Silica Fume Content Research Articles

Predictive modeling of compressive strength in silica fume‐modified self‐compacted concrete: A soft computing approach

AbstractSelf‐compacting concrete (SCC) is a specialized type of concrete that features excellent fresh properties, enabling it to flow uniformly and compact under its weight without vibration. SCC has been one of the most significant advancements in concrete technology over the past two decades. In efforts to reduce the environmental impact of cement production, a major source of CO2 emissions, silica fume (SF) is often used as a partial replacement for cement. SF‐modified SCC has become a common choice in construction. This study explores the effectiveness of soft computing models in predicting the compressive strength (CS) of SCC modified with varying amounts of silica fume. To achieve this, a comprehensive database was compiled from previous experimental studies, containing 240 data points related to CS. The compressive strength values in the database range from 21.1 to 106.6 MPa. The database includes seven independent variables: cement content (359.0–600.0 kg/m3), water‐to‐binder ratio (0.22–0.51), silica fume content (0.0–150.0 kg/m3), fine aggregate content (680.0–1166.0 kg/m3), coarse aggregate content (595.0–1000.0 kg/m3), superplasticizer content (1.5–15.0 kg/m3), and curing time (1–180 days). Four predictive models were developed based on this database: linear regression (LR), multi‐linear regression (MLR), full‐quadratic (FQ), and M5P‐tree models. The data were split, with two‐thirds used for training (160 data points) and one‐third for testing (80 data points). The performance of each model was evaluated using various statistical metrics, including the coefficient of determination (R2), root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), objective value (OBJ), scatter index (SI), and a‐20 index. The results revealed that the M5P‐tree model was the most accurate and reliable in predicting the compressive strength of SF‐based SCC across a wide range of strength values. Additionally, sensitivity analysis indicated that curing time had the most significant impact on the mixture's properties.

Mix proportion design and carbon emission assessment of high strength geopolymer concrete based on ternary solid waste

To achieve dual optimization of the mechanical properties and environmental impacts of geopolymer concrete (GPC), this study proposes a high-strength geopolymer concrete (HSGPC) without coarse aggregate. The mix proportion of HSGPC was optimized using the response surface methodology, targeting compressive strength and splitting tensile strength to determine the optimal mix. Additionally, the carbon emission impact of HSGPC was assessed and compared with ordinary Portland cement concrete, ultra-high-performance concrete, and reactive powder concrete. The results indicate that the optimal mix proportion for HSGPC includes 15% fly ash content, 10.30% silica fume content, alkali activator ratio of 2.5, and a NaOH molar concentration of 10 M. Simultaneously, the carbon emissions of HSGPC are reduced by about 30% compared to ordinary Portland cement concrete. Compared to ultra-high-performance concrete and reactive powder concrete of the same strength, the production of HSGPC respectively reduces carbon emissions by 59.87% and 68.24%. This study not only provides valuable technical support for the practical application of GPC in engineering but also holds significant implications for promoting sustainable development in the construction industry.

Alkali-Silica Reaction and Residual Mechanical Properties of High-Strength Mortar Containing Waste Glass Fine Aggregate and Supplementary Cementitious Materials

This paper presents the influence of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), such as fly ash (FA), silica fume (SF), ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS), and waste glass fine aggregate (GA), on the alkali-silica reaction (ASR) in high-strength and normal-strength mortar using an accelerated mortar bar test (AMBT). Residual mechanical properties and scanning electron micrographs were used to assess the changes in the matrix. GA reduced the mechanical properties of both normal-strength (NGA_OPC) and high-strength mortars (HGA_OPC), contributing to a decline in overall performance. This phenomenon was a result of the slipping of the GA from the matrix owing to its smooth surface. However, the inclusion of reactive SF and GGBS in the HGA improved the slip phenomenon of the GA, leading to a significant enhancement in its mechanical properties. Following the ASR expansion measurement, HGA_OPC demonstrated an ASR expansion rate approximately three times higher than that of NGA_OPC. This was attributed to the dense structure of HGA_OPC, which resulted in greater expansion than that of NGA_OPC. However, with the incorporation of SCMs into both HGA and NGA, a significant reduction in ASR expansion was observed. This was attributed to the delayed ASR of GA due to alkali activation or the pozzolanic reaction of the SCMs. Continuous exposure to the AMBT environment can lead to the destruction of GA. This was caused by the inner ASR that originated from the surface crack of the GA, which resulted in a reduction in the flexural strength of the mortar. The HGA with SF exhibited the highest resistance to ASR expansion and residual mechanical properties’ degradation. Therefore, various durability and long-term performance-monitoring studies on ultra-high-performance concrete or high-strength cementitious composites with very high SF contents and GA can be conducted.

