A Study on Partial Replacement of Cement using Natural Zeolite

Abstract Because of its superior mechanical and physical qualities, concrete, a composite material, has long been one of the most widely utilized materials in the civil engineering sector. Without a doubt, cement is the component that uses the greatest energy. In addition to being energy-intensive, the manufacture of cement contributes significantly to global CO2 emissions, making up 8% of all greenhouse gas emissions. Concrete’s performance and resilience to harsh environmental stresses are enhanced by the addition of natural zeolite powder to blended cement. Concrete buildings are subject to a multitude of detrimental consequences when exposed to harsh environments, including carbonation, acid attack, ion migration of chloride and sulfate, and so forth. The concrete structure eventually weakens as a result of these exposures, reducing its lifespan. In concrete, pozzolans and supplemental cementitious materials (SCMs)—natural or synthetic—are widely utilized in different proportions to substitute cement as an enhancer ingredient. This study attempts to generate quantitative data and comprehend the performance of concrete at various levels of zeolite replacement and presents an experimental investigation to evaluate the compressive strength and split tensile strength of concrete with Natural zeolite as a partial replacement material. In this work, the pulse velocities and acid attack resistance of concrete that contains natural zeolite as a partial replacement material are measured. There are several ratios in which natural zeolite is utilized instead of cement: 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, and 30%. To get quantitative data and understand the performance of concrete at different levels of natural zeolite replacement, the cubes and cylinders were cast and evaluated after seven and twenty-eight days. The best percentage of replacement of natural zeolite in cement is calculated by performing various tests on the cubes casted with various natural zeolite replacement ratios in concrete.