Strength development of GGBS and fly ash concretes and applicability of fib model code’s maturity function – A critical review

This paper is the joint work of working group 4 of the RILEM TC 238-SCM and the fib Task Group 4.6. It was the aim of this literature study to quantify the effect of ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) and silicious fly ash (sFA) on strength development of concrete. For the strength development the approach of the fib Model Code was chosen, which is based on an e-function that can be adapted to the strength development of an individual binder by selecting the so-called s-value based on the strength class of the Portland cement used. No guidance is provided for s-values for supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs). In order to determine the s-values for mixes with SCMs, a database was set up with results of material testing from literature. A relationship between s-values and w/b plus SCM/b ratios has been determined. This has been tested on laboratory cast specimens with 50 and 30% cement replacement with GGBS and FA respectively. These were cured at 20 °C. The s-values from this relationship were compared to those obtained from regression analysis and they were found to be satisfactory. This increased confidence in their use for predicting the strength development of other curing regimes, i.e. adiabatically cured concrete cubes, using the maturity function in the fib Model Code. Predictions of the effect of curing temperature, i.e. the adiabatic temperature history, on the strength development were again satisfactory. These were not significantly affected by the fib model code’s use of one value of “apparent” activation energy.