Research Projects

The research focuses on the use of materials as partial replacements for cement in concrete, such as fly ash, ground granulated blast furnace slag, silica fume, bagasse ash, foundry ash, wollastonite, and metakaolin. These materials are called pozzolans and have secondary cementitious compounds that react with water and other products to form Calcium Silicate Hydrate (C-S-H) gel. Pozzolans help concrete achieve higher mechanical properties and durability with a denser concrete matrix. However, they take a long time to achieve the expected outcome. The study aims to study the cement-wollastonite-micro silica-nano-silica composite mix, which is used as a microfibre to increase the flexural capacity of the concrete. The combination of these materials densifies concrete at high replacement levels, improving its strength and durability characteristics. Mechanical properties of the concrete will be tested, including compressive strength, flexural strength, split tensile strength, and elastic modulus. Durability properties will be tested using Rapid chloride penetration tests, sulphate attack tests, permeability, sorptivity tests, mercury intrusion porosimetry, and drying shrinkage tests. Special NDT corrosion tests and radioactivity attenuation tests will also be conducted. The tests will be conducted up to a year of curing period, with a total of 1364 cubes, 372 prisms, 620 small cylinders, and 372 large cylinders. Separate specimens for drying shrinkage and radioactivity tests will be prepared.