Evaluation of the pozzolanic activity of red ceramic waste using mechanical and physicochemical methods

Abstract

Abstract Alternative cementitious materials can potentially reduce the environmental impact of the extraction of lime and the hazardous production of Portland cement. Red ceramic waste can be comminuted to fine particles with both filler and pozzolanic activity and used in Portland and lime mortars. This study presents the evaluation of the pozzolanic activity of red ceramic waste by physicochemical and mechanical methods using Portland cement and lime mortars. The evaluated waste depicted high pozzolanic activity and absence of Na2O, and consumed 32% of CaO according to the adapted Chapelle test. The compressive strength recorded in the pozzolanic activity test with lime was 7.1 MPa at 7 days. Moreover, the compressive strength of mixes with 25% replacement of Portland cement by red ceramic waste was 11% higher than the reference waste-free composition. The red ceramic waste depicted adequate characteristics to be used in the production of large volumes of Portland and lime mixes commonly employed in the civil construction.