Effect of Metakaolin and Basalt Fibre on Mechanical Properties f Conventional Concrete

Concrete is one of the well-known construction materials. However, the production of Portland cement, an essential constituent of concrete, leads to the release of significant amount of CO2, a greenhouse gas; one ton of Portland cement clinker production is said to creates approximately one ton of CO2 and other greenhouse gases. Environmental issues are playing an important role in the sustainable development of the cement and concrete industry. Today many researches are ongoing into the use of Portland cement replacements, using many waste materials like pulverized fly ash (PFA) and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS). Like PFA and GGBS, a metakaolin is also used as a binder with partial replacement of cement which take some part of reaction at the time of hydration, also it is act as a filler material. Cement replacement by metakaolin in the range 5% to 25% increment of 5% is to be study in addition with basalt rock fibre by volume fraction in range from 0.05% to 0.25% with increment of 0.05%. It was tested for mechanical properties at the age of 7, 28 days and compared with those of conventional concrete.