EFFECT OF DIFFERENT SUPPLEMENTARY CEMENTITIOUS MATERIALS ON MECHANICAL-PROPERTIES OF HIGH-PERFORMANCE CONCRETE

High performance concrete prepared from general purpose (GP) portland cement and various supplementary cementitious materials are increasing ly finding their use in construction worldwide. This study was underta ken to compare mechanical properties as well as fresh concrete propert ies of concretes containing silica fume, ground granulated blast furna ce slag (slag), fly ash and GP portland cement. The aim of the study w as to enable evaluation of the suitability of a particular binder syst em for an application based on fresh concrete properties and mechanica l properties. Concrete mixes were prepared with GP portland cement, hi gh slag cement and slag cement, and also mixes were prepared with the addition of silica fume and fly ask. The work focussed on concrete mix es having a fixed water/binder ratio of 0.35 and a constant total bind er content of 430 kg/m(3). Apart from measuring fresh concrete propert ies, the mechanical properties evaluated were development of compressi ve strength, flexural strength, elastic modulus, and strain due to cre ep and drying shrinkage. Results indicated that the addition of silica fume to GP portland cement concrete marginally decreased the workabil ity of the concrete but significantly improved the mechanical properti es. However the effect of addition of silica fume to high slag cement concrete was less pronounced.