Effect of supplementary cementitious materials on the  fresh and hardened performance of self-compacting  concrete incorporating different aggregate types

Mohamed Bergad; Dif Fodil; Mahomed Omrane

doi:10.35784/bud-arch.8970

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Published: Jun 26, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.35784/bud-arch.8970

Issue Vol. 25 No. 2 (2026)

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Authors

Mohamed Bergad

mohamed.bergad@univ-djelfa.dz

Civil Engineering and Sustainable Development Laboratory, Ziane Achour University of Djelfa; 17000 Djelfa, Algeria;, Algeria

https://orcid.org/0009-0008-9704-1349

Dif Fodil

f.dif@univ-djelfa.dz

Civil Engineering and Sustainable Development Laboratory, Ziane Achour University of Djelfa; 17000 Djelfa, Algeria;, Algeria

Mahomed Omrane

m.omrane@univ-djelfa.dz

Applied Automation and Industrial Diagnostics Laboratory, University of Djelfa; 17000 DZ, Algeria, Algeria

Abstract

The combined use of recycled coarse aggregates (RCA) and supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) presents a practical approach to achieving sustainable self-compacting concrete (SCC). This study investigates the combined effects of two type of aggregates: natural coarse aggregates (NCA) and RCA, along with blended binders incorporating silica fume (SF), ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBFS), and natural pozzolan (NP). Fourteen SCC mixtures were produced in two parallel series under identical mix-design constraints. Fresh properties were assessed according to EFNARC procedures, while hardened performance was evaluated by compressive and flexural strengths (up to 120 days), ultrasonic pulse velocity (at 28 days), and sorptivity (at 28 days). All mixtures met the requirements for SCC workability and stability. Incorporating RCA was feasible, provided that its higher water demand was adequately compensated for. Among blended systems, the quaternary binder 5% SF, 15% GGBFS, and 5% NP delivered the most balanced performance. It combined stable fresh properties with the highest long-term compressive strength among blended mixes (54.1 MPa with NCA and 48.9 MPa with RCA at 120 days) and reduced sorptivity. Overall, these results demonstrate that optimised multi-SCM binders can mitigate RCA-related drawbacks and facilitate the development of durable SCC with lower cement content

Keywords:

recycled concrete aggregate, self-compacting concrete, supplementary cementitious materials, workability, mechanical properties

Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)

9 - Industry, Innovation, Technology and Infrastructure
13 - Climate action

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Bergad, M., Fodil, D. and Omrane, M. (2026) “Effect of supplementary cementitious materials on the fresh and hardened performance of self-compacting concrete incorporating different aggregate types”, Budownictwo i Architektura / Civil and Architectural Engineering, 25(2), p. 26022. doi: 10.35784/bud-arch.8970.

Effect of supplementary cementitious materials on the fresh and hardened performance of self-compacting concrete incorporating different aggregate types

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