Use of Fluidized Bed Combustion Fly Ash as a Partial Substitute for Cement in Underwater Concrete Mixes

Despite limitations to coal combustion energy production, many countries face the still-unresolved problem of utilising the wastes from fluidised bed coal combustion. One direction of rational utilisation can be using these wastes in the building materials industry. The study aimed to analyse the possibility of using fluidised bed combustion fly ashes as a partial substitute for cement in the underwater concrete (UWC). Two groups of concrete mixes were tested, containing 20 to 50% of fluidised bed combustion fly ashes. Investigations of the rheological properties of the concrete mixes and the mechanical performance of the hardened concrete confirmed the possibility of replacing cement in UWC with fluidised bed combustion fly ash up to 30% of the cement mass. The higher content of the fly ashes significantly worsens the UWC strength as well as the consistency and wash-out loss of the concrete mixes, excluding its use in underwater concreting.