Effect of Pozzolanic Additive on Properties and Surface Finish Assessment of Concrete
This research focuses on the impact of a pozzolanic additive (zeolite) on the durability properties of concrete and the evaluation of the surface finish of the final product (concrete). Durability is one of the key characteristics of concrete that ensures the performance of concrete structures, land...
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Buildings |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/10/1617 |
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| Summary: | This research focuses on the impact of a pozzolanic additive (zeolite) on the durability properties of concrete and the evaluation of the surface finish of the final product (concrete). Durability is one of the key characteristics of concrete that ensures the performance of concrete structures, landscaping elements, and products over their lifetime and beyond. To reduce CO<sub>2</sub> emissions, replacing part of traditional cement with pozzolanic additives is necessary. We tested concrete mixes in which up to 20% of cement was replaced with a pozzolanic additive. Concrete flow and entrained air content were measured. The following properties of hardened modified concrete were determined: density, ultrasonic pulse velocity, water absorption, freeze–thaw resistance, and mechanical properties after 7 and 28 days of curing. The compressive strength values were normalised and expressed in MPa/g to obtain a deeper insight into the effect of a pozzolanic additive on the mechanical properties of concrete. The test results showed that the pozzolanic additive selected for testing reduced the flowability, density, and ultrasonic pulse velocity; increased entrained air content; and reduced the porosity of concrete. The compressive strength results at 28 days (normalised and expressed in MPa/g) showed that all specimens modified with up to 20% zeolite had a higher compressive strength than that of the reference specimen (from 0.0138 to 0.0164). Freeze–thaw resistance results showed that 15% was the optimum content of zeolite additive that could replace cement in the mix to obtain concrete with appropriate durability properties. Concrete surface finish evaluation tests showed that 15% of the pozzolanic additive is recommended to obtain a good-quality surface finish of exposed concrete. |
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| ISSN: | 2075-5309 |