The potential use of a self-compacting mortars of pumice of bitlis region as mineral additives

This study aims to increase the potential use of the pumice found around Bitlis region, which makes up a large portion of Turkey's pumice reserves, through examining the mechanical and durability properties of SCMs, which are produced as mineral additives by use of the Bitlis region pumice. In the conducted experiments, the mixture proportions of self-compacting mortars substituted with the ground pumice were determined by mini-slump flow tests. Afterwards, the samples of the Self-Compacting Mortar (SCM), which are produced by the Ground Pumice Powder (GPP) as mineral additives, were prepared; and eight series of mortar samples with the SCM additive mixtures at rates of 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35% together with control mortar were prepared. In total, 72 mortar samples with 40x40x160 mm3 dimensions were prepared and they were left in the city's tap water at curing periods of 3 days, 28 days and 90 days, respectively; soon after their flexural strengths and compressive strengths were measured separately. The nearest strengths to the control sample were found in the SCM additive mixtures at rate of 15%. In addition, 24 mortar cube samples at rates of the SCM additive mixtures with 50x50x50 mm3 dimensions were prepared, they were left in the city's tap water at curing periods of 28 days, and water absorption test was conducted. At the end of the study, the mortar samples including the SCM at rate of 10% seemed to have the lowest water absorption rate, among the mortars, which were left in the city's tap water at curing periods of 28 days. It was seen that there were parallels in the results between flexural strengths at different curing periods and compressive strength values and the water absorption rate values.