Study of Permeability and Compressive Strength of Silica Fume Concrete
Alsana Bashir1, Misba Gul2, Javed A Naqash3, Ajaz Masood4
1Alsana Bashir, Department, of Design Engineer, Design Inspection and Quality Control, Srinagar, India.
2Misba Gul, Lecturer, Government Polytechnic, Pulwama, Srinagar, India.
3Dr. Javed A Naqash, Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Srinagar, India.
4Ajaz Masood, Research Officer, Department, of Design Inspection and Quality Control, Srinagar, India.
Manuscript received on March 30, 2014. | Revised Manuscript received on April 14, 2014. | Manuscript published on April 30, 2014. | PP: 238-242 | Volume-3, Issue-4, April 2014. | Retrieval Number: D2967043414/2013©BEIESP
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© The Authors. Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering and Sciences Publication (BEIESP). This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
Abstract: Qualitatively permeability within concrete may be defined as the ease with which water, air and other substances such as chloride ions or contaminants pass through the concrete pore structure. In general, the relative magnitude of permeability for a given permeant (water, air or any other ion/ salt contaminant) may act as a prima facie indicative parameter of durability of concrete. More the permeability, lesser may be the durability. As durability governs the service life of the structure, thus permeability indirectly affects the service life of the structure. Besides, in relation to durability, permeability invariably becomes a very important aspect for the design of over-head tanks, water retaining structures and open flat roofs where permeability of concrete becomes objectionable. As such making concrete least permeable without harming its compressive strength is of a primal importance for researchers. Present state of knowledge about permeability and methods to decrease it are discretely available from literature. Few pozzolanic materials have been reported to decrease the permeability remarkably. Efforts in this experimental study were primarily aimed at evaluating effect of Silica Fume on important characteristic properties of hardened concrete like crushing strength and permeability. The study was also aimed at optimizing the weight of cement replacing additive (% by weight of the cement), which may be required to cause favorable effects like relatively impermeable concrete, without compromising the strength aspect of the hardened concrete mix. With potential optimization of replacement, the study may also serve as a contrast/guideline, for relative effectiveness of Silica Fume Concrete over conventional Portland Cement Concrete.
Keywords: Concrete Permeability, Epoxy Sealing, Permeability cell, Silica Fume, Superplasticizer.