Title:
Long-term Performance of Silica Fume Concretes
Author(s):
M. Lachemi, G. Li, A. Tagnit-hamou, and P.-c. Aitcin
Publication:
Concrete International
Volume:
20
Issue:
1
Appears on pages(s):
59-65
Keywords:
chlorides; compressive strength; concretes; durability;
elastic modulus; microstructure; silica fume;
DOI:
Date:
1/1/1998
Abstract:
In 1980, a sidewalk was built using 11 different concrete mixes containing varying amounts of cement and silica fume. A part of this experimental sidewalk, made up of four different silica fume concrete mixes, is still in use 16 years later. The sidewalk has been cored to evaluate the long-term performance of silica fume concrete. The long-term behavior of a non-silica fume concrete, placed at the same time, has also been studied. Cores with 95-mm diameter were taken and tested for compressive strength, elastic modulus, spacing factor, and chloride-ion permeability. Moreover, the microstructure of these concretes was observed through a scanning electron microscope. The results obtained show that the silica fume concretes are performing quite satisfactorily and much better than the non-silica fume concrete, given the severe environmental conditions to which they have been exposed.