Utilization of Olive Waste Ash and Sea Sand Powder in Self-compacting Concrete

The main difference between self-compacting concrete (SCC) and other types of concretes is its aptitude for self-leveling. SCC can be achieved by using viscosity-modifying agents, superplasticizers, fillers or increasing the amount of fine aggregate. This research investigated the effects of two different fillers namely olive waste ash (OW) and sea sand powder (SS) of different proportions on some mechanical properties of SCC. Besides compressive strengths and volume variations during hydration, porosity has been evaluated by using X-ray computed tomography method. Moreover, mixes with limestone powder (LS) were prepared for better comparison. Findings showed that although there is not considerable difference in compressive strength and porosity using SS instead of LS, considering volumetric shrinkage is of the utmost importance. Also, OW increases the viscosity of SCC in fresh state but dramatically reduces compressive strengths and considerably increases the volumetric changes. Furthermore, porosity is noticeable in comparison with LS mixes.