Influence of Limestone Fillers on the Properties of Concrete
Can cement in concrete be reduced without having any adverse effects on the properties of concrete?
Concrete Slump
1. Class 1 Slump (25% Cement Reduction)
The following observations were made:
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Most of the mixes achieved slumps higher than that of the control at superplasticizer dosages less or equal to that of the control.
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The particle packing density could have been high in the mixtures containing the limestone fillers which enhanced the flowabilities of the mixes. It can be concluded that the limestone additions affected the workability of the mixes in a positive way.
2. Class 2 Slump (50% Cement Reduction)
The following observations were made:
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At superplasticizer dosages less or equal to that of the control, most of the mixes in this case also attained higher slumps when compared to that of the Control Mix, except for Mixes 11 and 12.
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Again, the particle packing densities could have been high in those mixes which led to an increase in the flowability.
Concluding Remarks
The limestone fillers could have an effect on the packing of particles of the resulting mixtures, thus more excess water was made available for the flowabilities of the mixtures.