Development of mechanical characteristics of the concrete made with fly ashes in different curing conditions

Abstract

In this research, me have made an experimental analysis of the development of the mechanical characteristics of concretes made with different percentages of fly ashes substituting Portland Cement and in different curing conditions. It is often not enough to know the evolution of the compressive strength in order to detect and solve our problems. It is very important to know the development of other mechanical properties of concrete, especially at early stages, in order to determine with certainty the time the construction will take, as well as the construction process, i.e. tensile strength. Young's modulus and bond strength. Furthermore, at early stages, the curing conditions are very important for the development of these mechanical properties. Besides, the partial replacement of the cement by fly ashes has an additional influence on that development. We have studied these parameters by testing different types of concretes, with 20, 35 and 50 per cent F class (ASTM) fly ashes replacing cement, cured at 10ºC, 20ºC and 30ºC with 60 and 100 per cent relative humidity. The test stages were 7, 28 and 90 days and all four properties were measured. This paper presents various tables and figures with the test results which can be of use in the design of construction processes and some additional conclusions on the developments obtained.