Effect of four-component binder on characteristics of self-compacting and fibre-reinforced self-compacting mortars

Vol.:(0123456789) Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry (2024) 149:10559–10575 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-024-13003-z Effect offour‑component binder oncharacteristics ofself‑compacting andfibre‑reinforced self‑compacting mortars SarellaVenkateswaraRao1,4· MartinT.Palou2,3,4 · RadoslavNovotný3,4· MatúšŽemlička2,4· JanaČepčianska2,4· PeterCzirák2,4 Received: 19 August 2023 / Accepted: 19 February 2024 / Published online: 26 March 2024 © The Author(s) 2024 Abstract The hydration heat of a four-component binder consisting of Portland cement (CEM I 42.5 R), blast-furnace slag (BFS), metakaolin (MK), and silica fume (SF) was investigated using a conduction calorimeter and thermal analytical method to optimize the material composition of self-compacting mortar (SCM). Then, the influence of material composition with different substitution levels (0, 25, 30, and 35% labelled as SCM100, SCM75, SCM70, and SCM65) on physical and mechanical properties of the mortars with two volumetric binder sand ratios of 1:1 and 1:2 (cement: sand) was evaluated. Furthermore, two mortar compositions comprising SCM75 and sand at 1:1 and 1:2 ratios were used to prepare fibre-reinforced self-compacting mortars in five combinations (0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1%) of two fibres (polypropylene-PPF and basalt-BF) at a constant content of 1.00 vol%. The properties of the prepared samples were investigated with respect to the characteristics of self-compactibility and mechanical properties of fresh and hardened states, respectively. The rheology characteristics expressed by slump flow, V-funnel, and T20 were found following the EFNARC guidance. The partial replacement of cement by supplementary cementitious materials has enhanced the performances (compressive and flexural strengths, dynamic modulus of elasticity) of self-compacting mortars from the 7th day through pozzolanic activity. Furthermore, adding fibres has enhanced the DME and microstructure of the self-compacting mortars. Keywords Self-compacting mortars· Supplementary cementitious materials· Hydration heat· Mechanical and physical properties Introduction Self-compacting mortars, as advanced building materials, are principally used in the rehabilitation and repair of reinforced concrete structures [1–3]. Placing fresh mortar without any external compaction and at the same time without causing segregation is the main scientific and economic advantage of the development of self-compacting mortars [4]. To meet these specific requirements, the water–cementitious materials ratio of the mortar and the type of chemical admixtures should be determined. In other words, the paste phase rheology of repair mortar should have suitable properties from the viewpoint of flowability and segregation [4, 5]. In addition, the self-compactability of the resulting mortars may provide considerable advantages over conventional mortar such as reducing construction time and labour costs and enhancing the filling capacity of highly congested structural members. High cement content is needed in self-compacting mortars to increase their flowability and stability, * Martin T. Palou mar[email protected] 1 Civil Engineering Department, National Institute ofTechnology Warangal, Warangal, Telangana506004, India 2 Institute ofConstruction andArchitecture, Slovak Academy ofSciences, Dúbravská Cesta 9, 84503Bratislava, SlovakRepublic 3 Faculty ofChemical andFood Technology, Slovak University ofTechnology, Radlinského 9, 81237Bratislava, SlovakRepublic 4 Materials Research Centre, Faculty ofChemistry, Brno University ofTechnology, Purkyňova 118, 61200Brno, CzechRepublic 10560 S.Venkateswara Rao et al. and inert fillers and supplementary cementitious materials are usually used for this purpose [6]. An appropriate supplementary cementitious material (SCMs) can be used to improve the segregation resistance of self-compacting mortars while maintaining excellent flowing ability in the fresh state. In fact, most common supplementary cementitious materials such as blast-furnace slag (BFS), metakaolin (MK), and silica fume (SF) have been used to produce selfcompacting mortar and self-compacting concrete with good flowing ability [5–11]. On recent developments of concrete and