The Durability of Concrete
with the Participation of Hydrophilic
and Hydrophobic Nanosilica Without
and Within the Presence of Silica Fume
and New Generation Superplasticizer
E. Janowska-Renkas and D. Matyjaszczyk
Abstract In the paper the research was undertaken in order to determine the impact
of hydrophilic nanosilica used in a form of aqueous colloidal solution with admixture
of nano-silver, as well as hydrophobic nanosilica dissolved in ethanol and isopropanol
on properties of the concrete without and with presence of silica fume and polycarboxylate based superplasticizer. Tests were conducted for concrete mixture (slump
test, Vebe test, density, air content by the water column method) and hardened
concretes (compressive strength after 1, 7, 14 and 28 days of curing, density, depth of
penetration of water under pressure, water absorption, frost resistance). For mixture
and hardened concrete without participation of silica fume, Portland cement 42.5 R
was used in an amount of 549.7 kg/m
3 for obtaining BWW high-quality concretes.
Nano-additives were used in the amount of 0.5 and 1.5% in relation to the mass
of cement. The silica fume was additionally added to concretes in the amount of
8% by mass. While as a chemical admixture in the amount of 2% in relation to the
cement mass, a 40% solution of a superplasticizer based on a polycarboxylic ether
(SP) was used. Pebble aggregate consisting of two fractions with a grain size of 2–8
and 8–16 mm was used and sand with a grain size of 2 mm. Properties of fresh
concrete and hardened concrete were tested in the accredited Construction Material Laboratory of the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture at the Opole
University of Technology. Whereas the increase of nanoadditive amount to 1.5% by
mass contributed to better improvement of concrete physical properties in the presence of hydrophobic nanosilica than in the presence of hydrophilic nanosilica. In
that case particularly beneficial properties were demonstrated by “nano-concrete”,
which apart from nanosilica also contained the silica fume and the superplasticizer,
which to the most extent had the impact on the improvement of concrete properties,
including its reduced absorptivity, higher compressive strength or higher freeze-thaw
resistance compared to other concretes tested.
Keywords Concrete · Durability · Hydrophilic nanosilica · Hydrophobic
nanosilica · Silica fume · Chemical admixture
E. Janowska-Renkas (B) · D. Matyjaszczyk
Civil Engineering and Architecture Faculty, Opole University of Technology, Opole, Poland
e-mail: e.janowska_renkas@interia.eu
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
Z. Zembaty et al. (eds.), Environmental Challenges in Civil
Engineering, Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering 122,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-63879-5_9
117
with the Participation of Hydrophilic
and Hydrophobic Nanosilica Without
and Within the Presence of Silica Fume
and New Generation Superplasticizer
E. Janowska-Renkas and D. Matyjaszczyk
Abstract In the paper the research was undertaken in order to determine the impact
of hydrophilic nanosilica used in a form of aqueous colloidal solution with admixture
of nano-silver, as well as hydrophobic nanosilica dissolved in ethanol and isopropanol
on properties of the concrete without and with presence of silica fume and polycarboxylate based superplasticizer. Tests were conducted for concrete mixture (slump
test, Vebe test, density, air content by the water column method) and hardened
concretes (compressive strength after 1, 7, 14 and 28 days of curing, density, depth of
penetration of water under pressure, water absorption, frost resistance). For mixture
and hardened concrete without participation of silica fume, Portland cement 42.5 R
was used in an amount of 549.7 kg/m
3 for obtaining BWW high-quality concretes.
Nano-additives were used in the amount of 0.5 and 1.5% in relation to the mass
of cement. The silica fume was additionally added to concretes in the amount of
8% by mass. While as a chemical admixture in the amount of 2% in relation to the
cement mass, a 40% solution of a superplasticizer based on a polycarboxylic ether
(SP) was used. Pebble aggregate consisting of two fractions with a grain size of 2–8
and 8–16 mm was used and sand with a grain size of 2 mm. Properties of fresh
concrete and hardened concrete were tested in the accredited Construction Material Laboratory of the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture at the Opole
University of Technology. Whereas the increase of nanoadditive amount to 1.5% by
mass contributed to better improvement of concrete physical properties in the presence of hydrophobic nanosilica than in the presence of hydrophilic nanosilica. In
that case particularly beneficial properties were demonstrated by “nano-concrete”,
which apart from nanosilica also contained the silica fume and the superplasticizer,
which to the most extent had the impact on the improvement of concrete properties,
including its reduced absorptivity, higher compressive strength or higher freeze-thaw
resistance compared to other concretes tested.
Keywords Concrete · Durability · Hydrophilic nanosilica · Hydrophobic
nanosilica · Silica fume · Chemical admixture
E. Janowska-Renkas (B) · D. Matyjaszczyk
Civil Engineering and Architecture Faculty, Opole University of Technology, Opole, Poland
e-mail: e.janowska_renkas@interia.eu
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
Z. Zembaty et al. (eds.), Environmental Challenges in Civil
Engineering, Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering 122,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-63879-5_9
117