Effect of partial replacement of fine aggregate by internal curing materials on mechanical properties of concrete

Abstract

Internal curing has long been utilized to decrease self-shrinkage and consequently the increased danger of concrete cracking prematurely. The measured mechanical characteristics of concrete were studied in five mixes, both with and without internal curing. Two of these mixtures have a 10% replacement rate, with one using ceramic and the other Attapulgite, while the other two have a 20% replacement, with one using ceramic and the other using Attapulgite, and the fifth is a reference mixture with no replacement for comparative reasons. With an increase of 27.93%, the ceramic combination with a 20% replacement rate is judged to have the highest compressive resistance, followed by the Attapulgite mixture with a 20% replacement rate with an increase of 34.2%. The results showed that the ceramic and Attapulgite internal curing purposes were highly effective, especially with a 20% replacement. The use of crushed ceramics and attapulgite as internal curing materials improves the characteristics of concrete.