construction materials technology, the study on plastering (with different materials) plays a major role in catering to the issues of crack repairs, damp proofing, and rehabilitation issues of the structures. Fibre-reinforced SCM is one of the materials widely used to repair old concrete [12]. In the fibre-reinforced SCM, fibres are usually discontinuous and randomly distributed throughout the composite. In the hardened mortar, fibres prevent the microcracks from developing into macrocracks. In addition, these fibres bridge and therefore hold together the existing macrocracks, thus reinforcing the mortar against failure [12]. Likewise in fibre-reinforced concrete, the property enhancement of fibre-reinforced mortar can be largely attributed to the crack bridging forces provided by the fibres, which limit crack opening and distribute the stresses to the nearby matrix, thus suppressing strain localization [13–15]. Consequently, the strength and strain capacity of the composite increased appreciably. Hybrid fibre-reinforced self-compacting mortar gives the advantage of two or more than two types of fibres that can be added in self-compacting mortar. It improves the properties of single fibre-reinforced self-compacting mortar. Hybrid fibre-reinforced self-compacting mortar is a new composite material produced by adding different types, shapes, and dimensions of fibres in a self-compacting mortar. The use of fine mineral admixtures in SCMs is inevitable to enhance their self-compactibility characteristics and reduce self-compacting concrete's material cost (SCC). Self-compacting mortar (SCM) may serve as a basis for the design of concrete, and the properties of SCMs highlight the workability of SCC mixtures. According to Domone and Jin [9], mortars are being tested for the following reasons: SCC has a lower coarse aggregate content than that of normal concrete (typically 31–35% by volume), and therefore, the properties of the mortar are dominant. Assessing the properties of the mortar is an integral part of many SCC mix design processes; therefore, knowledge of the properties is useful. The combination of powder materials is also used to control the hardened properties, such as strength. Testing mortar is more convenient than testing concrete. Studies on the paste or mortar have shown that the rheological properties of the matrix are important to achieve the required fresh properties of SCC. Due to the lower content of coarse aggregate in SCC, mortar exerts more effects on the fresh properties of SCC than conventional concrete (CC). Mortar not only provides lubrication by wrapping coarse aggregates, but it also predominantly influences the fresh properties of SCC with a low yield stress and adequate viscosity so as to ensure the required filling and passing ability without blocking and segregation. Mortar is, thus, an integral part of SCC mix design. Hence, self-compacting mortar (SCM) is a precondition for the successful production of SCC. To enhance the rheological properties, the binder composition of the self-compacting mortars should be optimized based on the particle size distribution and mainly on hydration heat. Indeed, the rapidity and quantity of heat evolved could influence the binder past flowability by forming hydration products that cause the setting and hardening of fresh mortars. Therefore, hydration heat and hydration products should be determined before the determination of the material composition. According to general knowledge, the hydration of blended cement containing various supplementary cementitious materials [16] should be governed by the principle of OPC hydration, alkali-activation, or pozzolanic reactions. In recent decade, several authors [17–21] have undertaken suitable works to understand the effect of ground granulated blast-furnace slag, metakaolin, silica fume, and limestone on the hydration of multicomponent cementitious binders. Systems comprising Portland cement and the addition of one, two, three, or four supplementary cementitious materials with substitution levels reaching 35% by mass of cement were deeply investigated. The concomitant dilution (due to the replacement of Portland cement by SCMs) effect and pozzolanic reactions were examined at laboratory conditions. It was found that the presence of supplementary cementitious materials has an impact on the dissolution of C3S due to their affinity