HOORNAHAD, HOOMAN1 and KOENDERS, EDUARD A. B.2

1) PhD candidate, Microlab, Delft University of Technology, H.Hoornahad@tudelft.nl

2) Associate professor, Microlab, Delft University of Technology, E.A.B.Koenders@tudelft.nl

2) Visiting professor, Department of Civil Engineering, COPPE-UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

In this paper a performance-based method for the design of granular-paste mixtures will be proposed. Focus will be on the selection and proportioning of constituents to produce a mixture with a pre-defined shape holding ability. Shape holding ability of mixtures will be characterized by the shape preservation factor SPF. This SPF shows the ability of a mixture to preserve its shape after being demolded from a slump test. SPF is the ratio of the cross sectional area of a sample after and before demolding. By increasing the flowability of a mixture, the SPF decreases. In this study a mixture is first decomposed into aggregate, void paste and excess paste. Then a combination of the consistency of the paste and excess paste volume is determined for a required SPF. Finally, depending on the aggregate grading, the volumes of paste and aggregates in the system are determined.

Keywords: Performance-based mix design method; granular-paste mixture; shape preservation factor