A Comparative Analysis of the Influence of Fly Ash on the Mechanical Behavior of Self-Compacting Concrete
Dawit BEZA, Muluken GETACHEW, Opeoluwa Rotimi DADA, Aschalew ZERIHUN, Bolanle Deborah IKOTUN
Abstract. Concrete is a widely used construction material composed of cement, fine and coarse aggregates, and water, mixed in specific proportions. Its strength and durability are critical for the performance of civil engineering structures, particularly in building construction. However, these properties are significantly influenced by factors such as mixed design, workmanship, and compaction methods. Therefore, research is essential to optimise and mitigate the effects of these variables, thereby enhancing the performance of concrete. This study aimed to evaluate the fresh and hardened properties of self-compacting concrete (SCC) incorporating fly ash as a partial replacement for cement. Four mix groups were prepared: a control mix with 0% fly ash, and SCC mixes with 5%, 10%, and 15% fly ash replacement. Materials were sourced locally from the Tepi and Jimma areas, apart from Class F fly ash, and chemical admixtures were acquired from Addis Ababa. The mix ratio used was 1:1.735:1.728 (cementitious material: fine aggregate: coarse aggregate), with varying cement and fly ash contents. Fresh properties were assessed using slump flow, flow table, segregation resistance, T500 mm time, and J-ring tests. Compressive strength was measured at 7, 14, and 28 days. The results demonstrated that all SCC mixes met ASTM standards for fresh properties. The compressive strength of all mixes with fly ash outperformed that of C-25 grade concrete, with the 10% replacement achieving the highest strength of 50.2 MPa. Moreover, all replacement levels up to 15% demonstrated superior performance compared to the control mix. Although the optimum replacement percentage was not definitively identified, SCC with fly ash showed improved properties across all parameters. In conclusion, the incorporation of fly ash in SCC enhances both performance and economic viability, rendering it a sustainable alternative to conventional SCC that solely uses ordinary Portland cement (OPC).
Keywords
Fly Ash, Self-Compacting Concrete, Mechanical Properties, Ordinary Portland, Cement
Published online 4/2/2026, 13 pages
Copyright © 2026 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA
Citation: Dawit BEZA, Muluken GETACHEW, Opeoluwa Rotimi DADA, Aschalew ZERIHUN, Bolanle Deborah IKOTUN, A Comparative Analysis of the Influence of Fly Ash on the Mechanical Behavior of Self-Compacting Concrete, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 63, pp 72-84, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644904053-9
The article was published as article 9 of the book Advances in Cement and Concrete Research
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
References
[1] Abd Elaty, M. A. A., & Ghazy, M. F. (2018). Fluidity evaluation of fiber reinforced-self compacting concrete based on buoyancy law. HBRC Journal, 14(3), 368–378. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hbrcj.2017.04.003
[2] Alhorani, R. A. M., Asaad, S. A., & Abendeh, R. M. (2022). Effect of white cement bypass dust on the degradation of roller compacted concrete subjected to sulphate attack. International Journal of Pavement Engineering, 23(10), 3662–3676. https://doi.org/10.1080/10298436.2021.1913592
[3] Alyamaç, K. E., & Ince, R. (2009). A preliminary concrete mix design for SCC with marble powders. Construction and Building Materials, 23(3), 1201–1210. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2008.08.012
[4] Behl, V., Singh, V., Dahiya, V., & Kumar, A. (2021). Characterization of physico-chemical and functional properties of fly ash concrete mix. Materials Today: Proceedings, 50, 941–945. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2021.06.353
[5] Bhagwat, Y., Nayak, G., Pandit, P., & Lakshmi, A. (2023). Effect of polypropylene fibres on strength and durability performance of M-sand self compacting concrete. Cogent Engineering, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311916.2023.2233783
[6] Bhat, J. A. (2020). Mechanical behaviour of self compacting concrete: Effect of wood ash and coal ash as partial cement replacement. Materials Today: Proceedings, 42, 1470–1476. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2021.01.311
[7] Campos, H. F., Klein, N. S., & Marques Filho, J. (2020). Proposed mix design method for sustainable high-strength concrete using particle packing optimization. Journal of Cleaner Production, 265, 121907. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.121907
