Performance of High Strength Concrete Prepared with Fresh and Seawater

Structural behavior and strength properties of high strength concrete (HSC) made with fresh and seawater are examined in the current work. As per the codal provision, seawater is not recommended for mixing of concrete as the high concentration of chloride in seawater causes steel to corrode. Additionally, global issues due to freshwater scarcity imply that using seawater in a concrete mix will be important in the future. In OPC-based concrete, metakaolin (MK) and rice husk ash (RHA) are used as cement substitutes to reduce CO2 emissions during the calcination of cementitious materials and to improve its mechanical properties. HSC of binary and ternary blended concrete mixes were prepared with fresh and seawater. The strength characteristics such as compressive strength, bond strength, and rupture modulus were investigated for various curing periods. Based on the experimental results, combination of 10% RHA and 10% MK (ternary blend) used in freshwater and seawater mix has improved performance than control mix. Also, ternary blended freshwater mix showed improved ultimate load-carrying capacity than seawater and control concrete.