Impact of silica fume on the long-term stability of cement-based materials with low water-to-binder ratio under different curing conditions

Silica fume is commonly employed in cement-based materials with low w/b. However, the properties evolution of low water-to-binder cement-based materials with silica fume and the impact of silica fume on the performance of paste are still unclear. In this study, the water absorption and desorption, linear deformation, and mechanical properties of low w/b pastes with varying silica fume contents cured under both lime-saturated water and drying conditions were conducted. Furthermore, the impact mechanism of silica fume on the performance of the paste was explored through measurements and analyses of the hydration process, hydration products, and crack characterization. The results show that the flexural and compressive strengths of the paste with silica fume cured under varying conditions exhibit fluctuations. This is attributed to the fact that, while silica fume diminishes expansion and expansion cracking under lime-saturated water curing, it also enhances shrinkage and shrinkage cracks. Under drying conditions, the strength fluctuations can be attributed to the refinement of the structure of the material by the addition of silica fume, coupled with increased shrinkage and cracking.

A study on the effective utilization of ultrafine fly ash and silica fume content in high-performance concrete through an experimental approach

A study on the effective utilization of ultrafine fly ash and silica fume content in high-performance concrete through an experimental approach

Eco-Friendly 3D-Printed Concrete Using Steel Slag Aggregate: Buildability, Printability and Mechanical Properties

Utilizing steel slag aggregate (SA) as a substitute for river sand in 3D concrete printing (3DCP) has emerged as a new technique as natural resources become increasingly scarce. This study investigates the feasibility of using steel slag (SS) as fine aggregate for 3DCP. Ninety mixtures with varying steel slag aggregate-to-cement ratios (SA/C), water-to-cement ratios (W/C), and silica fume (SF) contents were designed to study the workability and compressive strength of the 3D-printed concrete. Additionally, the actual components were printed to evaluate the printability of these mixtures. The experimental results indicate that it is feasible to fully employ SA in concrete for 3D printing. Mixtures with slump values ranging from 40 to 80 mm and slump flow values varying from 190 to 210 mm are recommended for 3D printing. The optimal mix is determined to have SA/C and W/C ratios of 1.0 and 0.51, respectively, and an SF content of 10% by cement weight. A statistical approach was utilized to construct the prediction models for slump and slump flow. Moreover, to predict the plastic failure of the 3D-printed concrete structure, the modified prediction model with an SA roughness coefficient of 4 was found to fit well with the experimental data. This research provides new insights into using eco-friendly materials for 3D concrete printing.

Properties and hydration mechanism of slow-setting and expansive cement based on CFB ash and slag

