Masonry mortars, precast concrete and masonry units using coal bottom ash as a partial replacement for conventional aggregates
Roberto Rodríguez-Álvaro, Belén González-Fonteboa, Sindy Seara-Paz, Emilio José Rey-Bouzón
Abstract
Granular coal combustion products are problematic waste materials whose use as aggregates in concrete has been extensively studied. However, its integration into other non-structural materials and elements has not been so widely documented. Masonry mortars, precast concrete and masonry units with different ratios of coal bottom ash replacing conventional aggregates have been studied. With the incorporation of coal bottom ash in the mortars, the workability, density and strength decrease whereas the porosity, the weight loss and the drying shrinkage increase. However, low replacement ratios have slight effects. The use of coal bottom ash as an internal curing water reservoir is proposed as the most promising future line of research.