The Effects of Fineness and TEA-Based Chemical Admixture on Early Strength Development of Concrete in Construction Site Applications

This study examines effects of cement fineness and chemical admixtures of early strength agents on the early strength development of concrete. Three cement types were selected, namely ASTM type-I ordinary Portland cement (OPC), fineness ordinary Portland cement (FOPC), and ASTM type-III early Portland cement (EPC), and the mixing proportions of concrete were set by adding a triethanolamine-based chemical admixture to FOPC. The evaluation items considered in this study included raw material analysis, compressive strength, and maturity (D∙h). The time required for the development of concrete strength of 5 MPa in the three cement types was estimated and compared. The results revealed that using FOPC enhances the strength development of concrete owing to its higher fineness and SO(3) content compared to OPC. In addition, it has been observed that using both FOPC and TCA yields a similar performance to that observed using EPC, in light of the improved early strength development at low temperatures.