Aiming at the problems of long construction time and easy shrinkage cracking of pavement base, the slow-setting and expansive cement (SEC) was prepared using circulating fluidized bed ash and slag (CFBA and CFBS), S95 ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS), and silica fume (SF) as supplementary cementitious material in this paper. By adjusting the content of supplementary cementitious material, the ratio of ash and slag, the performance of SEC was evaluated by the indexes of water consumption of standard consistency, setting time, flexural and compressive strength. The hydration products of mortar samples and the influence mechanism were studied by means of XRD, TG-DTG, FTIR, and SEM-EDS. The results showed that when the SF content was 6 %, the compressive strength of the mortar specimens reached its maximum (35.19 MPa) at 28 days, which increased by 23.04 % compared to the control group. Meanwhile, the free calcium oxide and gypsum in CFBA reacted under alkaline conditions to form ettringite (AFt) and C-S-H gel, which caused the volume expansion of cement and led to a decrease in shrinkage within the cement system. SEC has higher mechanical properties and much smaller shrinkage cracks than ordinary cement. Therefore, replacing part of the cement by solid waste such as CFBS to prepare SEC to compensate for the shrinkage of the pavement base is an effective way to reduce pavement cracking.

Rheology and buildability of sustainable 3D printed magnesium potassium phosphate cement composites incorporating MgO-SiO2-K2HPO4

MKPCs with unique advantage of superior strength, excellent durability and high thixotropy provides alternative binder for 3D printing. The acid-base reaction between dead burnt MgO and K2HPO4 is intense and the retarding effect is limited in practical cases. This paper presents the investigation of MKPCs incorporating MgO-SiO2-K2HPO4 binders prepared with dead burnt MgO, soluble phosphate (K2HPO4•3 H2O) and silica fume (SF). The effects of magnesium-to-phosphate (M/P) mass ratio, SF and slag ratios on rheological properties and the printability were tailored and setting time reached to 50 min by increasing the alkaline environment of the solution. In addition, the pozzolanic activity of SF and slag were synergistically motivated and thus promoted the precipitation of K-struvite, MgSiO3 and C-(A)-S-H hydrates. Two-stage Athix values were calculated to describe the structuration rate. It is confirmed excellent thixotropy was dominated by early-age physical re-flocculation and later-age cement hydration. Although the structure deformation increased significantly as SF content increased, the beneficial effect of SF content on the increase of strength is significantly important than that of adverse effect on the buildability. Slag powder and fine aggregate were incorporated to make the binders more “printable”. A cylinder with 16 layers on optimum mixture was printed without deformation.

An Assessment of the Impact of Locally Recycled Cementitious Replacement Materials on the Strength of the Ultra-High-Performance Concrete

Withstanding extreme events is increasingly a significant challenge for the construction industry. Where civil infrastructures remain using traditional concrete, which has low tensile strength, poor durability, and weak crack resistance, in this regard, ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC), with its outstanding mechanical properties and high strength, offers the prospect of wide application. This advanced technology allows for the fabrication of thin and light-dimensional structures to accelerate construction while increasing corrosion resistance to minimize maintenance intervention and extend the service life of the infrastructures. Despite this, UHPC is less eco-friendly due to consuming more cement than the usual material, which requires replacement materials, such as silica fume (SF) and rice husk ash (RHA), which are readily available from other local material production. This study proposes an experimental approach to assess the influence of SF and RHA content on the properties of UHPC. Different SF and RHA compositions will be adjusted to analyze their effects on slump flow, compressive strength, flexural strength, tensile strength, and the stress–strain relationship in UHPC tension testing. Based on the results, the most effective ratio is RHA replacing 50% of the SF in the UHPC mixture. Specialized tensile experiments reveal enhanced tensile strength with judicious RHA incorporation at 5-day and 28-day stages, particularly in initial crack and damage conditions. Stress–strain curves for 5% to 15% RHA samples show increased ductility, indicating that optimal RHA-SF ratios enhance UHPC cracking characteristics. Based on the results, a discussion on the appropriate proportions for utilizing most local materials will be derived, especially for regions of Vietnam. It is evaluated as a feasible and promising solution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions threatening global climate change.

