On sustainable self-curing self-compacting concrete using polyethylene glycol and manufactured sand

Abstract

Self-compacting concrete (SCC) is commonly used when compaction is challenging, requiring special attention towards curing. Conventional curing techniques often fail in practice. Water evaporation is often reduced even when precise control measures are taken, but surface water on vertical structure elements remains a problem. To address these challenges, this study intends to determine the possibility of achieving self-curing self-compacting concrete (SCSCC). As curing agent plays a significant role in producing SCSCC, this study concentrates on assessing the impact of polyethylene glycol (PEG) addition at different rates of 0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, and 2% on the fresh, hardened, durability characteristics. Moreover, to improve the sustainability properties of SCSCC, manufactured sand (M-sand) obtained from rock crushing operations is used as a replacement for river sand. Generally, results indicate that using superplasticizer and M-sand is sufficient for achieving the required flowability for SCC mixtures without using specific fillers, promptly controlling bleeding and segregation, and maintaining the necessary compressive strength at all ages. The hardened properties of SCSCC were improved by increasing PEG content up to 1.5% with an optimal range of 0.5% superplasticizer. Also, results show that self-cured specimen cured with PEG has greater acid resistance as compared to the conventionally cured one.