Abstract

Studies on Strength Characteristics of Reactive Powder Concrete

Author(s): J. Aravindhan and G. Vijayakumar

Reactive powder concrete (RPC), which can be classified under Ultra high performance concrete (UHPCs) vows to be a promising material with respect to its mechanical and durability properties. Its performance under adverse environmental conditions is equally important, especially in marine environment, nuclear waste storage units and chemical industries. Its dense and uniform microstructure may lead to high performance characteristics. Assessing the permeability of a concrete with dense microstructure becomes important with focus on its performance. In view of this, RPC with a compressive strength of 120MPa was produced using local available materials. Laboratory investigations like; Compressive test, split tensile test and flexural strength were conducted to evaluate strength characteristics of RPC. The study on rapid chloride penetration reveals that chloride ion penetration is negligible in RPC and hence it can be a promising construction material to use in aggressive environment.