Role of fabrication parameters on microstructure and permeability of geopolymer microfilters

A new method for preparing geopolymer filtrations was suggested, using silica fume in an alkali activator as an environmentally and economically sustainable material. The geopolymer filtration was fabricated by activating metakaolin with a blend of sodium hydroxide and silica fume. Different phase structures and microstructures were fabricated with varying preparation parameters, such as silica fume content, Na2O/Al2O3 molar ratios, and curing temperatures. The filters were characterized using X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersion spectroscopy, and mercury intrusion porosimetry. Filters were tested for pure water flux, compressive strength, and wastewater permeability using industrial textile wastewater. The geopolymer-zeolite composite filter, including 10 wt% silica fume, Na2O/Al2O3 molar ratio of 1, and curing temperature of 60 °C exhibited the highest pure water permeability of 144 L/m2.h.bar, wastewater permeability of 77 L/m2.h.bar, and achieved 95.5 % turbidity reduction for the textile wastewater.

Predicting the compressive strength of engineered geopolymer composites using automated machine learning

Engineered Geopolymer Composites (EGC) offer a sustainable and high-performance alternative to traditional concrete and Engineered Cementitious Composites, boasting reduced environmental impact and enhanced mechanical properties. However, optimising EGC mix design for specific applications requires an accurate prediction of its compressive strength. This study investigates the application of Automated Machine Learning using the PyCaret library to develop reliable predictive models for EGC compressive strength. A comprehensive experimental program was conducted, testing 132 EGC specimens with varying mix design parameters, including binder ratio, silica fume content, activator ratio, water content, superplasticizer dosage, and curing method. The collected data was used to train and evaluate twenty different machine learning models. Model performance was assessed using various metrics. The top six models were shortlisted and optimised using Random Search algorithm. The models were assessed through a detailed analysis of their residual plots and learning curves. Additionally, Feature importance and SHAP analysis were employed to understand the influence of each input parameter on the predicted compressive strength. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of AML in accurately predicting EGC compressive strength, with the Gradient Boosting Regressor and CatBoost Regressor models exhibiting superior performance, achieving Mean Absolute Error (MAE) below 1.2 MPa and R² exceeding 0.96. The study highlights the potential of AML as a valuable tool for optimising EGC mix design and promoting the wider adoption of this sustainable construction material.

Eco-efficient ultra-high-performance concrete formulation utilizing electric arc furnace slag and recycled glass powder–advanced analytics and lifecycle perspectives

Ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) is a promising material for sustainable and resource-efficient construction, but its high Portland Cement content poses environmental challenges. This research proposes an optimized UHPC blend that significantly reduces the Portland Cement dosage by incorporating industrial waste materials [i.e., Recycled Glass Powder (RGP) and Electric Arc Furnace Slag (EAFS)]. The integration of these waste materials in UHPC formulation addresses critical waste management issues and aligns with sustainable construction practices. Utilizing a tri-variable Design of Experiments methodology in conjunction with the Andreasen & Andersen theory, the research aims to reduce Portland Cement in UHPC without compromising its compressive strength and rheological behavior. The optimized blend incorporates RGP and EAFS, achieving the threshold compressive strength established by ACI-239 (150 MPa) while maintaining a self-compacting performance in the fresh state. This mixture features low cement (621 kg/m³) and silica fume (100 kg/m³) content. Life cycle assessments (LCA) were conducted to examine the environmental efficiency of the optimized blend. A comparative LCA demonstrates that the optimized UHPC mixture developed in this study surpasses a control mixture with higher cement and silica fume contents while maintaining comparable mechanical and rheological properties. Notably, this improvement is highlighted by a nearly 20% reduction in CO2 equivalent emissions. The scientific significance of this study lies in its demonstration of a viable pathway to producing UHPC with reduced environmental impact, contributing to the advancement of sustainable building practices, and offering a practical solution to waste management issues.

