Strength development of cement-treated sand using different cement types cured at different temperatures

This study aimed to investigate the strength development of cement-treated sand using different cement types: ordinary Portland cement (OPC), high early strength Portland cement (HPC), and moderate heat Portland cement (MPC) cured at different temperatures. The cement-treated sand specimens were prepared with 8% of cement content and cured under sealed conditions at 20 degrees C and 40 degrees C, and mortar specimens were also prepared for reference. The results showed that the compressive strength of cement-treated sand increased in order of MPC, OPC, and HPC under high curing temperatures. It was interesting that the compressive strength of the specimens using HPC was much larger than that of the specimen using OPC and MPC under 20 degrees C due to the larger amount of chemically bound water. Additionally, it was revealed that under high curing temperatures, the pozzolanic reaction was accelerated in the cement-treated sand; this may be caused by the high proportions of sand in the mixtures.