Influence of silica fume on strength characteristics of high strength concrete

High Strength Concrete generally cement based composite and is produced using the mineral and chemical admixtures. High Strength Concrete with water cement ratio of 0.35 to 0.45 and compressive strength in the range of 40 MPa to 60 Mpa are usually made using super plasticizer with or without mineral admixtures. This type of concrete finds its applications in heavily reinforced, sophisticated structural elements in high-rise buildings, offshore platforms, super span bridges and heavy pavements. The suitable addition of mineral admixtures such as fly ash, ground granulated blast furnace slag and silica fume in concrete improves the durability of concrete. Addition of silica fume reduces the permeability of concrete to chloride ions, which protects the reinforcing steel of concrete from corrosion. This paper presents the results of an Experimental investigation on strength properties of different grades of conventional concrete M40 and M50 with a partial replacement to cement by Silica fume with various percentages and it is compared. It is concluded that High strength Concrete with partial replacement of silica fume to the cement performs well when compared to conventional cement concrete. © 2013 CAFET-INNOVA TECHNICAL SOCIETY. All rights reserved.