Journal of Energy Engineering

The disposal of coal combustion byproducts wastes has been a pressing issue during the past few decades. In parallel, the formulation of high-performance materials that are stronger and more durable than conventional cement-based materials has emerged as an issue of considerable importance in the construction industry. This paper shows that it is possible to utilize fly ash, a byproduct of coal burning, to produce a high-performance material at a potentially lower cost and without compromising its structural integrity. The high-performance material reported in this study is polymer concrete (PC) made with fly-ash fillers. The PC is investigated for its compressive strength, flexural strength, creep deformation, and bond strength of PC overlay on portland cement concrete under thermal cycling. The use of fly ash as an aggregate in PC is very promising because it enhances the physical properties of the material and particularly its compressive and flexural strength. PC using fly ash could be used as an overlay in pavement, bridges, and runways or in precast applications such as utility, transportation, and hydraulic components.