Fly Ash

FLY ASH
INTRODUCTION
THE USE OF FLY ASH IN PORTLAND CEMENT CONCRETE (PCC) HAS MANY
BENEFITS AND IMPROVES CONCRETE PERFORMANCE IN BOTH THE FRESH AND
HARDENED STATE. FLY ASH USE IN CONCRETE IMPROVES THE WORKABILITY
OF PLASTIC CONCRETE, AND THE STRENGTH AND DURABILITY OF HARDENED
CONCRETE. FLY ASH USE IS ALSO COST EFFECTIVE. WHEN FLY ASH IS ADDED
TO CONCRETE, THE AMOUNT OF PORTLAND CEMENT MAY BE REDUCED.
WHERE DOES FLY ASH
COME FROM?
FLY ASH IS PRODUCED BY COAL-FIRED ELECTRIC AND STEAM GENERATING
PLANTS. TYPICALLY, COAL IS PULVERIZED AND BLOWN WITH AIR INTO THE
BOILER'S COMBUSTION CHAMBER WHERE IT IMMEDIATELY IGNITES,
GENERATING HEAT AND PRODUCING A MOLTEN MINERAL RESIDUE. BOILER
TUBES EXTRACT HEAT FROM THE BOILER, COOLING THE FLUE GAS AND
CAUSING THE MOLTEN MINERAL RESIDUE TO HARDEN AND FORM ASH.
HOW MUCH IT WILL USE?
FLY ASH IS USED TO LOWER THE COST AND TO IMPROVE THE PERFORMANCE
OF PCC. TYPICALLY, 15 PERCENT TO 30 PERCENT OF THE PORTLAND CEMENT IS
REPLACED WITH FLY ASH, WITH EVEN HIGHER PERCENTAGES USED FOR MASS
CONCRETE PLACEMENTS. AN EQUIVALENT OR GREATER WEIGHT OF FLY ASH
IS SUBSTITUTED FOR THE CEMENT REMOVED. THE SUBSTITUTION RATIO FOR
FLY ASH TO PORTLAND CEMENT IS TYPICALLY 1:1 TO 1.5:1.
ENVIROMENTAL
BENEFITS
• INCREASING THE LIFE OF CONCRETE ROADS AND STRUCTURES BY IMPROVING
CONCRETE DURABILITY.
• NET REDUCTION IN ENERGY USE AND GREENHOUSE GAS AND OTHER ADVERSE AIR
EMISSIONS WHEN FLY ASH IS USED TO REPLACE OR DISPLACE MANUFACTURED
CEMENT.
• REDUCTION IN AMOUNT OF COAL COMBUSTION PRODUCTS THAT MUST BE
DISPOSED IN LANDFILLS
• CONSERVATION OF OTHER NATURAL RESOURCES AND MATERIALS.
THE CHEMICAL
PROPERTIES
• THE REACTIVE ALUMINOSILICATE AND CALCIUM ALUMINOSILICATE COMPONENTS OF FLY ASH ARE
ROUTINELY REPRESENTED IN THEIR OXIDE NOMENCLATURES SUCH AS SILICON DIOXIDE,
ALUMINUM OXIDE AND CALCIUM OXIDE. THE VARIABILITY OF THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION IS
CHECKED REGULARLY AS A QUALITY CONTROL MEASURE. THE ALUMINOSILICATE COMPONENTS
REACT WITH CALCIUM HYDROXIDE TO PRODUCE ADDITIONAL CEMENTITIOUS MATERIALS. FLY
ASHES TEND TO CONTRIBUTE TO CONCRETE STRENGTH AT A FASTER RATE WHEN THESE
COMPONENTS ARE PRESENT IN FINER FRACTIONS OF THE FLY ASH.
• SULFUR TRIOXIDE CONTENT IS LIMITED TO FIVE PERCENT, AS GREATER AMOUNTS HAVE BEEN
SHOWN TO INCREASE MORTAR BAR EXPANSION.
• AVAILABLE ALKALIS IN MOST ASHES ARE LESS THAN THE SPECIFICATION LIMIT OF 1.5 PERCENT.
CONTENTS GREATER THAN THIS MAY CONTRIBUTE TO ALKALI-AGGREGATE EXPANSION PROBLEMS.
THE CONCRETE
STRENGTH AND
DURABILITY
BENEFITS TO HARDENED CONCRETE : ONE OF THE PRIMARY BENEFITS OF FLY ASH
IS ITS REACTION WITH AVAILABLE LIME AND ALKALI IN CONCRETE, PRODUCING
ADDITIONAL CEMENTITIOUS COMPOUNDS. THE FOLLOWING EQUATIONS
ILLUSTRATE THE POZZOLANIC REACTION OF FLY ASH WITH LIME TO PRODUCE
ADDITIONAL CALCIUM SILICATE HYDRATE (C-S-H) BINDER:
THE CONCRETE
STRENGTH AND
DURABILITY
INCREASED ULTIMATE STRENGTH : THE ADDITIONAL BINDER PRODUCED BY THE
FLY ASH REACTION WITH AVAILABLE LIME ALLOWS FLY ASH CONCRETE TO
CONTINUE TO GAIN STRENGTH OVER TIME. MIXTURES DESIGNED TO PRODUCE
EQUIVALENT STRENGTH AT EARLY AGES (LESS THAN 90 DAYS) WILL ULTIMATELY
EXCEED THE STRENGTH OF STRAIGHT CEMENT CONCRETE MIXES
THE CONCRETE
STRENGTH AND
DURABILITY
REDUCED PERMEABILITY. THE DECREASE IN WATER CONTENT COMBINED WITH THE PRODUCTION OF
ADDITIONAL CEMENTITIOUS COMPOUNDS REDUCES THE PORE INTERCONNECTIVITY OF CONCRETE, THUS
DECREASING PERMEABILITY. THE REDUCED PERMEABILITY RESULTS IN IMPROVED LONG-TERM
DURABILITY AND RESISTANCE TO VARIOUS FORMS OF DETERIORATION
THE CONCRETE
STRENGTH AND
DURABILITY
IMPROVED DURABILITY :THE DECREASE IN FREE LIME AND THE RESULTING INCREASE IN CEMENTITIOUS
COMPOUNDS, COMBINED WITH THE REDUCTION IN PERMEABILITY ENHANCE CONCRETE DURABILITY. THIS
AFFORDS SEVERAL BENEFITS:
• IMPROVED RESISTANCE TO ASR. FLY ASH REACTS WITH AVAILABLE ALKALI IN THE CONCRETE, WHICH
MAKES THEM LESS AVAILABLE TO REACT WITH CERTAIN SILICA MINERALS CONTAINED IN THE
AGGREGATES.
• IMPROVED RESISTANCE TO SULFATE ATTACK. FLY ASH INDUCES THREE PHENOMENA THAT IMPROVE
SULFATE RESISTANCE:
• FLY ASH CONSUMES THE FREE LIME MAKING IT UNAVAILABLE TO REACT WITH SULFATE
• THE REDUCED PERMEABILITY PREVENTS SULFATE PENETRATION INTO THE CONCRETE
• REPLACEMENT OF CEMENT REDUCES THE AMOUNT OF REACTIVE ALUMINATES AVAILABLE
• IMPROVED RESISTANCE TO CORROSION. THE REDUCTION IN PERMEABILITY INCREASES THE
RESISTANCE TO CORROSION.

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