| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1455888 | Cement and Concrete Composites | 2006 | 10 Pages |
The purpose of the present study is to determine the effect of factors such as dosage, curing conditions and use of a superplasticiser admixture on the porosity, mechanical strength and composition of slaked lime (SL)–metakaolin (MK) mortars. Statistical correlations have been established to describe the mechanical properties as well as porosity and composition of the slaked lime–metakaolin mortars.The SL/MK ratio has a moderate effect on mortar flexural and compressive strengths. The SL + MK/sand ratio is the factor with the highest impact on all the properties studied: strength, porosity and mortar composition. As this ratio increases, strength, porosity and amount of hydration and carbonation products formed in the samples also rise. The next factor by order of importance is the presence of a superplasticiser admixture, which affects porosity, strength and the amount of calcite in the sample. The presence of this superplasticiser admixture increases strength, raises the percentage of calcite in the mortars and reduces porosity. It is particularly striking that neither curing nor open air carbonation time (in the range studied) has a significant effect on the composition or porosity of the SL–MK mortars studied, although they do have a moderate effect on mechanical strength.
