Behaviour of Self-Compacting Concrete at Various Levels of Replacement to Fine Aggregate by Pond Ash and Quarry Dust

Self-compacting concrete has gained high demand in construction practices. Currently the problems faced in production of concrete includes high demand of cement, cost of cement and concrete making materials, pollution, excessive extraction of natural river sand etc. Because the sand is being extensively extracted from the river bed deposits, it is depleting at a faster rate, hence it is necessary to find an alternative material such as pond ash thermal power plant waste and waste from the stone quarries like quarry dust in the SCC production. This dissertation work deals with the study of partial replacement of natural fine aggregate by pond ash and quarry dust for achieving free flowing characteristics of concrete by using specially formulated super plasticizer. Mix design is done at replacement levels of 0 to 30 % (at an interval of 10 %) by keeping cementatious content constant as 500kg/m3 and water content 200liters. The main objective of the research work is to determine the optimum percentage replacement of fine aggregate by pond ash and quarry dust in production of SCC. For this study two SCC mixes were prepared (PQSCC20, PQSCC30) and were compared with normal self-compacting concrete (NSCC00). Fresh properties of these mixes were studied by conducting T-Slump, T500mm-slump, L-Box, U-Box, V-funnel & V5min-Funnel test according to EFNARC guidelines. Hardened properties of the mixes were studied by conducting compressive strength test & split tensile strength test. Water absorption properties of the mixes were studied by weight test.20 % replacement to fine aggregate by pond ash and quarry dust was found to be optimum. Fresh properties of all the mixes were satisfying according to EFNARC specifications. Compressive strength and split tensile strength of PQSCC20 was found to be 35.85N/mm2 and 3.09N/mm2 respectively for 28 days. Water absorption of PQSCC20 was found to be less than limiting value (0.5).