towards calcium hydroxide. First, PC should react with water to release calcium hydroxide, which serves to initiate the secondary alkali-activated or pozzolanic reactions. As hydration is a complex process extended over time, the mutual influence of alkali-activation and the primary hydration of PC were observed. The substitution of Portland cement clinker with reactive supplementary cementitious materials and limestone is currently the primary lever for reducing the carbon footprint of cement manufacture, and this is projected to be the case for decade to come. The main objective of this work is to study the strength and microstructure characteristics of self-compacting and fibre-reinforced self-compacting mortar (SCM) using fourcomponent binders (cement, GGBS, metakaolin, and silica fume) with two volumetric binder sand ratios of 1:1 and 1:2, and three kinds of fibres. 10561 Effect offour‑component binder oncharacteristics ofself‑compacting andfibre‑reinforced… Experimental The standardized cement–sand ratio is 1:3 for mortars, but in the case of self-compacting mortars, this ratio may vary depending on the required rheological properties. The four combinations of binders in SCM mixes are listed in Table2, and the mix composition for SCM(1:1) and SCM (1:2) are depicted in Table3 and Table4, respectively. After determining the hydration heat and self-compactibility, specimens of 4 cm × 4 cm × 16 cm size were cast; compressive and flexural strengths, dynamic modulus of elasticity (DME) for SCM(1:1) and SCM(1:2) mixes were tested at 2, 7, and 28days. Then, ten specimens of fibrereinforced mortars based on SCM75(1:1) and SCM(1:2) with different combinations of polypropylene (PPF) and basalt (BF) fibres were prepared. The five combinations of fibres in SCM(1:1) and SCM(1:2) mixes are designated as follows: SCM75A(0% PPF and 1% BF), SCM75B(0.25% PPF and 0.75% BF), SCM75C(0.5% PPF and 0.5% BF), SCM75D(0.75% PPF and 0.25% BF), and SCM75E(1% PPF and 0% BF). Testing procedures The rheological characteristics of self-compactibility were determined following EFNARC(details are reported in 2.1. Test methods). Dynamic modulus of elasticity (DME) was conducted at 2, 7, and 28days. The hydration reaction of the binders and the characteristics of hydration products were investigated using a conduction calorimeter TAM AIR 8–Channel calorimeter as described elsewhere [18, 19]. After that, the phase changes were examined by TGA/ DSC technique (TGA/DSC–1, STARe software 9.30, Mettler Toledo). The 50.00 (± 0.03) mg of powdered samples was heated in the open platinum crucibles up to 1000°C at the heating rate of 10°C min–1 in N2 atmosphere. The chemical composition of used materials determined by means of energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) method using SPECTRO XEPOS HE Spectrometer is reported in Table1. The microstructure observation was carried out using the JSM-6610A (JEOL, Tokyo, Japan) scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with a conventional tungsten filament. The compressive strength of samples was tested using WPM WEB Thuringer Industriwerk Rauestein 11/2612 (up to 25 000N) at 2, 7, and 28days. Each displayed data represents the arithmetic mean of six experimental measurements. Dynamic modulus of elasticity (DME) was conducted at 2, 7, and 28days using UPV method. Materials The materials used in this study were selected taking into consideration their quality. The following materials were therefore used: • Cement type I—42.5 R with specific surface area of 4341 cm2·g−1 was from Danucem (former CHR) Rohožník, Slovak republic • Reactive alkaline GGBS with 78% of glass content and with specific surface area of 4275 cm2·g−1 was from Moravia Steel, JSc., Třinec, Czech Republic. • Metakaolin MK Mefisto K05 with specific surface area of 2586 cm2 g−1 was from České lupkové závody, a.s., • Silica fume (SF) with specific surface area of 15,000 cm2·g−1 was fromOravské ferozliatinárske závody, a.s., Slovakia. • Three siliceous sands of 0/1, 1/2, and 2/4 sizes. • STACHEMENT 2000 as a superplasticizer based on polycarboxylates with high plasticizing effect was used in this study. • Three kinds of fibres (basalt, carbon, and PP) with determined modulus of elasticity, tensile strength, diameter, and length were used to prepare fibrereinforced self-compacting mortar. • Tap water was used for both casting and curing of the