings, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2020.06.329
Please cite this article as: G. Iswarya and M. Beulah, Use of zeolite and industrial waste materials in high strength concrete – A review, Materials Today:

S. Material % replaced with cement Tests conducted Effects on concrete by using material Number of Reference
No days
19 Metakaolin, silica 5%, 10%, and 15% Compressive strength tests The estimated strengths at the age of 28 days and above (97% are 1, 3, 7, 28, [24]
fume within 5% of the original value). 56, 90, and
180 days
20 Natural zeolite 7.5%, 15%, 22.5%, 30% Compressive strength, flexural strength, depth of penetration of Zeolite with 22% indicated a very significant increase to resist water 7, 28 and [27]
water penetration 90 days
21 Natural zeolite 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25% Compressive strength, tensile splitting strength test, water By the use of zeolite, there was a modification in the transition zone 28, 90, [28]
permeability, capillary absorption, chloride penetrability, electrical and the quality of pastes. 270 days
resistivity, carbonation, microstructure study of the paste, the
microstructure of transition zone,
22 Natural zeolite 10% Mechanical properties, water absorption and water penetration, Good results are observed for zeolite concrete for water penetration, 1, 28, 56, [29]
freeze–thaw resistance, drying shrinkage, freeze–thaw resistance, and drying shrinkage of concretes. 90,
180 days
23 Natural zeolite, 10%, 15%, 20% Chloride diffusion Activation energy value of zeolite concrete was observed higher 450 days [30]
silica fume 5%, 10%, 12.5% when compared to silica fume concrete
24 Natural zeolite 0%, 8%, 16%, 24%, 32%, 40% XRF analysis for chemical composition of zeolite concrete For the composite mix design application of natural zeolite gives a 28 days [31]

