Experimental study of permeability and elastic modulus of plastic concrete containing nano silica

Abstract

AbstractCut off walls are used under dams for the control of sub surfaces seepage and permeability of cut off wall was important. In the construction of cut off walls, plastic concrete is used and the amount of plastic concrete permeability is important. In this study, the permeability of plastic concrete was investigated and the effect of replacing nano silica instead of cement to reduce permeability was studied. So in this research, compressive strength, elastic modulus, and permeability parameters of plastic concrete specimens at different ages (7, 14, 28, and 56 days) and with different percentages of nano silica (0, 1.5, 3, 4.5, and 6%) were investigated. Also, scanning electron microscopy was used to investigate the effect of nano silica on plastic concrete specimens. The results show that as the age of the specimens increases, the compressive strength and elastic modulus increase, and the permeability of the plastic concrete decreases. Also, by adding nano silica to plastic concrete, the compressive strength of the plastic concrete increases and the plastic concrete permeability decreases significantly while its elastic modulus is almost constant.