Experimental Investigation on Mechanical and Durability Properties of Concrete Incorporating Silica Fume as Partial Cement Replacement
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55544/jrasb.5.3.9Keywords:
Silica Fume, Sustainable Concrete, Compressive Strength, Durability Performance, Supplementary Cementitious Materials, Chloride Penetration ResistanceAbstract
With the environmental issues that come with making Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) becoming a greater concern, there has been a push to create more sustainable concrete through the use of supplementary cementitious materials. One industrial by-product in particular has caught the eye: silica fume. Its ultrafine nature and strong pozzolanic reactivity make it an excellent candidate for boosting concrete performance.
We set out to look at how using silica fume as a partial substitute for cement affects the mechanical and durability aspects of concrete. To do this we put together an experimental program on M30 grade concrete, replacing 10 per cent of the cement by weight with silica fume. A battery of lab tests was then run to pit the blended concrete against the conventional sort.
Our evaluation of the fresh mix covered slump and setting time, and once hardened we measured compressive and split tensile strength at various curing intervals. We also put the concrete’s durability to the test with checks for water absorption, sulfate resistance and the Rapid Chloride Penetration Test (RCPT).
What the data showed is that silica fume does a number on both the strength and durability of the material. The concrete with silica fume put up better figures in compressive and split tensile strength than the standard mix, thanks to better particle packing, pore refinement and the creation of extra calcium silicate hydrate (C–S–H) gel. On the durability front, we saw a denser, less permeable matrix evidenced by lower water absorption and less chloride ion penetration. In short, our findings confirm that silica fume is an effective way to produce the kind of high-performance, sustainable concrete with the right mechanical properties for today’s infrastructure needs.
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