Synergistic influences of ground granulated blast-furnace slag and silica fume on the viscosity of extremely low W/B cement pastes

Particularly with a low water/binder ratio, the synergistic effects of supplemental cementitious materials (SCMs) have drawn a lot of interest in improving the characteristics of cement-based products. The effects of SCMs, such as silica fume (SF) and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) with varying fineness, on the setting time, saturation point, and viscosity of ultra-high performance cement pastes (UHPCP), are examined experimentally in this work. 56 mixes with various SF and BFS substitutions and exceptionally low water/binder ratios (0.16, 0.20) were used in the experiments. This work demonstrates the synergistic effects of SCMs from several angles, including the UHPCP fresh characteristics. It is shown that carefully regulating the water/binder ratio, the BFS fineness, and most significantly the addition of an ideal SF content will have a beneficial synergistic effect on the fresh qualities of UHPCP. However, utilizing high BFS replacement is discouraged as it may have a negative impact on viscosity.

Transport Characteristics and Corrosion Behavior of Ultra-High Performance Fiber-Reinforced Concrete with the Key Mix Parameters

The presence of low-quality coarse aggregates and exposure to aggressive conditions are the two major problems with the durability of concrete. Therefore, an alternative concrete with enhanced properties to prevent fluid and ionic mobility compared to conventional concrete is needed. This study investigated the effects of main mix parameters on the transport characteristics and corrosion behavior of ultra-high performance fiber-reinforced concrete (UHPFRC). A set of 27 UHPFRC mixtures with different combinations of w/b ratio, cement, and silica fume contents, based on a 33-factorial experiment design, were prepared and tested for water permeability, chloride penetrability, electrical resistivity, chloride profile, and corrosion current density. The results showed that UHPFRC mixtures exhibited excellent durability properties characterized by negligible water penetration (< 15 mm), negligible and very low chloride permeability when the w/b ratio was 0.15 (< 100 Coulombs) and up to 0.2 (< 300 Coulombs), respectively, and very low chloride concentrations at the rebar level (0.03–0.18 wt.%). All resistivity values were within the range of 26.7–78.8 kΩ cm (> 20 kΩ cm) and pH values were 12.41–13.01, indicating the implausible likelihood of corrosion in the UHPFRC mixtures. This was confirmed through the corrosion current density measurements of reinforced UHPFRC specimens after 450 days of chloride exposure, which were below the critical limit for the corrosion initiation of reinforcing steel. Finally, the experimental data were statistically analyzed and fitted for all the listed tests, and models were developed for them using the regression analysis such that regression coefficients were within 0.90–0.99.

The research on the mechanical properties, microstructure, environmental impacts of environmentally friendly Alkali-activated ultra high performance concrete (AAUHPC) matrix with varied design parameters

Alkali-activated material prepared by the silicon aluminum solid wastes are commonly considered as the low-carbon cementitious material, which has important significance for promoting the sustainable development of construction materials. The mechanical properties, reaction mechanisms, and microstructure evolutions of Alkali-activated Ultra High Performance Concrete (AAUHPC) matrix with 7 design parameters were comprehensively studied through testing the fluidity, 28 days compressive strength, 28 days flexural strength, hydration heat, and microstructures. The environmental impacts including carbon emissions and energy consumption are evaluated. Appropriately increasing Na2O dosage, silicate modulus (Ms), and granulated blast furnace slag (GBFS) to fly ash (FA) mass ratio (GBFS/FA) and decreasing silica fume (SF) content and water to binder ratio (W/B) are conducive to accelerating the early reaction of AAUHPC. High Na2O dosage, Ms, SF content, and W/B are not conducive to increasing the 3 days reaction degree of AAUHPC, while the moderate GBFS/FA is corresponding to the higher 3 days reaction degree of AAUHPC. The optimal Na2O dosage, Ms, GBFS/FA, SF content, sand to binder ratio (S/B), fine sands content in quartz sands, W/B are 8 %, 1.4, 4.5:1, 10 %, 1.0, 50 %, and 0.34 for the 28 days mechanical properties. The acquired AAUHPC matrix with fluidity of 218 mm and the lowest porosity has 28 days compressive strength of 114.8 MPa and 28 days flexural strength of 10.6 MPa, whose microstructure has more high polymerization degree C(N)-A-S-H gels with higher Al/Si, lower Na/Al, and lower Ca/Si molar ratios. Compared to the traditional Ultra High Performance Concrete (UHPC), the environmentally friendly AAUHPC can reduce the carbon emission by 42%–52 % and the energy consumption by 5%–18 %. The total CO2 emission of per unit compressive strength (1.0 MPa) of concrete per cubic meter (CI) is in range of 2.5–3.7 kg, which is significantly lower than the traditional UHPC (6.98 kg/MPa•m3).

