Performance evaluation of binary blends of Portland cement and fly ash with complex admixture for durable concrete structures

This paper presents the results of a study on binary blends of Portland cement and fly ash with complex admixture used for the concrete structures to meet specific performance objectives in east coastal area of China. The concretes were evaluated for workability, strength, water permeability, drying shrinkage, sulfate resistance and electrical resistance. Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy (ESEM) was used to examine the microstructure of concrete made by complex admixture compared with control batches without complex admixture. The combined efforts of fly ash and complex admixture led to an improvement in the workability, strength and durability.