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Fluidity of cement pastes with mineral admixtures and superplasticizer—A study based on the Marsh cone test

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Abstract

The Marsh cone test is a simple approach for obtaining a practical measure of the fluidity of cement pastes containing superplasticizer and silica fume. Using this method, a study of the effect of water/cement ratio, type and dosage of mineral admixture, and superplasticizer type on cement pastes with different superplasticizer dosages is presented here. Results are presented for cement pastes with silica fume and micronized diatomites as mineral admixtures. In all cases, there is a superplasticizer saturation dosage beyond which there is no significant increase in fluidity and, therefore, can be used for the selection of superplasticizer type and dosage. The data obtained indicate that the relative fluidity generally decreases with an increase in the silica fume content. The Marsh cone approach is also used to compare the effects of the mixing sequence used in the preparation of the pastes. A study of the loss of fluidity over time as a function of the superplasticizer type shows that the trends can vary considerably from one product to another.

Résumé

L'expérience réalisée avec le cône de Marsh constitue un instrument simple pour obtenir une mesure pratique de la fluidité des pâtes de ciment avec ajouts de minéraux et de superplastifiants. Cet article expose une étude sur l'influence de différents paramètres sur la fluidité de la pâte lorsqu'on utilise le cône de Marsh. Les paramètres analysés sont: le rapport eau/ciment, le type et le dosage d'ajout minéral (fumées de silice et diatomite), le type et le dosage de superplastifiant, l'ordre d'introduction des constituants dans le mélange et la perte de fluidité en fonction du temps. Les résultats obtenus révèlent l'existence d'un pourcentage optimum de superplastifiant, appelé point de saturation, au-delà duquel aucune augmentation significative sur la fluidité ne se manifeste. Les résultats mettent d'autre part en évidence l'influence significative du type de superplastifiant sur la perte de fluidité de la pâte.

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Agulló, L., Toralles-Carbonari, B., Gettu, R. et al. Fluidity of cement pastes with mineral admixtures and superplasticizer—A study based on the Marsh cone test. Mat. Struct. 32, 479–485 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02481631

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