Status

Complete                            View Final Report: PDF

Sequential Number

Identification Number

Matching Research Agency

Missouri Department of Transportation

Principal Investigator

Student Involvement

One graduate student, one undergraduate student.

Project Objective

The objective of the proposed research is to design, test, and evaluate HVFA concrete mixtures. This study will focus on the hardened properties of HVFA concrete containing aggregates and fly ash indigenous to the state of Missouri and will develop guidelines on its use in infrastructure elements for MoDOT.

Project Abstract

Traditional concrete specifications limit the amount of fly ash to 35 or 40 percent cement replacement. Recent studies, including those by the investigators, have shown that higher cement replacement percentages – even up to 75 percent – can result in excellent concrete in terms of both strength and durability. Referred to as high-volume fly ash (HVFA) concrete, this material offers a viable alternative to traditional portland cement concrete and is significantly more sustainable.

However, HVFA concrete is not without its problems. At all replacement rates, fly ash generally slows down the setting time and hardening rates of concrete at early ages, especially under cold weather conditions, and when less reactive fly ashes are used. Furthermore, with industrial by-products, some variability in physical and chemical characteristics will normally occur, not only between power plants but also within the same plant. Consequently, to achieve the benefits of HVFA concrete, guidelines are needed for its proper application in bridges, roadways, culverts, retaining walls, and other transportation-related infrastructure components.

Anticipated Benefits

Reduction in concrete’s carbon footprint and removal of material from the solid waste stream (currently, about 40 percent of fly ash is reclaimed for beneficial reuse and 60 percent is disposed of in landfills).

Milestones

Project Deliverables

Test data, guidelines, and specifications for the use of high-volume fly ash concrete in transportation-related infrastructure.

Technology Transfer Activities

The technology transfer activities will include a final research report and dissemination of the findings through a national conference via technical presentation(s) and publication(s).

Transportation Research Board Keywords

Concrete, Durability, Fly Ash, Supplementary Cementitious Materials, Sustainable Development, Transportation Infrastructure