Investigating correlations between microstructural characteristics and mechanical properties of coral sand mortar with different silica fume contents

The use of coral sand in concrete and mortar for ocean engineering has led to significant reductions in construction costs and improved construction efficiency. However, this approach poses challenges such as low strength, high brittleness, and high porosity. To address these challenges, this study incorporated silica fume to enhance the mechanical properties of the mortar and investigated the effects of different silica fume contents on the hydration process, pore structure, and strength of coral sand mortar. Additionally, this study introduced a novel iterative approach combining low-field nuclear magnetic resonance and scanning electron microscopy image analysis to determine transverse relaxivity (ρ2). During the early hydration process, the intensity spectrum of coral mortar exhibited three peaks at 298, 1841, and 299 au, corresponding to transverse relaxation times (T2) of 0.64, 6.83, and 83.10 ms, respectively. Over a 6 h hydration period, the spectrum of the specimen prepared with white cement exhibited an additional peak that gradually merged with the main peak. As the curing period extended from 7 to 28 days, the porosity of coral sand mortar decreased by 3.77–4.55 %, while the strength increased by 7.43–14.35 MPa across silica fume contents ranging from 6 % to 24 %. With increasing silica fume content, the calcium–silicon ratio of the samples gradually decreased, promoting the formation of more floccus C–S–H gels. Consequently, the sample porosity first decreased slightly. After 28 days of curing, the coral sand mortar containing 12 % silica fume exhibited the highest strength owing to the increased amount of floccus C–S–H gels. These gels gradually filled the pores between the fibrous C–S–H gels, forming a compact spatial reticular structure. This structure mitigated the adverse impact of high porosity on mortar strength.

Synergistic Effect of Blended Precursors and Silica Fume on Strength and High Temperature Resistance of Geopolymer.

This paper investigates the high temperature resistance performance and mechanism of potassium-activated blended precursor geopolymer with silica fume. The failure morphology, volume, and mass loss, compressive strength deterioration, hydration production, and pore structure are measured and analyzed. The results show that introducing slag into fly ash-based geopolymer could greatly improve the 28 d compressive strength but reduce the thermal stability. In contrast, the partial substitution of fly ash by metakaolin contributes to excellent high temperature resistance with slightly enhanced 28 d compressive strength. After being exposed at 800 °C, the residual compressive strength of F7M3 remains at 37 MPa, almost 114% of the initial ambient-temperature strength. An appropriately enlarged silica fume content in geopolymer results in increased compressive strength and enhanced thermal stability. However, an excessive silica fume content is detrimental to the generation of alkali-aluminosilicate gels and ceramic-like phases and thus exacerbates the high temperature damage.

Effect of silica fume on the efflorescence, strength, and micro-properties of one-part geopolymer incorporating sewage sludge ash

The application of sewage sludge ash (SSA) in alkali activated cementitious material, i.e., geopolymer, was one of the effective measures to dispose of and recycle the sewage sludge. However, the geopolymer efflorescence could be aggravated due to elevated alkali content, especially for one-part geopolymer, where the dissolution reaction of solid alkali activator was less sufficient. This study focused on the efflorescence of GGBS-SSA based one-part geopolymer, as compared to two-part geopolymer, and the effect of silica fume on the efflorescence, strength and micro-properties of the one-part geopolymer. The results showed that the extent of efflorescence crystallization and the concentration of leached Na+ ions in the one-part geopolymer were more severe than the two-part geopolymer, due to the lower degree of geopolymerization reaction and the heterogeneous dense microstructure of the one-part geopolymer. After adding silica fume to the one-part geopolymer, the extent of efflorescence crystallization and the concentration of leached Na+ ions reduced significantly, and the compressive strength increased from 41.6 MPa to 57 MPa when the silica fume content was 10 %, but then decreased slightly. Adding the silica fume reduced the release rate of reaction heat, which helped to increase the solubility of solid alkali activator and improve the geopolymerization reaction, thus significantly reducing the content of mobile alkali ions and enhancing the compressive strength. Moreover, the silica fume with tiny spherical particle had better ball effect and micro-aggregate filling effect, which refined the pore size and reduced the connectivity of pore network, significantly reducing the diffusion rate and leaching of mobile alkali ions.

