Influence of Nano Silica on the Properties of concrete using Natural Fibres

Abstract

Concrete is a useful material of present as well as for the future. The concrete is wide use in structures, from buildings to factories, from bridges to airports in explicable. It is one of the most investigated materials of the 21st century. Due to the rapid population of explosion and the technology of boom cater to these needs, there is an urgent need to improve the strength and durability of concrete. Out of the various materials used in the production of concrete, Cement plays a major role due its size and adhesive property. To produce the concrete with improved properties, the mechanism of Cement hydration has to be studied properly and better substitutes to it have to be suggested. Diand#64256;erent materials known as Supplementary Cementitious Materials (SCM) or SCMs are added to concrete to improve its properties. Some of these are Fly Ash (FA), Blast Furnace Slag (BFS), Rice Husk (RH), Silica fumes and even bacteria. Among the various technologies used, nano-technology looks to be a promising approach in improving the properties of concrete. This study focuses on the use of Nano Silica (NS) as mineral admixture and three types of Fibres Pine Apple Fibres (PAF), Sisal Fibre (SF) and Bamboo Fibres (BF) as the reinforcing materials. newlineCompressive, split tensile and flexural behaviour of concrete were investigated on concrete mix with and without NS at diand#64256;erent proportions (ranges from 1 to 4 percent with Cement). The experimental results show that the strength of concrete specimens increases with the increase of NS in concrete up to 3%, beyond that there is a decrease in strength. Similarly, compressive, split tensile and flexural behaviour of concrete were investigated on concrete mix with and without PAF, SF and BF at diand#64256;erent proportions. The experimental results show that the strength of concrete increases with the increase of Fibre in concrete up to 0.75%, 1% and 1.25% for PAF, SF and BF respectively, beyond that there is decrease in strength. newlineThe durability of concrete is much aand#64256;ected by the constituent mater