1. "Off Spec" Fly Ash in Concrete Applications
Mark Nosonovsky
Rosalba huerta

2. Introduction
This research work deals with "off spec" fly ash in concrete applications. "Off spec" fly ash is used as an alternative binder to Portland cement as the key component in concrete. It is a more environmentally friendly alternative to Portland cement that is becoming more commonly used in industry. Fly ash is produced by coal combustion residuals and is usually stored in landfill sites when not used to produce concrete. This research was meant to help identify the properties of fly ash and how they compare to standard Portland cement.

3. Background Information
The level of sulphates and carbons in many types of fly ash exceeds ASTM recommendations for application in concrete and that is why "off spec" fly ash is used 
There are types of fly ash which need to be stored in landfills because of the high concentrations of sulfates and carbon and are not being used in industry
The creation of "off spec" fly ash in alternative binders will reduce the negative durability and freeze thaw degradation effects that occur due to sulphate attack in standard concrete mixtures
The production of Portland cement contributes up to 10% of global carbon dioxide emissions and a goal for civil engineers should be to find more environmentally friendly alternatives to the usage of Portland cement in concrete, which is why fly ash is studied in this research

4. Background Information
Oak Creek Power Plant
Sulphate Attack on Concrete

5. Materials & Methods
Materials used in this research work included: Portland Cement Type I, SDA Ash (Class C Fly ash), Bottom Ash (Class F Fly Ash), chemical admixtures, coarse and fine aggregates
Equipment used in this research work included: Vicat apparatus, flow table, Abrams cone, compressive strength testing machine, scanning electron microscope, calorimeter, and standard concrete molds (cubes and cylinders). Equipment was primarily located in the concrete lab (W190) in the UWM EMS Building.
Tests performed included the setting time test, flow test, heat of hydration tests, compressive strength tests on the concrete and mortar mixes, microstructural characterization tests, fresh density tests, and sulphate resistance tests.

6. Sulphate attack in progress of the mortars based on developed ternary binders exposed to 30% solution of NaSO4 media after: 140 days and 200 days
Results

7. Results Compressive Strength of Mortar Mixes
Compressive Strength of Concrete Mixes

8. Conclusions & Future Research
The "off spec" fly ash results showed that the performance of the various fly ash mixtures had several results which were better than the properties of standard Portland cement
Our approach of using alternative binders is green (environmentally friendly) and sustainable (according to the three aspects of sustainability; economical, social, and ecological)
Everything works (results are successful) meaning this material is applicable in terms of performance and can be used in industry applications
Future research of "off spec" fly ash can involve testing other properties not tested in this research.

9. Acknowledgements & References
We would like to acknowledge Dr. Sobolev and his graduate students for helping us to work on this research experiment. We would also like to thank Dr. Marina Kozhukhova and Dr. Roy Wittenberg, researchers at OBG (Ramboll) for helping us with this poster, as well as Reed Heintzkill, a graduate student at UWM.
References:
American Coal Ash Association [Online]. Available: 
Sobolev, K. Eco-cement binders based on industrial wastes: gypsum, fly ash, blast furnace slag, UANL-Paicyt, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, 2008.
Magallanes-Rivera, R.X., Escalante-García, J.I. Anhydrite/hemihydrate-blast furnace slag cementitious composites: Strength development and reactivity. Construction and Building Materials. 2014. Vol.65. P. 20–28.
Voljenskiy, A., Rogovoi, M. and Stambulko, V. Gypsum-cement and gypsum-slag binders, Stroitelnie Materiali - State Publisher, Moscow, 1960.
Kovler, K Role of ettringite, thaumasite and monocarbonate in hardening and destruction of Portland cement-gypsum system. In Conference Proceedings: International RILEM-JCI Seminar on Concrete Durability and Service Life Planning ConcreteLife’06. Israel P