Evaluation of Mechanical Properties of Water Conveyance Concrete Canals Incorporating Nano Pozzolan of Wheat Ash Sheath

Channel lining is essential to increase resistance against scour, reducing water losses and as a result increase water conveyance efficiency. Since the canal lining has significant costs, selection of type of lining must be made with great care and with considering engineering properties. One of the conventional lining for water conveyance cannel is concrete lining. Because of advantages of concrete lining including durability (about 40 years) and low maintenance costs, this type of lining is the best option in many regions, however the construction expenses is high. So far many researches have been published about the types and the durability of concretes containing synthetic pozzolans. Due to high production of wheat in our country, nano particles of wheat ash sheath (NPWAS) were used. In this study the mechanical properties of concrete (compressive strength, tensile strength and durability) incorporating nano-particles of wheat ash sheath were investigated. The results showed that the compressive and tensile strength of samples incorporating 20 percent of NPWAS has not statistically significant difference (P<0.05) with the values of tensile and compressive strength of control samples. Therefore, the optimum replacement percentage of NPWAS was 20 percent by weight of cement. Moreover, results of durability of concrete samples showed that concrete containing 20 percent NPWAS were more durable than control samples in the magnesium sulfate solution. NPWAS with having 90.56 percent of silicon dioxide, high pozzolanic activity and ability to perform substantial chemical reaction with calcium hydroxide would decrease porosity and increase resistance of concrete.