Effect of Silica Fume on the Rheological Properties of Cement Paste with Ultra-Low Water Binder Ratio

The effect of silica fume on the rheological properties of a cement-silica fume-high range water reducer-water mixture with ultra-low water binder ratio (CSHWM) was studied. The results indicate that the W/B ratio and silica fume content have different effects on the rheological parameters, including the yield stress, plastic viscosity, and hysteresis loop area. The shear-thickening influence of CSHWM decreased with the increased silica fume content. When the silica fume content increased from 0% to 35%, the mixture with W/B ratio of 0.19 and 0.23 changed from a dilatant fluid to a Newtonian fluid, and then to a pseudoplastic fluid. When the silica fume content was less than 15%, the yield stress was close to 0. With the increase of silica fume content, the yield stress increased rapidly. The plastic viscosity and hysteresis loop area decreased slightly with the addition of a small amount of silica fume, but increased significantly with the continuous increase of silica fume. Compared with the Bingham and modified Bingham models, the Herschel-Buckley model is more applicable for this CSHWM.