The Effects of Diatomite on Cement Mortar and Concrete: A Review

Abstract

Pozzolanic additions form the cornerstone of the strongest and longest-lasting concrete mix designs. By-products including metakaolin, fly ash, silica fume, rice husk ash, and other naturally occurring materials like volcanic ash and pumice are examples of pozzolanic materials. One pozzolanic addition that has been used in the building and industrial sectors to enhance the rheological and mechanical qualities of cement is diatoms. As a sedimentary rock, diatomite is mostly composed of amorphous or active silica. It is widely used in concrete and cement mortar as a pozzolanic addition. It has clearly changed the cement's mechanical and chemical characteristics. The work that has been done to partially replace Portland cement in mortar and concrete with diatomite is discussed in this study. The paper goes into great detail into the various mechanical and rheological properties of cement and concrete, including raw diatomite.