Effect of Barium on High Performance Cement Mortar
Keywords:
Barium(Ba), Deionized Water, High performance cement mortar(HPCM), Micro Silica, Super plasticizer (SP), setting times, compressive strength, soundnessAbstract
The effect of Barium(Ba) present in mixing water for high performance cement mortar was experimentally
evaluated. The properties investigated are setting times, soundness, compressive strength, and durability aspects like acid
attack, alkaline attack, sulphate attack and chloride ion penetration. High performance cement mortar(HPCM) specimens
were cast using deionised water and Barium(Ba) spiked deionized water for reference and the test specimens as mixing
waters respectively. It is observed that on comparison with reference specimens, the initial and final setting of cement with
test specimens got accelerated with increase of Barium concentration in deionised water. The increase in the initial setting
time is insignificant at all concentrations of Barium whereas the increase in the final setting times are significant at 4000
mg/L and 5000mg/L concentrations of Barium. The change in expansion of cement mortar is insignificant at all
concentrations of the Barium. The increase in compressive strength is almost constant up to concentration of 2000 mg/L and
beyond that it decreases. The percent change in compressive strength is insignificant at all concentrations of Barium except
for 5000 mg/L concentration at 28 days. The compressive strength and weight of the specimen mortar cubes immersed in
acid, alkaline and sulphate solutions decreases with age. The chloride ion permeability is low.
