Effect of Calcined Clay as a Substitution for Cement on the Fresh and Hardened Properties of Concrete

Abstract

Over the previous several years, investigation has become more concentrated on environmentally friendly, economical, and socially beneficial substitutes for concrete production. Alternatives include industrial waste, the prospective benefits of which are potentially addressed via recycling, reusing, and innovative approaches. The usage of these wastes as alternative constituents may provide significant energy savings and an overall decrease in Portland cement (PC) usage, thereby leading to a lowering of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions. Thus, the inclusion of calcined clay (CC) as a cementitious component in concrete can mitigate the environmental impact and decrease the quantity of Portland cement (PC) in mixtures. This research examines concrete including 0%, to 20% of CC as cementitious components. The primary aims of this investigation are to assess the impact of CC as cementitious components on both fresh and hardened concrete. An overall of 45 samples of concrete were utilised to evaluate water absorption, density, and compressive strength of the concrete, respectively. Furthermore, whenever the quantity of CC in the combination increases, the workability, density, and water absorption of green concrete diminish. The compressive strength increases by 37.20 MPa at 10% CC for 28 days. The use of 10% CC in construction has been suggested to provide optimal results for the building sector in Civil Engineering.