Production of self-compacting concrete incorporated with red clay industry waste

ABSTRACT In recent years, there has been an increasing use of mineral additions in the production of Portland cement and concrete in order to improve the physical, mechanical and durability properties of these materials, in addition to economic and environmental benefits as these additions are generally industrial waste or byproducts. Whereas the red clay industry in Brazil generates a high amount of waste from the production process, there is an environmental liability and higher costs related to such waste. An alternative utilization is its incorporation as a mineral addition in the production of Portland cement and concrete. Thus, the present study evaluates the use of red clay industry waste in the production of self-compacting concrete. Besides the self-compacting properties in fresh state, physical and mechanical properties were evaluated in the hardened state. The results show that the material has a great potential for use in the production of self-compacting concrete, including those of high strength.