Title: Evaluation of an Accelerated Characterization Method for Pozzolanic Reactivity

Author(s): Saamiya Seraj and Maria C.G. Juenger

Publication: Symposium Paper

Volume: 312

Issue:

Appears on pages(s): 1-16

Keywords: Chapelle Test, Concrete, Pozzolans, Reactivity, SCMs

DOI: 10.14359/51689364

Date: 10/1/2016

Abstract:
Concerns about the future availability of traditional supplementary cementitious material (SCM) sources, like fly ash, have prompted the search for a wider variety of materials that could be used as SCMs in concrete. An important criterion for an SCM is pozzolanic reactivity, which is its ability to react with calcium hydroxide in the presence of water to form calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H). ASTM criteria for SCMs address pozzolanic reactivity indirectly by measuring the compressive strength of SCM containing mortars, or more specifically the strength activity index (SAI). More direct methods of assessing pozzolanic reactivity include measuring the reduction of calcium hydroxide (CH) in cementitious pastes through methods like thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). However, both direct and indirect tests to evaluate pozzolanic reactivity take a considerable amount of time due to the slow nature of certain pozzolanic reactions. Alternatively, the Chapelle test, which measures the amount of CH fixed by the SCM in solution at high temperatures, can serve as an accelerated test method for screening out potential SCMs. In this paper, the accuracy of the Chapelle test for measuring pozzolanic reactivity is evaluated for a variety of SCMs with different physical and chemical characteristics by comparing it with more traditional test methods like SAI and CH measurement through TGA.