CONTENTS

CANDIDATES DECLARATION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

ii

ABSTRACT

iii

LIST OF TABLES

vii

LIST OF FIGURES

viii

LIST OF PLATES

ix

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

1-5

1.1

General

1.2

Silica fume

1.2.1

Definition

1.2.2

Production of silica fume

1.3

Objective and scope of present study

CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW

6-12

2.1

General

2.2

Application of silica fume

CHAPTER 3 ROLE OF SILICA FUME IN CONCRETE

13-21

3.1

General

13

3.2

Availability and handling

13

3.3

Characteristics of silica fume

14

3.3.1

As-product form

14

3.3.2

Silica-fume slurry

14

3.3.3

Densified silica fume

14.

3.3.4

Blended silica-fume concrete

16

3.3.5

Pellitized silica fume

16

3.3.6

Silica fume colours

16

Mechanism of silica fume concrete

17

3.4

3.5

Physical properties of silica fume

18

3.6

Chemical properties of silica fume

19

3.7

Efficiency of silica fume in concrete

20

3.8

Methods of using silica fume in concrete

20

3.9

Problems with the use of silica fume

21

CHAPTER 4 EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAMME

22-36

4.1

General

22

4.2

Testing of material used

22

4.2.1

Cement

22

4.2.2

Aggregate

24

4.2.2.1 Fine aggregate

24

4.2.2.2 Coarse aggregate

25

4.2.3

Silica fume

27

4.2.4

Water

28

4.2.5

Superplsticiser

28

Concrete Mix Design for M 35 grade conventional concrete

30

Design by Indian Standard Recommended Guidelines

31

4.3.1.1 Design Stipulations

31

4.3.1.2 Test Data for materials

32

27

4.3
4.3.1

4.3.1.3 Target Mean Strength of concrete for mix design

32

4.3.1.4 Selection of water/cement ratio

32

4.3.1.5 Selection of Water and Sand Content

32

4.3.1.6 Determination of Cement Content

33

4.3.1.7 Determination of coarse and fine aggregate contents

33

4.3.1.8 Actual quantity required for the mix

34

4.4

Moulds for specimens

35

4.5

Batching and casting of specimens

35

4.6

4.5.1

For M 35 grade conventional concrete

35

4.5.2

For silica fume concrete

35

Curing

36

CHAPTER 5 TEST RESULT AND DISCUSSION

37-59

5.1

General

37

5.2

Testing of specimens

37

5.2.1

Compressive strength test

37

5.2.2

Split tensile strength test

46

5.2.3

Flexural strength test

49

5.2.4

Gain of cube compressive strength of silica fume concrete with age55

5.2.5

Gain of cylinder compressive strength of silica fume concrete with

age

56

5.2.6

Gain of tensile strength of silica fume concrete with age

57

5.2.7

Gain of Flexural strength of silica fume concrete with age

58

CHAPTER 5 Conclusions and future use

60-

6.1

General

60

6.2

Conclusions

60

6.3

Future scope of research

61

REFRENCES

62-63