effects of calcined clay minerals and silica fume on the compressive strength of concrete

Pozzolanic materials are well known as potential replacements for cement manufacturing in order to increase compressive strength and improve durability of concrete in different environments and leading to save energy particularly reducing global warming effect. The present study reveals the effect of calcined clay minerals as natural pozzolanic material, separately and in combination with and without silica fume. To achieve this aim, 15 mixed designs with a constant water to cementitious ratio of  0.38 is made. In six mixed designs only metakaolin, zeolite or silica fume  and in eight other designs metakaolin and silica fume or zeolite and silica fume have been combined. Mixes containing metakaolin or zeolite with ratio of 10 or 20 percent and silica fume with 7 or 10 percent show significant increasing in compressive strength and improving durability, being valuable replacement for cement (in percentages). In particular, the best practice is attributed to the age of 28 days for compressive strength the replacement of the composition is 10% zeolite with 7% of silica fume and for electrical resistance the replacement of the composition is 10% zeolite with 7% of silica fume.