specimens. Table 1 Chemical composition of cementitious materials (% by mass) Chemical element Cement (CEM I 42.5 R) GGBS Metakaolin Silica Fume SiO219.10 37.20 53.70 97.10 Al2O34.43 8.50 39.90 0.21 Fe2O32.60 0.24 1.15 – CaO 63.80 38.90 0.45 0.50 MgO 2.39 10.20 0.30 0.40 TiO20.25 0.30 1.42 MnO 0.19 0.51 < 0.01 K2O 0.53 0.36 0.74 Na2O 0.41 0.46 0.07 P2O50.09 0.02 0.08 SO33.49 3.01 0.11 - Cl−1 0.09 0.03 < 0.01 BaO 0.03 0.08 0.04 SrO 0.02 0.06 0.02 Loss by ignition 2.31 0.36 1.75 10562 S.Venkateswara Rao et al. Test methods ofEFNARC Mortar tests are widely used to design and evaluate SCC mixes. Assessing the properties of SCM is an integral part of SCC design. EFNARC (European Federation of National Trade Associations) is the only available standard that is dedicated to special construction chemicals and concrete systems. It describes various tests involved in mortar tests to determine the optimum w/cm and optimum dosage of SP in mortar. They are the mini-slump cone test to measure the relative slump of the mortar and the mini-V-funnel test to measure the flow rate or viscosity of the mortar. Mini‑slump cone andgraduated glass plate The test apparatus for measuring the spread and viscosity of mortar comprises a mini-frustum (slump) cone and a graduated glass plate. Mini-slump cone has top and bottom diameters of 7cm and 10cm, respectively, with a cone height of 6cm. The graduated glass plate contains two circular graduations of 10cm and 20cm in diameter marked at the centre of the glass plate, as shown in Fig.1a. With this test apparatus, both viscosity and spread of the mortar can be measured from a single test. Determination ofspread In this test, the truncated cone mould is placed exactly on the 10cm diameter graduated circle marked on the glass plate, filled with mortar and lifted upwards. The subsequent diameter of the mortar is measured in two perpendicular directions, and the average of the diameters is reported as the spread of the mortar. Determination of T20 T20 is the time measured from lifting the cone to the mortar reaching a diameter of 20cm. The measured T20 indicates the deformation rate or viscosity of the mortar. So, during this test, T20 can be measured first and average of the spread can be measured subsequently. This procedure is similar to slump cone test conducted on SCC. V‑funnel test The V-funnel flow test for SCM is also described by EFNARC as shown in Fig.1b. The funnel is filled completely with mortar, and the bottom outlet is opened, allowing the concrete to flow. The flow of mortar is the elapsed time (t) in seconds between the opening of the bottom outlet and the time when the light becomes visible from the bottom, when observed from the top. Preparation ofmortar standard samples Casting Standard moulds of size 40mm × 40mm × 160mm were casted which are used for compressive and flexural tests at the age of 2, 7, and 28days. Curing After the completion of the casting, all the specimens were cured in ambient conditions of 20 ± 2°C and 90% relative humidity for 24h. The specimens were removed from the mould and submerged in clean, fresh water until just prior to testing. The temperature of water in which the cubes were Fig. 1 a Mini-slump cone apparatus, b Mini-V-funnel apparatus (a) Mini slump cone apparatus (b) Mini V-funnel apparatus 10563 Effect offour‑component binder oncharacteristics ofself‑compacting andfibre‑reinforced… submerged was maintained at 20 ± 2°C. The specimens were cured for 28days. Compressive andflexural strength tests This test was performed at 2, 7, and 28days. For that purpose, 40mm × 40mm × 160mm moulds were used, which were kept in a wet chamber (20 ± 2°C and RH ≥ 95%) after de-moulding at 24h. The specimens were tested immediately after having been taken from the curing chamber. The test was performed in three moulds for each reference and test age with a 3000 kN hydraulic press and a loading rate of 0.6 ± 0.2MPa·s−1 (N·mm−2·s−1). The compressive strength is given by Eq.(1): in which: fc = compressive strength (N·mm−2); F = maximum load at failure (N), and Ac = cross-sectional area of the specimen (mm2). The flexural strength is given by Eq.