Concrete containing fly ash has been used in many parts of the world for several decades. Various standards and codes have generally limited the use of ASTM Class F fly ash from 20 to 25 percent. Laboratory studies and field demonstration projects sponsored by CANMET during the last 12 years have shown that concrete containing 55 to 60 percent fly ash has excellent structural and durability characteristics when proportioned with superplasticizers and at low water to cementing materials ratios. This paper presents some results of research performed under contract to CANMET and some of the practical uses for which the high-volume fly ash concrete system has been utilized in Eastern Canada. The applications discussed include structural concrete, relatively massive machinery foundations, a roller compacted dam, environmental applications such as impermeable shotcrete covers and encapsulation/solidification, and design of mine backfills. The high-volume fly ash system has proven to be an economical construction material which can be mixed, placed and consolidated with conventional concrete construction equipment. Some unique properties such as very low heat generation, low cost, and the possibility to use large quantities of fly ash will expand the future use of the high volume fly ash system.

The development of a high performance, high volume fly ash (HVFA) concrete incorporating a small amount of silica fume, and part replacement of both cement and sand with fly ash (FA) is reported. This paper presents the results on the engineering properties such as strength, dynamic modulus and swelling/shrinkage of such high volume fly ash concrete. The mixtures were proportioned to give 30 to 40 MPa cube strength at 28 days. Two basic mixtures with total binder contents of 350 kg/m3 and 450 kg/m3, and, with a minimum portland cement content of 150 and 200 kg/m3 respectively, were investigated. In each mixture, about 60 per cent of the cement was replaced by fly ash. In addition, in some mixtures, a nominal amount of silica fume was incorporated, and in some others, additional FA was incorporated as replacement for sand. The results show that the total binder content had little effect on strength, swelling strain and drying shrinkage, but had a significant effect on the dynamic modulus of elasticity implying a clear densification of the microstructure by fly ash and silica fume. On the whole, HVFA concrete with a nominal amount of SF, and FA as part replacement of both cement and sand showed better overall performance. The engineering properties of the HVFA concretes investigated show good potential for use in structural and mass concrete applications.

The evolution of the microstructure of a hydrated fly ash-belite cement (HFABC) has been studied during a period of 90 days after mixing. The cement was synthesized from a mixture of fly ash (ASTM Class F), lime and water by a hydrothermal procedure. The microstructure characterization at different times was followed by mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and EDS, X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetry (TG) and analytical techniques. Besides, the compressive strength was determined and correlated to the microstructure characteristics. The pore solution was expressed and analyzed at different periods of the hydration reaction.

This paper presents laboratory test results of the use of limestone modified cement for high-performance concretes, namely: self-compacting high-performance concrete and vibrated high-performance concrete. The limestone modified cement consists of portland cement and milled limestone. The test results show that proper selections of fineness and content of milled limestone reduces water demand, drying shrinkage, superplasticizer dosage and portland cement content for mortars as well as for concrete. The use of limestone modified cement containing selected fineness and content of limestone also increases compressive strength of the high-performance concretes.

The behavior of superplasticizers has been studied in highly alkaline suspensions of magnesium hydroxide and silica fume, which can be considered as good model system for cementitious systems containing silica fume. Rheology showed that as superplasticizer dosage is increased, suspensions pass from behaving as Bingham fluids to Newtonian fluids. Beyond a critical concentration large dispersed particles sediment due to the absence of yield stress. The critical concentrations required to obtain Newtonian fluids has allowed to elucidate the dependence between adsorption and dispersion. Indeed, dispersion appears to be only linked to adsorbed polymers and can therefore be attributed either to electrostatic or steric repulsion mechanisms. On the other hand, superplasticizer requirement increases with silica fume fraction in particular with the less ionic polymer. This indicates important electrostatic interactions with the surface in the process of adsorption.