Investigation of mechanical and durability properties of sustainable high-strength concrete

The surge in production of cement due to the rapid growth of the construction industry has an adverse effect on the environment globally caused by the huge amount of carbon dioxide emission. To produce an environment-friendly concrete, this study investigated the effective contribution of silica fume on the various mechanical and durability characteristics of high-strength concrete. In this regard, the incorporation of silica fume was carried out with progressive proportions of 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30% by weight of cement constituting various concrete mixes – namely, CM, SF05, SF10, SF15, SF20, SF25 and SF30, respectively. The mechanical and durability properties of concrete improved with the incorporation of silica fume up to 15% replacement. However, excessive replacement of silica fume has an adverse effect on the mechanical and durability properties of cement due to the dilution effect on cement. Similarly, in terms of mechanical characteristics, the proposed 15% substitution of silica fume resulted in the highest compressive and flexural strengths with respect to those of CM. The maximum reduction in strength loss with respect to that of the control mix was 41.17 and 28.04% for sulfuric and hydrochloric acids due to the formation of a densified microstructure.