Advantages of Incorporating Supplementary Cementitious materials in Concrete

In order to find concrete with more durability, sustainability and high- performance, the construction industry has moved towards supplementary Cementitious materials (SCMs). Over 50% of the construction companies agreed that inclusion of SCMs changed the dynamic of the modern concrete mix and also provided a lot of options to the customers. Supplementary Cementitious materials include ground granulated blast furnace slag, Fly Ash, silica fumes that are highly effective for environmental sustainability along with enhancement of concrete properties. In this blog, we are going to understand supplementary Cementitious materials and also explore the advantages of it in the modern day concrete mix.

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Understanding Supplementary Cementitious Materials (SCMs)

Supplementary Cementitious Materials refers to those that are produced from industrial byproducts or other natural processes. As leading construction supplier, Firstchoice Ready Mix recommends SCMs because of its increasing overall properties of the concrete mix. The chemical compositions of SCMs involve silica, alumina and calcium that react with hydration cementitious products to form calcium silicate hydrate which is named as cement concrete. In modern day construction projects, SCMs have been essential for its ability to increase performance of concrete, especially in terms of offering strength, durability to any aggressive surroundings. Alongside that, inclusion of SCMs in construction projects also offers sustainable alternatives so companies can lower the dependency on Portland cement and also lower the carbon footprint to keep the biodiversity healthy.

Advantages of Supplementary Cementitious Materials in concrete

1. Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBS)

Considering supplementary Cementitious materials used in construction projects, GGBS refers to slag release after cooling molten iron from steel and iron industry. At FCR, producing high strength cement incorporates SCMs to create a granular material then it is grounded into a fine powder because of its chemical compositions involving silica, calcium and alumina. It resulted in improving durability of the structures and also enhanced the workability. Another key advantage of GGBS is mixed with concrete to increase resistance from surface attack or any kind of chlorine penetration. Apart from that, GGBS with concrete allows the structures to work ideally even in adverse conditions such as marine structures, wastewater treatment plants. We at FCR prefer GGBS for its eco-friendly benefits that adds value and also reduces carbon emissions from the hydration process.

2. Fly Ash

Fly Ash is produced from coal combustion and widely used SCM in concrete. It includes silica, alumina and iron oxide that resonate pozzolanic activities in concrete. Chemical composition includes Fly ash with water forms calcium oxide in hydration that increases concrete strength. In modern day construction projects, Fly Ash brings lots of benefits like improving workability and pumpability of the concrete. As a leading construction concrete supplier, FCR is involved in many large scale construction projects in which our experts use Fly Ash for an easier finish to concrete. Alongside that, Fly Ash contributes towards production of high strength concrete mixes by refining the pore structure and also enhancing density of the concrete matrix. It often resulted as concrete with reduced permeability able to resist from chemical attack and also enhanced durability.

3. Silica Fumes

Silica as supplementary Cementitious material offers ultrafine powder of silicon and ferrosilicon that significantly increases concrete properties. Inclusion of silica fumes as SCM in concrete mix balances the density along with strength of the concrete by filling in the microscopic voids between cement particles. It often leads to significant improvements in the compressive strength of the cement and making silica fumes as a key ingredient in producing high strength cement and concrete. Addition of silica fumes increase concrete's resistance gi abrasion, resists sudden attack and also make it perfect for high performance application lime industrial floors.

4. Durability and temperature control

Inclusion of SCMs in concrete is majorly responsible for enhancing concrete durability by improving resistance and preventing environmental degradation. Incorporating SCMs such as GGBS, Fly Ash, slag, silica fumes gives a bit of extra shelf-life to the structures, reduces maintenance costs and contributes towards project sustainability. While preparing large construction projects, our experts find SCMs essential because of their ability to control temperature within concrete, especially in mass concrete applications. Most importantly, addition of SCMs is also responsible for reducing the heat of the hydration process as compared to traditional concrete and also decreasing the risk of thermal cracking.

5. Chemical compositions

FCR is one of the leading companies manufacturing high strength concrete mix and high strength cement by using SCMs. To strengthen the benefits of SCMs, FCR is closely working with construction chemical suppliers who can provide customized admixtures and additives. In doing so, we recommend to use more SCMs in preparing Concrete mix, designed chemical composition to optimize hydration process and also improves workability. However, leveraging the expertise of construction concrete suppliers like FCR, contractors can produce high strength concrete mixes that fulfill construction needs.