(2) in which: Ft = flexural strength (N·mm−2); F = maximum load at failure (N), l= c ∕ length of support (mm), b = breadth of the specimen (mm) and d = depth of the specimen (mm). (1) fc = F Ac (2) F t= 3Fl 2bd 2 Dynamic elasticity modulus This test was based on measuring the propagation time of ultrasonic wave pulses through the given material. Measurements were carried out using the TICO ultrasonic instrument with external 150-kHz probes (the frequency was chosen in view of the dimensions of the specimens). The value of the dynamic elasticity modulus Eu in compression and tension in N/mm2 can be ca1culated from the formula: VL = Propagation velocity of the ultrasonic pulse (m/sec). L = Length of the specimen (mm). t = measured time of passage of ultrasonic pulse (μsec). 𝜌 = Bulk density of SCM mortars (kg·m−3). k = a dimensionless coefficient characterizing the size of the specimens. Results anddiscussion Hydration reaction ofthefour‑component binder As a versatile method, conduction calorimetry is used to record continuously and in real time the heat flow of the exothermic hydration reaction of cementitious materials. Cumulative heat and total hydration heat outputs are calculated using measured heat flow. Then, the data are used to characterize the kinetics and mechanism of hydration reaction and to investigate the influences of different factors, such as (3) E u=𝜌.V2 L. l k 2.10− 6 (4) V L= L t 0481216202428323640444852566064687204812162024283236404448525660646872 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 Heat flow/mW g –1 Time/h SCM 100 SCM 75 SCM 70 SCM 65 Exo ^ 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 Culmutative heat/j g –1 Time/h SCM 100 SCM 75 SCM 70 SCM 65 (a) (b) Fig.2 Heat flow and cumulated hydration heat during the first 72h 10564 S.Venkateswara Rao et al. temperature, admixtures, and fineness, upon the hydration and physical properties of cement paste, mortars, and concretes [17, 22–24]. The heat flow and cumulated hydration heat during the first 72h hydration of the four-component binder are shown in Fig.2a, b. Calorimetric curves were deeply discussed by different authors [23–25]. According to the general knowledge, three main exothermic peaks with four main stages (dissolution, induction, acceleration, and deceleration) can be observed at the curves of the hydration heat flow of all samples. The initial peak within the first hour corresponds to the exothermic physical processes such as wetting and dissolution and chemical reaction of C3A with gypsum (CaSO4.2H2O) to form the first ettringite by topochemical process, causing the induction period after forming a protective layer. The first observed peak after the induction period is due to the hydration of C3S, resulting in nucleation and crystallization of C–S–H and CH. The intensity of this peak decreases with decreasing content of cement in the blends. The phenomenon is called the “dilution effect”. Also, the cumulative hydration heat decreases with cement content. Then, shoulder or second peak after the main one appears. It is generally attributed to the second exothermic reaction related to C3A (formation of ettringite after depletion of the protective layer or decomposition of ettringite into monosulfate) [20, 21]. But, the second peak becomes sharper and more intensive with increasing the substitution level. The alkali-activated reaction of SCMs with a high content of aluminium bearing materials supports the formation of ettringite in the presence of an excess of gypsum [18]. Indeed, metakaolin or blast-furnace slag can, after dissolution, contribute to the formation of ettringite or monosulphate, as reported by [18, 25, 26]. TG/DTG analysis The TG curve (Fig.3a) shows the overall loss of water physical and chemically bonds during hydration and can serve to characterize quantitatively different hydration products. The total mass loss is related to the substitution level and material composition. Even if the substitution level varies from 25 to 35%, the composition of supplementary cementitious materials plays a primordial role. Indeed, BFS, SF, and MK have different alkali-activation capacities. Moreover, they are of different specific surfaces, contributing to the reaction rate. The pozzolanic reaction or alkali-activated reactions of BFS, SF, and MK were deeply investigated and broadly reported in the literature [19, 20, 27, 28]. DTG curve (Fig.2b) serves to qualitatively characterize the presence of products formed during hydration, including carbonization. The peaks found below 100°C denote the presence of humidity or water physically bound. After 72h of calorimetric tests, the samples