Evaluation of mechanical properties of concrete for its sustainable development

Abstract

The built environment is a major contributor to CO2 emissions accounting for approximately 50% of global emissions. To reduce impact, all aspects of construction practices need to be investigated. In this paper the attempt was made to investigate the feasibility of use of packing density method for design of concrete mix rather than traditional methods of concrete mix. The water-cement ratio was kept 0.45 for all the mixes. The mechanical properties of concrete such as compressive strength, permeability, abrasion, water absorption and ultrasonic pulse velocity were evaluated. The test results revealed that, the compressive strength was comparable to that of control concrete. On the other hand, durability parameters had shown remarkable improvement. The permeability reduced by 8.5 % and the water absorption of concrete reduced by 44% in comparison to concrete designed by conventional IS code method. Resistance to abrasion also increased by 19% as compared to control concrete. The cement content could be saved by 22% by packing density approach with desired workability and strength. The concrete prepared with packing density approach was found out to be of better quality, cost effective and sustainable.

Keywords

• Concrete, Packing Density, Compressive strength, CO2 Emission