The Influence of Slag and Fly Ash on the Carbonation of Concretes

Synopsis: The paper shows the influence of mineral additions (in form of fly ash, slag and ground limestone) replacing portland cement on the CO2 penetration rate of concretes manufactured at a given water-cementitious material ratio (w/cm). The results indicate that at a given w/cm there is an increase in the carbonation rate in concretes with mineral additions, except when the amount of portland cement replacement is relatively low (15%). On the other hand, when the comparison of the carbonation rate is made on concretes at the same strength level, there is no significant difference between concretes with portland cement and those with replacement by mineral addition up to 50%