Efficiency of GGBS in concrete

The utilization of supplementary cementitious materials is well accepted because of the several improvements possible in the concrete composites and due to the overall economy. The present paper is an effort to quantify the 28-day cementitious efficiency of ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) in concrete at the various replacement levels. It was observed that this overall strength efficiency of GGBS concretes can also be defined through a procedure adopted earlier for other cementitious materials like fly ash and silica fume. The overall strength efficiency was found to be a combination of general efficiency factor, depending on the age and a percentage efficiency factor, depending upon the percentage of replacement as was the case with a few other cementitious materials like fly ash and silica fume reported earlier. This evaluation makes it possible to design GGBS concretes for a desired strength at any given percentage of replacement.