An empirical relationship for compressive strength of preplaced aggregate concrete with modified binder

In this study, an experimental investigation was conducted to assess the influence of ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) and silica fume (SF) on the fresh and hardened properties of grout specimens and preplaced aggregate concrete (PAC). Grout proportions were optimized statistically using a factorial design and were applied to 10 mm and 20 mm coarse aggregates to produce PAC. The results demonstrate that GGBS has a more significant effect on the compressive strength of grout compared to SF, with a small increase or decrease in the GGBS content having a greater influence on the compressive strength of grout than SF. The water to binder ratio had the most significant effect on the compressive strength of PAC, followed by the coarse aggregate size and sand to binder ratio. An empirical relationship to predict the compressive strength of PAC was proposed through an experimentally derived factorial design along with a statistical analysis of collectively obtained data and a deep literature review. The results predicted by the empirical relationship were in good agreement with those of PAC produced for verification.