2.1 Materials
The following materials were employed:
• The cement used in all mixture was normal OPC (53grade) conforming to IS: 12269 (BIS 1987). Commercially available MK was used as mineral additive. Their chemical composition is specified in Table 1. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of the MK used in this study is
shown in Fig. 1.
• Good quality aggregates have been procured for this investigation. Crushed granite with nominal grain size of 20 mm and well-graded river sand of maximum size 4.75 mm were used as coarse and fine aggregates,respectively. The specific gravities of aggregates were determined experimentally. The coarse aggregates with 20, 12.5 mm fractions had specific gravities of 2.91 and 2.80, whereas the fine aggregate had specific gravity of 2.73, respectively.
• Commercially available poly carboxylate ether (PCE)- based super-plasticizer (SP) was used in all the concrete mixtures.