G. Iswarya, M Beulah / Materials Today: Proceedings xxx (xxxx) xxx

good potential.
25 Silica fume, 10%, 7.5% Fresh concrete evaluation, compressive strength, electrical The partial replacement of cement with silica fume by 7.5% 14, 28, 56 [32]
zeolite resistivity, capillary water absorption, bulk water absorption, rapid compensates for the compressive strength loss due to the addition of and
chloride migration test, microstructure analysis cs. 120 days
26 Pumice and 10% and 15% Fresh state, compressive strength, pozzolanic by Chapelle test, The compressive strength of concrete was not a good indicator of its 1, 3, 7, 14, [33]
zeolite analysis by SEM, degradation test in sulfuric acid, marine resistance to the acid attack of H2SO4 initially. 28, 90, 180
environment test, accelerated carbonation test, electrical resistivity, and
natural carbonation 365 days
27 Zeolite 5% Water absorption, abrasion resistance, tensile splitting strength, Zeolite obtained from aluminum fluoride during production, used in 7, 28 days [34]
freeze–thaw the topmost layer of concrete in paving blocks increases the
durability also increases the lifetime of the blocks.
28 Zeolite 0%, 14%, 22% Density and strength at compression The efficiency in using the developed ultra disperse modified zeolite- 7 days [35]
based additive
29 Fly ash 50, 60 and 70% Self compacted concrete compressive strength, volume of 60 Mpa of high strength is observed during the compressive strength 3, 7, 28 [36]
silica fume permeable pore space, water absorption, and density. test. and
90 days
30 Fly ash 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, Concrete compressive strength Compressive strength of concrete is observed more in 15% of SF 7, 28 days [37]
silica fume 35%, 40%, 50% when compared to 30% of fly ash for a curing period of 28 days.
10%, 15%, 20%
31 Palm oil fuel ash, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20% Concrete strength At 7, 28 days the compression test values showed that for 15% silica 1, 3, 7, [38]
silica fume fume replacement has the highest strength when compared with 28 days
other mixes.
32 Fly ash, silica 30%, 40%, 50%, 60% Properties of fresh concrete, compressive strength, splitting tensile 10% silica fume addition showed a positive effect on concrete in both 7, 28, 56, [39]
fume strength, modulus of elasticity, freeze–thaw resistance, chloride ion fresh and hardened state. 90 days
penetration
33 Silica fume 5%, 10%, 15% Compressive strength of concrete for different curing conditions For 28 days highest compressive strength was shown by the 3, 7, [40]
fly ash 25%, 40%, 55% concrete containing 15% silica fume. Air curing caused loss of 28 days
compressive strength for all groups
34 Silica fume 5%, 10%, 15% Flowability tests, mechanical strength tests, sorptivity test, porosity, 10% replacement of fly ash showed the highest flexural strength with 7, 28, [41]
fly ash 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25% density, total water absorption tests, strength activity index 10.21 Mpa at 180 days. Compressive and flexural strengths of mortar 180 days
containing silica fume and fly ash reached about 86.14 Mpa and
10.50 Mpa respectively.
35 Zeolite 10%, 15% Compressive strength, water absorption, chloride diffusion, The replacement of cement and sand at 10% zeolite and 15% tuff 28, 90, [46]
resistance to acid attacks showed the highest positive values. 236 days
36 Metakaolin 10% Compressive strength, indirect tensile strength test, flexural 10% zeolite in the hardened concrete showed an increase in 28, [50]
Zeolite 10%, 20% strength, water absorption test, electrical strength, chloride compressive strength and flexural strength. 90 days
permeability test, SEM electron microscopy test, ph testing.
37 Zeolite 5%, 10%, 15%, 20% Compressive strength, water absorption, oxygen permeability, In some cases, concrete containing different percentages of zeolite 3, 7, 28, [52]
silica fume 5%, 10%, 12.5% chloride diffusion, electrical resistivity. showed better results compared to concrete containing silica fume. 90 days
38 Zeolite 10%, 20%, 40%, 60% Physical characteristics, mechanical, fracture-mechanics properties, Concrete containing 20% of zeolite showed positive values for the 28, 90, [67]
 G. Iswarya, M Beulah / Materials Today: Proceedings xxx (xxxx) xxx 7

5. Conclusion
Reference

In brief, these studies summarized the possible usage of a vari-

[68]

[69]
ety of alternative materials for cement in concrete. Although the
use of zeolite, fly ash, metakaolin, and silica fume materials indi-
Number of

11, 28, 42,

vidually as partial replacement of cement could increase strength
360 days
28 days

90 days

and durability till certain percentage replacement but further mix-

days

Note: OPC – Ordinary Portland Cement, NZ – Natural Zeolite, SF – Silica Fume, FA – Fly Ash, GGBS – Ground Granulated Blast Furnace, HSC – High Strength Concrete, SCC – Self Compacted Concrete. ing leads to a reduction in some properties of concrete like work-
ability, water penetration, freeze–thaw resistance and drying
To increase the durability, synthetic zeolite obtained from aluminum

For a 25% replacement of cement, it is observed that the compressive

strength decreases at 42 and 90 days. It is observed that the water

shrinkage of concrete. As mentioned by the researchers, the dosage

can be based on the findings in this review to reach better concrete
fluoride by low temperature can be used as a supplementary

performance. In comparison with pozzolanic materials however

zeolite is expensive, but it is more environmentally friendly as it
absorbs CO2 where other materials fail. In addition to that, if proper
curing and selection of materials are chosen as a binder in different
mixing proportions and with different W/C ratios it gives much
better mechanical properties and durability. Therefore, the produc-
penetration depth of concrete increases.

tion of green concrete which increases the positive impact on the

Effects on concrete by using material

environment and the use of industrial waste materials by reducing

the negative effect can lead to the production of sustainable con-
crete for construction.
cementitious material.

Declaration of Competing Interest

The authors declare that they have no known competing finan-

design mix

cial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared

to influence the work reported in this paper.

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