Predicting the Compressive Strength of Portland Cement Concretes with the Addition of Fluidized Bed Combustion Fly Ashes from Bituminous Coal and Lignite

This paper presents the results of an extensive experimental study on the effect of the addition of two types of fly ash produced during fluidized bed combustion of bituminous coal and lignite, which differ substantially in their chemical and mineral compositions, on the compressive strength of concrete. Concretes with water/binder ratios of 0.65, 0.55 and 0.45 made with CEM I 42.5 R Portland cement and gravel aggregate were tested. The analyzed amounts of fly ash added to the binder were 0, 15% and 30% by weight. Based on the results of compressive strength testing after 28 and 90 days of curing, the relationships with the water/binder ratio and fly ash content in the binder were determined. The fly ashes used were highly active and capable of pozzolanic reaction. The relationships established allow the compressive strength of concretes based on composite cement-fly ash binder to be predicted with sufficient accuracy. The results presented in this study are an important contribution to the knowledge of concretes with combined binders. They have the exploratory value of establishing the dependence of compressive strength at 28 and 90 days on binder composition and water-binder ratio. In addition, they could be used almost directly in practical applications.