ConcretebeingplacedintheErectedpiersegments

piersegmentsPhoto:HaydonBridgeCo.and
ASPIREMagazine`
FurtherInformation
Forfurtherinformationaboutthisbridge,seeASPIRE,Winter2011orcontacttheauthorat
sschweitzer@prestressservices.comor(859)6851308.

BenefitsofMetakaolininHPC
KimberlyE.Kurtis,GeorgiaInstituteofTechnology

MetakaolinSelfconsolidatingconcreteusing
Photo:PortlandCementAssociationmetakaolin

Metakaolinisproducedbyheattreatingkaolin,anatural,finelydivided,aluminosiliceous
mineral,whichisfoundinabundanceinNorthAmericainGeorgia,SouthCarolina,and
Saskatchewan.Heatingto1200to1650F(650900C)altersitsstructure,producingahighly
reactivesupplementarycementitiousmaterial(SCM)thatiswidelyavailableforuseinconcrete
construction.ASTMC618andAASHTOM295classifymetakaolinasaClassN(ornatural)
pozzolan.

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Becauseitisproducedundercontrolledconditions,itscomposition(typically50to55%SiO2
and40to45%Al2O3),whiteappearance,andperformancearerelativelyconsistent.Duetoits
highsurfaceareaandhighreactivity,relativelysmalladditionratesofmetakaolintypically
10%orlessbyweightofcementproducerelativelylargeincreasesinstrength,
impermeability,anddurability,whileitslightcolorgivesitanaestheticadvantageoverother
SCMs.

ImprovedStrength
Metakaolinsreactionrateisrapid,significantlyincreasingcompressivestrength,evenatearly
ages,whichcanallowforearlierreleaseofformwork.Mixeswithmetakaolinat8%ofthetotal
cementitiousmaterialshaveproducedconcretecompressivestrengthincreasesofmorethan
20%at1dayand40%at28days.(1)Earlyageflexuralstrengthscanalsobeincreasedbyas
muchas60%,potentiallyallowingforearlyopeningofconcretepavementstotraffic.Strengths
ofupto35,000psi(240MPa)havebeenachievedinultrahighstrengthconcrete,formulated
with25%metakaolinandawatertobinderratioof0.22.(2)

ImprovedDurability
Inadditiontoincreasingstrength,thedensificationofthemicrostructurethatresultsfromthe
pozzolanicandhydraulicreactionsofmetakaolinalsoleadstogreaterimpermeability.Verylow
andlow28dayrapidchloridepermeabilitytest(RCPT)resultsperAASHTOT277havebeen
reportedforconcretescontaining8%metakaolinatwatertobinderratiosof0.40and0.50,
withthemetakaolinconcreteachievingremarkablylowerRCPTvaluesthanothercomparable
mixes.(3)Inconcretescontainingmetakaolinat8to12%ofthetotalcementitiousmaterials,50
60%decreasesinchloridediffusioncoefficientsuggestthatsignificantimprovementsinservice
lifecanbeachievedthroughmetakaolinutilizationinchlorideenvironments.(4)Inaddition,
metakaolinhasbeenshowntobehighlyeffectiveinmitigatingexpansionduetoalkalisilica
reaction(ASR)andsulfateattack.(5,6)

ImprovedEarlyAgeBehavior
Therelativefinenessofmetakaolincanresultindecreasedslump,buttheuseofwater
reducingadmixturesoruseincombinationwithflyashinternarymixescancompensatefor
this.(7)Slumpsof5to7in.(125to180mm)havebeenachievedwithmetakaolinatwater
cementitiousmaterialsratio(w/cm)of0.36to0.38,using2535%lesshighrangewater
reducingadmixturethancomparablemixes.(8)

Metakaolinconcretetendstoexhibitacreamytexture,resultinginbetterfinishability
comparedtootherfinelydividedSCMs.Thisqualityalsoimprovespumpabilityandcanbeused
toimpartdetailedsurfacetexturestocastsurfaces.Inaddition,thecohesivenessprovidedby
themetakaolinallowsforrelativelysimpleformulationofselfconsolidatingconcrete,when
usinganappropriatedosageofpolycarboxylatewaterreducerasshowninthephotographat
thebeginningofthisarticle.

7 HPC Bridge Views Issue 67 May/June 2011

Dataonthepotentialcontributionsofmetakaolintochemical,autogenous,anddrying
shrinkageareinconsistent,withauthorsreportingbothdecreasesandincreasesineachformat
variousagesandatvariousadditionrates.Forapplicationswithrestrictionsonshrinkage,
additionaltesting,includingtheassessmentofshrinkagereducingadmixturesandfiber
reinforcement,maybeadvised.

