ABSTRACT
High-strength concrete is designed for a self-weight reduction structure and exhibits higher resistance to compressive loads. This paper proposes a novel technique to enhance concrete's properties using Magnetic Field Treated Water (MFTW), describing the results of experimental studies to apprehend the fresh, hardened and microstructural behavior of concrete prepared with Magnetic Water (MW) using a permanent magnet with a field intensity of 0.9 Tesla. The novel scheme focuses on utilizing MW as a water-reducing agent instead of SP to improve the workability of fresh concrete with a 0.38 w/c ratio for achieving M40 grade concrete. Results show a 12% improvement in compressive strength and an 8.9% improvement in split tensile strength compared to normal water (NW) with 1% SP. At 30% cement volume reduction, Magnetic Water Concrete (MWC) performs better than Normal Water Concrete (NWC). Microstructure examination shows that a smaller Calcium Hydrate (CH) crystal is formed with MW and its mineral composition is observed through Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis (EDAX).
ABSTRACT
The characteristics of a concrete mix are purely dependent on the hydration of cement that is carried forward by using the water quality used in the mix. Several researchers have focused on incorporating pozzolanic or nanomaterials to improve the hydration mechanisms and impart high strength to concrete. A new technology has been introduced to improve the properties of concrete by magnetic-field-treated water (MFTW). Due to magnetization, water particles become charged and the molecules inside the water cluster decrease from 13 to 5 or 6, which eventually decreases the hardness of water, thus improving the strength of concrete when compared to the use of normal water (NW). In advanced construction techniques and practices, the application of Magnetic Water (MW) plays an important role in boosting physicochemical properties. This research work focused on evaluating the standards of water quality through physiochemical analysis, such as Electrical Conductivity (EC), Viscosity, pH, and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) with the MW at different exposure periods (60 min (MW60), 45 min (MW45), 30 min (MW30), 15 min (MW15), and instant exposure (MWI)). Experiments were carried out to evaluate the fresh, hardened, and microstructural behavior of concrete made with magnetic water (MW) using a permanent magnet of PERMAG (N407) under a field intensity of 0.9 Tesla. In addition, optical properties such as X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Ultraviolet (UV) absorption were considered for the MW60 mix to ensure water magnetization. Characterization methods such as Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) were employed for NWC and MWC to quantify the hydrated products. From the results, it was observed that the magnetic effect on water characteristics showed significant improvement in the concrete properties with the increase in exposure duration. There were increments of 25.6% and 24.1% in workability and compressive strength, respectively, for the MW60 mix compared to normal water concrete (NWC).
