Improving the workability and strength of silica fume concrete by using silane-treated silica fume

摘要

Mortar with high workability even without awater-reducing agent and with high tensile and compressivestrengths (3.1 and 78 MPa, respectively) was obtained by using asan admixture silica fume that had been surface treated with asilane coupling agent. The treatment enhanced the wettability ofsilica fume by water, thereby increasing the workability of themortar mix. It also enhanced the bond between silica fume andcement, thereby increasing the strength and modulus, both undertension and compression. In particular, the tensile strength wasincreased by 31% and the compressive strength was increased by27%. Moreover, the flexural storage modulus, loss tangent, anddensity were increased.