Effects of calcined clay, sawdust ash and chemical admixtures on strength and properties of concrete for pavement and flooring applications using Taguchi approach

Abstract

Strength, abrasion and skid resistance are crucial factors for assessing the performance of pavement concrete and concrete for flooring applications. Due to sustainability concerns and global climate change, various supplementary (pozzolanic) cementitious materials (SCMs) are increasingly promoted for use as cement replacement in pavement concrete without considering their effects on the strength, abrasion and skid resistance. In addition, chemical admixtures are often added to improve workability of pavement concrete. Therefore, this study investigates the effects of calcined clay and sawdust ash utilized as cement replacements and two kinds of chemical admixtures on thestrength, abrasion and skid resistance of concrete for pavement and flooring applications. Calcined clay is preferable to sawdust ash as partial cement replacement in pavement concrete as it gives higher flexural strength, skid resistanceand similar abrasion value. However, sawdust ash is preferable for flooring applications owing to its lower water absorption and higher compressive strength. The optimum calcined clay is 5% while the optimum crystalline-based admixture is 1%. More studies are required to guide correct applications of SCM in sustainable concrete pavement.