The use of maturity meters to measure strength gain of concrete containing slag cement and fly ash cured at low temperatures

Economic and environmental considerations have promoted the use of supplementary cementing materials (SCMs) such as slag cement and fly ash. This research program focused on use of maturity meters to measure strength gain of concrete containing fly ash and slag cement cured at low temperatures. For this study, slag cement contents ranged from 0 to 40 percent, and the fly ash contents ranged from 0 to 60 percent. Six different mixtures containing Class C fly ash and Gr. 100 slag cement were hatched and tested. The curing temperatures for the study ranged from 33 to 70°F. The maturity as a function of the temperature and time history was measured for each mixture and at each temperature. Nomographs and predictive equations were developed to allow for compressive strength estimation for similar concrete mixtures in the field.