National Concrete Pavement Technology Center

Project description

Supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) are commonly used in Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) concrete pavements and bridge decks to improve strength and permeability characteristics. The supplementary cementitious materials allowed under current KDOT specifications are all by-products of industrial processes. Volcanic ash is a natural product that has been used as a mineral admixture in concrete. The purpose of this study was to evaluate Kansas sources of volcanic ash for use in concrete as an SCM. This report will discuss all three stages of the study: material testing of the volcanic ash, testing the cementitious properties of Kansas volcanic ash, and evaluating the effects of volcanic ash on the properties of concrete such as strength and permeability.