were immediately analysed. The presence of a peak denoting the presence of water physically bound has no effect on the type and intensity of further endothermic peaks. The temperature interval to 300°C characterizes the presence of C–S–H and ettringite, with the peak at around 110°C and C–A–S–H at 180°C. The main characteristic of pozzolanic activity is illustrated by a peak denoting the presence of calcium hydroxide and located in 400–500°C [19, 20]. An important part of calcium hydroxide has been used in the alkaliactivation reaction providing additional hydrated products. The primary hydration reaction and pozzolanic ones were in detail reported by numerous authors [20, 21, 27–29], where some TG measurements were used to determine the degree 0100 200300 400500 600700 800900 1000 – 0.0011 – 0.0010 – 0.0009 – 0.0008 – 0.0007 – 0.0006 – 0.0005 – 0.0004 – 0.0003 – 0.0002 – 0.0001 0.0000 0.0001 DTG/°C –1 Temperature/°C SCM 100 SCM 75 SCM 70 SCM 65 (b) (a) 0100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 75 80 85 90 95 100 Mass loss/% Temperature/°C SCM 100 SCM 75 SCM 70 SCM 65 Fig.3 TG (a) and (DTG) curves of four-component binder after 72h 10565 Effect offour‑component binder oncharacteristics ofself‑compacting andfibre‑reinforced… of calcium consumption in the alkali-activation reaction of cement. The formation of additional hydrated products has caused an increase in mechanical strength, which exceeds that of referential mortar even at 7days in some cases. The last peaks observed at intervals 600–1000°C reveal the presence of different kinds of calcium carbonate resulting from different degrees of crystallization of carbonated products. The contribution of supplementary cementitious materials to the formation of additional hydrated products can be proved by the DSC curve (Fig.4a) with an exothermic peak located at around 900°C. A more detailed study reported by [18] has shown the formation of wollastonite and gehlenite. Indeed, wollastonite results from the thermal decomposition of C–S–H with C/S ≅ 1 when supplementary calcium is involved in the reaction. Calcium hydroxide participates actively in the formation of calcium–silicate–hydrate (C–S–H) and calcium–aluminium–silicate–hydrate (C–A–S–H) through a pozzolanic reaction with silica fume and metakaolin. The principle of the pozzolanic activity of materials primarily comprising silica and reactive alumina is based on the model reported in [29]. The activation occurs by sequences of conjoined reactions basing on destruction–coagulation–condensation–crystallization mechanism. Though the thermal decomposition of gehlenite hydrate occurs at 180°C, the rearrangement of its structure to crystalline one is done at 900°C with an exothermic effect (Fig.4b). The pozzolanic reaction is illustrated by the DTG curve where the peak velocity denoting the endothermic decomposition of calcium hydroxide in a mortar containing supplementary cementitious materials is drastically reduced compared with that of referential mortar. The reduction of Ca(OH)2 peak velocity pastes indicates its consumption in the pozzolanic activity. As the content of supplementary cementitious materials increases (i.e. the higher addition of SCMs), the higher the content of amorphous SiO2 is available to react with Ca(OH)2. This reaction is more effective with the large amount of Ca(OH)2, which comes from the hydration of C3S and C2S to produce C–S–H. The hydration of self-compacting mortars has the same characteristics as hydration of ordinary mortars or cement paste with the same binders. The main difference lies in the composition of the binder, binder-to-filler ratio, water-to-binder ratio, and additive to prepare self-compacting mortars meeting the requirements of EFNARC guidelines [30]. In the development of the selfcompacting mortar, emphasis is placed on the rheological properties, the pozzolanic effect responsible for developing higher strength at a later age, the compactness of the microstructure, and the refinement of the pore structure [30–33]. Rheological properties offour‑component binders This study considered two mixes (1:1 and 1:2) of selfcompacting mortars (SCM) with four-component binders 0100 200300 400 500 600700 800 900 1000 – 1.0 – 0.9 – 0.8 – 0.7 – 0.6 – 0.5 – 0.4 – 0.3 – 0.2 – 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.2 Heat flow/mW g –1 Temperature/°C SCM 100 SCM 75 SCM 70 SCM 65 