Sustainable development of ternary blended concrete: Experimental study on strength and durability characteristics

This study investigated how partially replacing cement with glass powder (GP) and silica fume (SF) affects key concrete properties. We specifically examined compressive strength (CS), split tensile strength (STS), and flexural strength (FS) at 7, 14, and 28 days of curing, along with water absorption at 28 days. Our findings show that moderate replacements using both SF and GP significantly enhance the concrete's overall strength and durability. Silica fume aids in early strength gain due to its high reactivity, while glass powder enhances long-term strength through slow pozzolanic reactions. The best results were seen in mixtures with balanced amounts of silica fume and glass powder, such as C65-S20-G15 and C70-S20-G10, which showed superior CS, SPT and FS compared to the control mix, especially at later stages. Water absorption test (WAT) indicated a notable decrease in permeability for modified mixtures, with C60-S20-G20 exhibiting the lowest absorption. The study concludes that incorporating silica fume and glass powder can produce sustainable concrete with improved strength and durability.