Effect of Waste Fines and Fibers on the Strength and Durability Performance of Silica Fume Based Reactive Powder Concrete

The demand and consumption of conventional concrete materials is increasing day by day, which in turn leads to the extinction of natural resources. Certain researchers tend to draw a circle to solve this global problem by finding alternative materials satisfying all aspects, mainly efficiency, eco-friendly and economical. The present research work aimed to study the combined use of coal bottom ash (CBA) and waste concrete powder (WCP) in silica fume based reactive powder concrete (SF-RPC) subjected to thermal curing. The replacement of cement by silica fume was limited to 20% and the fine aggregate quartz sand replaced by CBA and WCP varied from 5% to 25% each. The material composition of SF-RPC involves the exclusion of coarse aggregates and the inclusion of finer materials with micro-steel fibers. The steel fibers played a significant role in order to obtain a ductile and stable product of SF-RPC. The experimental investigation on SF-RPC comprised of the determination of fresh concrete properties such as slump flow and the compaction factor, as well as mechanical properties like compressive strength, flexural strength and split-tensile strength. The study was also extended to investigate durability properties such as water absorption, sorptivity and resistance to acid attack. The results showed that silica fume proves to be a feasible alternative to partially replace cement and also that optimum incorporation of pre-treated and processed CBA and WCP attains better mechanical and durability performance without compromising the necessary qualities.