PERFORMANCE OF HIGH-STRENGTH CEMENT

Abstract

Now a days, 43 and 53 grade high strength cements are easily available in market at reasonable price. But the use of such high strength cement has not gained popularity due to insufficient information regarding mix design and properties of concrete. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the properties of concrete made with such cements in different proportions. Tests were conducted on three nominal mix concretes viz. (1:2:4),(1:1.5:3),and(1:1:2) for all the three grades of OPC (33,43 and 53) to evaluate the compressive strength, flexural strength, splitting strength and stress-strain behaviour.. A total. of 24 concrete mix proportions were used with w/c ratio varying from 0.30 to 0.65. Due to limitation of funds, it was not • possible to make use of superplasticizer and silica fume in producing high strength concrete. It is concluded that At all ages, increase in cube compressive strength due to use of high strength cement is higher for leaner mixes. However ,for richer mixes effect of high strength cement is not pronounced ; At higher w/c ratio increase in cube compressive strength due to use of high strength cement is more than that at lower w/c ratio ; Observed values of the flexural strength are higher upto about 25% than that given by the Is code ; Observed values of the initial tangent modulus differ from the computed values (Ec= 57004 fck ) by ± 16%,; and At the same compaction factor, slump value increases for richer mixes.