Old Dumped Fly Ash as a Sand Replacement in Cement Composites

The use of industrial residues to replace natural resources for the production of building materials is economically and ecologically justified. Fly ash (FA) taken directly from electro-filters is commonly used as a cement replacement material. This is not the case, however, for old dumped fly ash (ODFA) that has been accumulating in on-site waste dumps for decades and currently has no practical use. It causes environmental degradation, which is not fully controlled by the governments of developed countries. The aim of the study was to assess the possibility of using ODFA as a partial replacement for sand in cement composites. ODFA replaced part of the sand mass (20% and 30%) in composites with a limited amount of cement (a cement-saving measure) and sand (saving non-renewable raw material resources). ODFA was activated by the addition of different proportions of hydrated lime, the purposes of which was to trigger a pozzolanic reaction in ODFA. The quantitative composition of the samples was chosen in such a way as to ensure the maximum durability and longevity of composites with a limited amount of cement. The 28-day samples were exposed to seawater attack for 120 days. After this period, the compressive strength of each sample series was determined. The results suggest the possibility of using ODFA with hydrated lime to lay town district road foundations and bike paths of 3.5 to 5 MPA compressive strength. What is more, these composites can be used in very aggressive environments.

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