Absorption characteristics of metakaolin concrete

Abstract

The water absorption (WA) by total immersion and by capillary rise of concrete containing metakaolin (MK) is investigated. Cement was partially replaced with up to 20% MK. The results show that the presence of MK is greatly beneficial in reducing the WA by capillary action. There is a systematic reduction in absorption by capillary action with the increase in MK content in concrete. This reduction is further supported by visual examination of specimens. The absorption by total immersion, however, tends to increase slightly with the increase in MK content. Between 14 and 28 days curing, there is a slight increase in absorption by total immersion and by capillary rise for all MK concretes. Correlation between the absorption characteristics, dynamic modulus of elasticity (Ed), strength and pore size distribution was conducted.