Microstructure Of Ultra-high Performance Concrete Research Articles

Effects of nano-silica on mechanical performance and microstructure of ultra-high performance concrete

Abstract The use of nanoparticles in ultra-high strength concretes can result in a positive effect on mechanical performance of these cementitious materials. This study evaluated mixtures containing 10 and 20 wt% of silica fume, for which the optimum nano-silica content was determined, i.e. the quantity of nano-silica that resulted on the higher gain of strength. The physical characterization of raw materials was done in terms of particle size distribution, density and specific surface area. Chemical and mineralogical compositions of materials were obtained through fluorescence and X-ray diffraction. The mechanical performance was evaluated by compressive strength, flexural strength and dynamic elastic modulus measurements. The microstructural analysis of mixtures containing nano-silica was performed by X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetry, mercury intrusion porosimetry and scanning electron microscopy. Obtained results indicate an optimum content of nano-silica of 0.62 wt%, considering compressive and flexural strengths. This performance improvement was directly related to two important microstructural aspects: the packing effect and pozzolanic reaction of nano-silica.

Experimental Investigation and Prediction of Compressive Strength of Ultra-High Performance Concrete Containing Supplementary Cementitious Materials

Ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) has superior mechanical properties and durability to normal strength concrete. However, the high amount of cement, high environmental impact, and initial cost are regarded as disadvantages, restricting its wider application. Incorporation of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) in UHPC is an effective way to reduce the amount of cement needed while contributing to the sustainability and cost. This paper investigates the mechanical properties and microstructure of UHPC containing fly ash (FA) and silica fume (SF) with the aim of contributing to this issue. The results indicate that, on the basis of 30% FA replacement, the incorporation of 10% and 20% SF showed equivalent or higher mechanical properties compared to the reference samples. The microstructure and pore volume of the UHPCs were also examined. Furthermore, to minimise the experimental workload of future studies, a prediction model is developed to predict the compressive strength of the UHPC using artificial neural networks (ANNs). The results indicate that the developed ANN model has high accuracy and can be used for the prediction of the compressive strength of UHPC with these SCMs.

Durability and Microstructure of Ultra-High Performance Concrete Having High Volume of Steel Slag Powder and Ultra-Fine Fly Ash

The durability, such as chloride ion permeability, freeze-thaw and sulfate attack resistance of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) having a large amount, ranged from 42% to 48% by weight of binder, of mineral admixtures including steel slag powder (SS), ultrafine fly ash (UFFA) and silica fume (SF) was studied and the microstructure of selected UHPC compositions was investigated by Mercury porosimetry in this paper. Moreover, the relationship between durability and microstructure of UHPC was analyzed. The mercury porosimetry studies demonstrated the very low porosity and a high proportion of the innocuous pores as well as the very small pore size in UHPCs, whose most probable pore diameter did not exceed 10 nm. This porous structure of UHPCs would definitely enable the material have excellent durability.