Partial Replacement of Cement with Alccofine to Enhance the Mechanical Properties of Concrete

Abstract

In the construction field, supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) have brought about a technological revolution in the manufacturing of concrete as a partial replacement or addition to conventional binder mass. Keeping this in mind, this paper aims to summarise and discuss the reported findings on the mechanical and durability properties of alccofine-1203 based concretes. It is also aimed to give a better understanding of the behaviour and effect of alccofine-1203 as an SCM in various types of concretes. The alccofine-1203 has ultra-fine particles with a unique chemical composition that improves the hydration process and pozzolanic reaction. Therefore, its incorporation in concrete has resulted in good workability, reduction in segregation, reduction in heat of hydration, and reduction in permeability to concrete, and increased the rate of hydration process and improved the pozzolanic reaction to achieve high strength to concrete at the early curing stage. The presence of calcium (CaO) and silica (SiO2) in alccofine-1203 improved the mechanical and durability properties of concrete better than the other SCMs. From the literature review, the optimum dosage of alccofine-1203 is obtained between 8% to 12%, and at these percentages, the improvement in mechanical and durability properties of the concrete is highest.

Introduction

Summary:

Cement production significantly contributes to environmental pollution due to high CO? emissions. To reduce this impact, Supplementary Cementitious Materials (SCMs) like fly ash, GGBS, silica fume, and Alccofine are used to partially replace cement. SCMs improve concrete strength and durability, reduce cement consumption, and recycle industrial waste, offering economic and environmental benefits.

Alccofine, a micro-mineral SCM from Ambuja Cements, comes in types with varying calcium content and enhances concrete properties by creating a dense pore structure and better particle packing. Studies replaced cement with Alccofine at 5%, 10%, and 15% in M25 and M30 concrete mixes, testing compressive and tensile strength after curing periods of 7, 14, and 28 days.

Results show that Alccofine replacement improves compressive and tensile strength compared to conventional concrete, with optimal performance around 8-15% replacement. Workability tests indicate that increased Alccofine reduces slump but enhances flowability due to improved rheology. Environmentally, using Alccofine lowers carbon footprint and energy use, while economically reducing material costs and maintenance needs.

The study objectives included assessing Alccofine’s impact on concrete strength, optimal replacement percentage, and its environmental and economic benefits, supporting sustainable construction practices.

Conclusion

The testing of concrete specimen shows the following results Undergoing compressive strength test, the maximum compressive strength of concrete when partially replaced by alccofine was found maximum to be at 15% for both 7 days,14 days and 28 days. There was not a big nominal change when cement was replaced up to 5% but when it reached 15% the compressive value recorded was maximum, then on further addition of alccofine the compressive strength values goes on decreasing. The increase in percentage of compressive strength for 7 days, 14 days and 28 days curing was found to be maximum at 15% replacement. Alccofine when added in concrete mix exhibits nice permeability parameters which results in resistance against corrosion. CaO present in alccofine when combines with water under mix, provides high resistance against chemical and acid attacks.

References

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Copyright

Copyright © 2025 G. Prema Swathi, CH. Srinivas , Gullipalli Santhosh Kumar, Ponnada Tejeswara Rao, Nivarthi Chandra Shakar, Penumalla Manikanta. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.