[8] concept concrete. (2019, May 25). Current advancement and the pros and cons of self compacting concrete. https://www.conceptconcretewa.com.au/pros-and-cons-of-self-compacting-concrete/
[9] Gesoǧlu, M., Güneyisi, E., Kocabaǧ, M. E., Bayram, V., & Mermerdaş, K. (2012). Fresh and hardened characteristics of self compacting concretes made with combined use of marble powder, limestone filler, and fly ash. Construction and Building Materials, 37, 160–170. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2012.07.092
[10] Habibur Rahman Sobuz, M., Saha, A., Akid, A. S. M., Vincent, T., Tam, V. W. Y., Yalçınkaya, Ç., Mujahid, R., & Sutan, N. M. (2023). Performance of self-compacting concrete incorporating waste glass as coarse aggregate. Journal of Sustainable Cement-Based Materials, 12(5), 527–541. https://doi.org/10.1080/21650373.2022.2086936
[11] Hassan, A. A. A., Ismail, M. K., & Mayo, J. (2015). Mechanical properties of self-consolidating concrete containing lightweight recycled aggregate in different mixture compositions. Journal of Building Engineering, 4, 113–126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2015.09.005
[12] Jagadesh, P., de Prado-Gil, J., Silva-Monteiro, N., & Martínez-García, R. (2023). Assessing the compressive strength of self-compacting concrete with recycled aggregates from mix ratio using machine learning approach. Journal of Materials Research and Technology, 24, 1483–1498. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmrt.2023.03.037
[13] Jalal, M., Pouladkhan, A., Harandi, O. F., & Jafari, D. (2015). Comparative study on effects of Class F fly ash, nano silica and silica fume on properties of high performance self compacting concrete. Construction and Building Materials, 94, 90–104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2015.07.001
[14] Kaish, A. B. M. A., Breesem, K. M., & Abood, M. M. (2018). Influence of pre-treated alum sludge on properties of high-strength self-compacting concrete. Journal of Cleaner Production, 202, 1085–1096. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.08.156
[15] Letsosa, C. M., Dada, O. R., & Ikotun, B. D. (2024). The effects of different curing conditions on the polypropylene fibre reinforcement concrete. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 2888(1). https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/2888/1/012022
[16] Plank, J., & Meyer, L. (2015). New insights into physicochemical interactions occurring between polycarboxylate superplasticizers and a stabilizer in self-compacting concrete. Journal of Sustainable Cement-Based Materials, 4(3), 164–175. https://doi.org/10.1080/21650373.2015.1024296
[17] Reta, Y., & Mahto, S. (2019). Experimental Investigation on Coffee Husk Ash as a Partial Replacement of Cement for C-25 concrete. Cikitusi Journal for Multidisciplinary Research, 6(0975–6876), 152–158.
[18] Rivera, F., Martínez, P., Castro, J., & López, M. (2015). Massive volume fly-ash concrete: A more sustainable material with fly ash replacing cement and aggregates. Cement and Concrete Composites, 63, 104–112. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2015.08.001
[19] Roig-Flores, M., Pirritano, F., Serna, P., & Ferrara, L. (2016). Effect of crystalline admixtures on the self-healing capability of early-age concrete studied by means of permeability and crack closing tests. Construction and Building Materials, 114, 447–457. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2016.03.196
[20] The Engineering Community. (2011, June 11). Self-compacting concrete (SCC) – Advantages, Disadvantages and Applications. Engineering Articles. https://www.theengineeringcommunity.org/self-compacting-concrete-scc-advantages-disadvantages-and-applications/
[21] Uysal, M., & Yilmaz, K. (2011). Effect of mineral admixtures on properties of self-compacting concrete. Cement and Concrete Composites, 33(7), 771–776. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2011.04.005
[22] Wlodarczyk, M., & Jedrzejewski, I. (2016). Concrete Slabs Strengthened with Basalt Fibres – Experimental Tests Results. Procedia Engineering, 153, 866–873. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proeng.2016.08.200
[23] Ye, Y., Liu, J., Zhang, Z., Wang, Z., & Peng, Q. (2020). Experimental Study of High-Strength Steel Fiber Lightweight Aggregate Concrete on Mechanical Properties and Toughness Index. Advances in Materials Science and Engineering, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/5915034
[24] Zhang, P., Han, S., Ng, S., & Wang, X. H. (2018). Fiber-Reinforced Concrete with Application in Civil Engineering. Advances in Civil Engineering, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/1698905
