Effect of silica fume on mechanical properties of high-strength concrete

Abstract

Abstract This paper presents the results of experimental work on short- and long-term mechanical properties of high-strength concrete containing different levels of silica fume. The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of binder systems containing different levels of silica fume on fresh and mechanical properties of concrete. The work focused on concrete mixes having a fixed water/binder ratio of 0.35 and a constant total binder content of 500 kg/m3. The percentages of silica fume that replaced cement in this research were: 0%, 6%, 10% and 15%. Apart from measuring the workability of fresh concrete, the mechanical properties evaluated were: development of compressive strength; secant modulus of elasticity; strain due to creep, shrinkage, swelling and moisture movement. The results of this research indicate that as the proportion of silica fume increased, the workability of concrete decreased but its short-term mechanical properties such as 28-day compressive strength and secant modulus improved. Also the percentages of silica fume replacement did not have a significant influence on total shrinkage; however, the autogenous shrinkage of concrete increased as the amount of silica fume increased. Moreover, the basic creep of concrete decreased at higher silica fume replacement levels. Drying creep (total creep − basic creep) of specimens was negligible in this investigation. The results of swelling tests after shrinkage and creep indicate that increasing the proportion of silica fume lowered the amount of expansion. Because the existing models for predicting creep and shrinkage were inaccurate for high-strength concrete containing silica fume, alternative prediction models are presented here.