Effect of heat curing on early strength of high-performance mortar containing ferronickel slag as cement replacement

Abstract

Abstract High-performance mortar (HPM) is a new material in construction projects which requires a huge amount of cement on its production. As a consequence, the cost of this material will increase. This problem can be solved by utilizing alternative binders combined with the latest curing technology to obtain a low cost of HPM without loss of quality. This study aims to examine the effect of heat curing on the compressive strength of HPM containing FNS as cement replacement in early days (7 days). The FNS was ground using a ball mill to achieve a fineness similar or higher than cement. A low water-to-cement ratio of 0.35 was chosen in this research. The series of HPM mixtures containing FNS used in this study were 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20% and 30%. Heat curing at 75 °C was used to assess the performance of the HPM compared to normal curing. The particle size distribution of binders was determined using a laser diffractometer. The results showed that the presence of FNS in the HPM had a positive effect on the compressive strength at 7 days after applying heat curing. The use of heat curing at 75 °C increased the strength of HPM at 7 days.