ContributionstoSustainability
Becauseofthelowerprocessingtemperaturecomparedtocementclinker,useofmetakaolin
cancontributetosustainabilitythroughenergysavings,aswellasreductionsingreenhousegas
emissions.AfterexaminingvariousSCMsaloneandincombinationandconsidering
performance,economic,andenvironmentalcriteria,metakaolinconcretewasidentifiedasa
verypromisingsolutionfortheprecastindustryforreducingclinkercontentinconcrete.(9)

Internaryblendswith25%flyashand8%metakaolin,concreteachievedequivalentstrengthto
otherconcreteatjust3days,whilereducingcementitiousmaterialscontentbymorethan350
lb/yd3(208kg/m3).Combinationsof25%flyashand3%metakaolinachievedstrength
equivalenceby28days,ataw/cmof0.30.(7)

Alkaliactivationofmetakaolin,aloneandincombinationwithslagorflyash,hasproduced
goodqualitygeopolymers.Compressivestrengthsexceedingthoseofcomparableportland
cementconcretehavebeendemonstrated,suggestingthatmetakaolinmaybecommercially
viableasanalternativebinder,inadditiontoitscurrentlymorecommonuseasanSCM.

References
1.Justice,J.M.andKurtis,K.E.,InfluenceofMetakaolinSurfaceAreaonPropertiesof
CementbasedMaterials,ASCEJournalofMaterialsinCivilEngineering,September2007,Vol.
19,No.9,pp.762771.

2.Tafraoui,A.etal.,MetakaolinintheFormulationofUHPC,ConstructionandBuilding
Materials,Vol.23,2009,pp.669674.

3.Justice,J.M.etal.,ComparisonofTwoMetakaolinsandSilicaFumeUsedasSupplementary
CementitiousMaterials,SeventhInternationalSymposiumonUtilizationofHighStrength/High
PerformanceConcrete,Ed.Russell,H.G.,PublicationSP228,Vol.1,AmericanConcrete
Institute,FarmingtonHills,MI,2005,pp.213236.AlsoonCompactDisc.

4.Gruber,K.A.etal.,IncreasingConcreteDurabilitywithHighReactivityMetakaolin,Cement
andConcreteComposites,Vol.23,2001,pp.479484.

5.Khatib,J.M.andWild,S.,SulphateResistanceofMetakaolinMortar,CementandConcrete
Research,Vol.28,No.1,1998,pp.8392.

6.Ramlochan,T.,Thomas,M.,andGruber,K.A.,TheEffectofMetakaolinonAlkaliSilica

8 HPC Bridge Views Issue 67 May/June 2011

ReactioninConcrete,CementandConcreteResearch,Vol.30,2000,pp.339344.

7.Garas,V.Y.andKurtis,K.E.,AssessmentofMethodsforOptimisingTernaryBlended
ConcreteContainingMetakaolin,MagazineofConcreteResearch,September2008,Vol.60,
No.7,pp.499510.

8.Caldarone,M.A.,Gruber,K.A.,andBurg,R.G.,HighReactivityMetakaolin:ANew
GenerationMineralAdmixture,ConcreteInternational,Vol.16,No.11,November1994,pp.
3740.

9.Cassagnabere,F.etal.,Metakaolin,ASolutionforthePrecastIndustrytoLimittheClinker
ContentinConcrete:MechanicalAspects,ConstructionandBuildingMaterials,Vol.24,2010,
pp.11091118.

Curing,Shrinkage,andCrackingofTernaryConcreteMixes
TommyE.Nantung,IndianaDepartmentofTransportation

SR23bridgeunderconstructionusingaternaryconcretemix.

Manystatetransportationagenciesareexploringwaystoincreasetheservicelifeofconcrete
bridgedecks.Inmanycases,bridgedeckreplacementisneededwhilethepavementleadingto
thebridgeisstillingoodcondition.Withmoreandmorerestrictionsonclosingroadsectionsto
traffic,thereisaninitiativetomatchthelifeoftheconcretebridgedeckwiththelifeofthe
pavement.

Crackingofconcretebridgedecksisnotanewissuewithbridgeengineers.Itisoneofthemost
importantissuestoberesolvedbecauseofitsrelationshipwithdeteriorationofthebridge
deck.Manyexpertsinthebridgecommunityalreadyputsignificanteffortintoreducingbridge

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