Exo^ 800 820840 860880 900 920 940 960980 1000 – 0.05 0.00 0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20 Heat flow/mW g–1 Temperature/°C SCM 100 SCM 75 SCM 70 SCM 65 Exo^ Fig.4 DSC curves (a) and detail of DSC within interval 800–1000°C (b) of four-component binder after 72h Table 2 Composition of four-component binders Cement (CEM I 42.5 R) GGBS Metakaolin Silica Fume SCM 100 100 – – – SCM 75 75 5 5 15 SCM 70 70 10 10 10 SCM 65 65 15 15 5 10566 S.Venkateswara Rao et al. Table 3 Mix proportions of SCM(1:1) mixes with component binders Mix (1:1) Cement/kg m−3 GGBS/kg m−3 MK/kg m−3 SF/kg m−3 FA I/kg m−3 FA II/kg m−3 FA III/kg m−3 Water/kg m−3 w/b SP (% bwc) SCM 100 976.56 – – – 325.52 325.52 325.52 410.2 0.42 0.45 SCM 75 732.42 48.83 48.83 146.48 325.52 325.52 325.52 410.2 0.42 0.60 SCM 70 683.59 97.66 97.66 97.66 325.52 325.52 325.52 410.2 0.42 0.60 SCM 65 634.76 146.48 146.48 48.83 325.52 325.52 325.52 410.2 0.42 0.60 Table 4 Mix proportions of SCM(1:2) mixes with component binders Mix (1:2) Cement/kg m−3 GGBS/kg m−3 MK/kg m−3 SF/kg m−3 FA I/kg m−3 FA II/kg m−3 FA III/kg m−3 Water/kg m−3 w/b SP (% bwc) SCM 100 781.25 – – – 520.83 520.83 520.83 328.1 0.42 0.60 SCM 75 585.95 39.06 39.06 117.18 520.83 520.83 520.83 328.1 0.42 0.80 SCM 70 546.86 78.13 78.13 78.13 520.83 520.83 520.83 328.1 0.42 0.80 SCM 65 507.83 117.18 117.18 39.06 520.83 520.83 520.83 328.1 0.42 0.80 10567 Effect offour‑component binder oncharacteristics ofself‑compacting andfibre‑reinforced… (cement, GGBS, metakaolin, and silica fume). The mix proportions are shown in Tables3 and 4. The properties of the two fresh SCM mixes are evaluated using mini-slump and mini-V, and the results are reported in Tables5 and 6. Tables5 and 6 report the experimental results for the slump flow diameters, T20, and V-funnel flow times. It is evident that the diameter of slump flow decreases with increasing content of supplementary cementitious materials. On the contrary, T20 and V-funnel flow times increase with increasing substitution levels, in other words, with increasing content of supplementary cementitious materials. Higher times V-funnel tests mean less workability and lower filling ability. As per EFNARC guidelines, all the SCM mixes have a slump flow of 240–260mm and a V-funnel time of 7–11s. The same findings were reported by [3–10]. Table 5 Fresh properties of 1:1 SCM with biding materials Mix (1:1) Slump Flow / mm T20 /sec V-Funnel/sec SCM100(1:1) 290 2.19 7.54 SCM75(1:1) 275 2.56 8.36 SCM70(1:1) 265 3.05 8.53 SCM65(1:1) 260 3.24 9.26 Table 6 Fresh properties of 1:2 SCM with binding materials Mix (1:2) Slump Flow/ mm T20/sec V-Funnel/sec SCM100(1:2) 285 2.28 7.86 SCM75(1:2) 265 3.53 8.57 SCM70(1:2) 258 4.35 9.82 SCM65(1:2) 245 4.82 10.04 80 70 60 50 2728 2d 7d 28d SCM100(1:1) SCM75(1:1) SCM70(1:1) SCM65(1:1) SCM100(1:2) SCM75(1:2) SCM70(1:2) SCM65(1:2) Curing time Curing time (a) (b) Compressive strength/MPa 40 30 20 10 0 80 70 60 50 Compressive strength/MPa 40 30 20 10 0 Fig.5 Compressive strength of a SCM(1:1) and b SCM(1:2) 20 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 2728 2d 7d 28d SCM100(1:1) SCM75(1:1) SCM70(1:1) SCM65(1:1) SCM100(1:2) SCM75(1:2) SCM70(1:2) SCM65(1:2) Curing time Curing time (a) (b) Flexural strength/MPa 20 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 Flexural strength/MPa Fig.6 Flexural strength of a SCM(1:1) and b SCM(1:2) 10574 S.Venkateswara Rao et al. ad analysing the data obtained by calorimeter. JČ is a Ph.D. student and has contributed to the manuscript by establishing the grading curves, determining the mechanical and physical properties of concrete. ŽM is a young researcher at the Institute of Construction and Architecture from the Slovak Academy of Sciences. He contributed to the manuscript by measuring and analysing the data by Thermal Analysis Method. PC is a PhD student and has contributed by realizing the experimental works, analysing the data. Funding Open access funding provided by The Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic in cooperation with Centre for Scientific and Technical Information of the Slovak Republic. This work was supported by, Slovak Research and Development Agency APVV–15–0631, APVV-19-0490, and Slovak Grant Agency VEGA No. 2/0097/17, Declarations Conflict of interest The authors declare that they have no competing interests. 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