Modelling and optimization of multiple replacement of supplementary cementitious materials for cement composite by response surface method

Abstract

Supplementary cementitious materials are beneficial in improving performance and lessening the cement consumption with highly lessening CO₂ emission. Many researchers used blast furnace slag, bentonite, and active limestone separately or two of them together to improve the performance of cementing materials, however, it is not well known how all react together in cement composite materials. So, the present study used modeling and optimizing the replacement of blast furnace slag, raw bentonite, and active limestone each by the doses of 0 to 20% to maximize strength and minimize the fresh bulk density of cementing materials by central composite design-response surface method (CCD-RSM). The results found, the employment of blast furnace slag, bentonite, and active limestone in the cement composite materials generally lessens the early strength compared to the control mixture. However, the replacement of blast furnace slag and active limestone by 20% significantly improves the 28-days compressive strength while employing raw bentonite by 20% reduced compressive strength by 6.45% compared to the control mixture. However, blending raw bentonite with active limestone by half improved the compressive strength. Besides these, the substitution of bentonite and active limestone reduces the fresh bulk density and flexural strength than the control mixture. Generally, the study optimized depending on the criteria of maximizing strength and minimizing fresh density and found the mix design replacement of blast furnace slag 1.01%, raw bentonite 5.30%, and active limestone 20% that improves 28 days compressive strength simultaneously reduces fresh bulk density in addition to replacing more than 54 different optimized design mix results.