Influence of calcined dam mud on the thermal conductivity of binary and ternary self-compacting concrete mixtures using the equivalent mortar method

Reducing energy consumption in concrete buildings requires cement-based structural materials that have low thermal conductivity. Moreover, low thermal conductivity is a crucial property of building materials used for thermal insulation to ensure the comfort of building occupants. The research evaluates the effect of using calcined mud (CM) and natural pozzolan (Pz) on the thermal conductivity of self-compacting concrete (SCC). To optimise SCC formulations, the equivalent concrete mortar method has been used. This communication mainly focuses on the equivalent self-compacting concrete mortars (ESCCMs). The current study consists of ten formulations: one control (based on Portland cement) and nine others containing binary and ternary systems of Portland cement, calcined mud, and natural pozzolan with 10%, 20%, and 30% replacement rates . The mixtures were prepared using tests of cement paste and equivalent mortar in a fresh state. Afterwards, they were assessed based on their compressive strength at 14, 28, 90, and 180 days and their thermal conductivity at 28 and 90 days in the hardened state. The self-compatibility, the thermal conductivity, and the mechanical performance results obtained by relevant tests on ESCCMs prove that the ternary systems (Portland cement, CM, and Pz) open up many techno-economic development avenues in SCC applications to be explored.