Affiliations 

  • 1 School of Housing, Building and Planning, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Penang, Malaysia
  • 2 Department of Civil Engineering, Coimbatore Institute of Technology, Tamil Nadu, 638 056, India
  • 3 Department of Building Engineering, Energy Systems and Sustainability Science, Faculty of Engineering and Sustainable Development, University of Gävle, 801 76 Gävle, Sweden
  • 4 Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Kerbala, Karbala, 56001, Iraq
  • 5 Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Necmettin Erbakan University, 42100, Konya, Turkey
  • 6 Department of Construction Management, Faculty of Technology Management and Business, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Parit Raja, Batu Pahat, Johor, 86400, Malaysia
Heliyon, 2024 Feb 29;10(4):e25858.
PMID: 38420447 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e25858

Abstract

Nowadays, the application of nanotechnology has gained increased attention in the concrete technology field. Several applications of concrete require light weight; one such concrete used is foamed concrete (FC), which has more voids in the microstructure. In this study, nano-silica (NS) was utilized, which exhibits a pozzolanic nature, and it reacts with other pozzolanic compositions (like lime, alumina, etc.) to form hydrated compounds in concrete. Apart from these hydrated compounds, NS acts as a filler material and enhances properties of concrete such as the fresh and hardened properties. This research examines the fresh, hardened, and microstructural properties of FC blended with NS. The ratio of binder and filler used in this research is 1:1.5, with a water-to-binder ratio of 0.45 and a density of 880 kg/m3. A total of six different weight fractions of NS were added to FC mixes, namely 0%, 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, and 5%. Properties assessed for FC blended with NS were the slump, bulk density, strength parameters (flexural, splitting tensile, and compressive strengths), morphological analysis, water absorption, and porosity. It was concluded from this study that the optimum NS utilized to improve the properties was 3%. Apart from this, the relationship between the mechanical properties and NS dosages was developed. The correlations between the compressive strength and other properties were analyzed, and relationships were developed based on the best statistical approach. This study helps academicians, researchers, and industrialists enhance the properties of FC blended with NS and their relationships to predict concrete properties from other properties.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.