Assessing Roller Compacted Concrete using GGBS as Partial Cement Replacing Material for Application in Low Traffic Volume Road

Abstract

This paper reports most optimized mix derived from the roller compacted concrete (RCC) using ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) as the partial cement replacing materials in the context of possible utilization of RCC in the construction of rigid pavements in the rural part of the country, especially subjected to low vehicular traffic volume. In the current study, various RCC mix compositions were developed by substituting ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) for ordinary Portland cement (OPC) in varied percentages (0%, 20%, 40%, and 50%) and assessed for mechanical (strength) properties. All the three GGBS blended mix compositions are found to give early age compressive strength more than 20 MPa and 28 days compressive strength more than 30 MPa. Further, they are found to have split tensile strength in the range of 2.8-4.1 MPa. Moreover, they are found to yield the flexural strength more than 3.8 MPa. All the three mixes are found to comply with the requirements of compressive strength, splitting tensile strength and the flexural strengths as prescribed by Indian Roads Congress Specification and American Concrete Institute Standards for possible utilization in the construction of rigid pavements in the rural parts of the developing country like India. Further, the strength values of the GGBS blended mixes increases from 20% to 40% and decreases thereafter, at the higher GGBS contents such as 50%. In view of this, the RCC mix composition with 40% GGBS contents can be regarded as the most optimal mix to be used in the construction of rigid pavements in rural part of the country.