High Performance Mortars and Concretes Using Secondary Raw Materials: Self-compacting Cementitious Systems

ACI defines HPC as the concrete that meets special performance and uniformity requirements that may not always be obtained using conventional ingredients, normalmixing procedures and typical curing practice. These requirements may include enhancement of ease of placement without segregation, long term mechanical properties, early age strength, toughness, volume stability and life in severe environments. Secondary raw materials (SRM) have a very significant role indetermining the overall response of any modern concrete. The SRM¿s that were seclected, included limestone powder, fly-ash, silica fume, amorphous rice husk ash and crystalline RHAP. The study looks into flow strength, microstructure and volume stability of SCCS in terms of linear early shrinkage measurements. It started with the SRM particle characterization. it has been demonstrated that amorphous rice husk ash could be used in place of silica fume , as SRM in modern concrete systems in developing agricultural countries