EFFECT OF CURING CONDITIONS ON CONCRETE CONTAINING BENTONITE

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to examine bentonite as a partial replacement for cement and to see how curing conditions affect the strength and durability of the resulting concrete. Bentonite was used at replacement levels of 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%, while the control concrete contained no bentonite. Compressive strength, split tensile strength, and chloride migration were measured after 28 days under normal water curing and steam curing. The test results were compared to assess the effect of both bentonite content and curing method. Among the mixes, BN-5 cured with steam produced the highest compressive and split tensile strengths. The lowest chloride migration was measured for BN-20 under steam curing, showing the best resistance to chloride penetration among the mixes tested.