Hydration kinetics and apparent activation energy of cement pastes containing high silica fume content at lower curing temperature

To promote the application of silica fume (SF) in civil engineering in cold regions, relative influences from SF content and low temperature environment on the early hydration kinetics of composite cement pastes were evaluated based on the isothermal calorimetric method. The effect of high SF content on the apparent activation energy (Ea) of Portland cement and the filler effect (via the index of area multiplier) of SF on the hydration parameters was also analyzed. The results showed that the intensity of the shoulder peak (Al peak) of the hydration kinetic curve (heat flow curve) gradually grew as the SF content increased, and the double-peak phenomenon was gradually clear. The heat flow peak is delayed and lowered with the decreasing curing temperature, while the final time of the induction stage and the duration of the acceleration stage are delayed. Moreover, the duration of the acceleration stage was slightly extended with the increase of SF content. The full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) value of the heat flow curves dropped as the SF content and curing temperature increased. The low temperature environment and the inclusion of SF inhibited the growth in early hydration degree. The higher SF content mitigated the impact of low temperature on the hydration time parameter τ. The apparent Ea results also indicated that the SF reduced the temperature sensitivity of the hydration process of the composite cement pastes, which might contribute to the development of the hydration reaction at low temperatures. The AM (Area Multiplier) factor increased approximately linearly with increasing SF replacement levels. Apparent Ea decreased linearly with increasing AM, which may be attributed to a further reduction in the diffusion-controlled hydration rate of composite cement pastes with larger AM.

Influence of feature-to-feature interactions on chloride migration in type-I cement concrete: A robust modeling approach using extra random forest

Understanding the chloride transport mechanism is crucial for enhancing the durability of structures exposed to chloride-rich environments. This study assessed various machine learning (ML) algorithms for predicting the chloride migration coefficient in type I Portland cement-based concrete. The fine-tuned extra random forest model demonstrated satisfactory predictive capability, with the majority of tested-predicted data points falling within the ±30 % tolerance margin. This calibrated model was employed to explore feature-to-feature interactions affecting concrete resistance to chloride ingress. Examination of partial dependence plots revealed that an increased sensitivity with decreasing water–binder ratio (WB), reaching saturation beyond 0.40 WB, and the increase in curing age substantially reduced chloride diffusion (DN). Further, an augmented dosage of silica fume (SF) decreased DN, with a more pronounced effect of slag (SL) at higher WB, and the impact of superplasticizer (SP) decreased DN at high WB ratios. Concrete incorporating SF showcased optimal resistance to chloride permeability with the highest SF content (20–30 kg/m3). Similarly, high SL content (>150 kg/m3) enhanced resistance. The interactive influence of SF and SP on DN was marginal at low SF dosages (<20 kg/m3) but became complex at higher levels, with potential minimum values observed in the range of 0.5–1.0 kg/m3 SP. For SL-containing concrete, achieving the lowest DN was possible with PC and SL dosages around 200–400 and exceeding 100 kg/m3, respectively. For concrete incorporating Type I PC, an increase in SP content generally had a negligible impact on DN, with a slight tendency to raise values observed at higher cement amounts (exceeding 380 kg/m3). The optimal combination for achieving the minimum DN involved compositions of PC, fine, and coarse aggregate at 200–300, 100–150, and 250–500 kg/m3, respectively.