Influence of Colloidal Silica and Partial Replacement of Cement with Metakaolin in Concrete

Abstract

High strength concrete is being required due to the construction industry's growth. Admixture and supplemental cementing materials (SCMs) are employed to attain this strength. According to earlier research, nanoparticles with a high surface area to volume ratio, such as colloidal nano-silica (CS), which contains an amorphous silicon dioxide (SiO2) core and a hydroxylated surface, have the potential for extremely high chemical reactivity. This study examined the results of adding metakaolin and colloidal silica to concrete in varying amounts. Tests in accordance with Indian standards have been conducted in order to evaluate and compare the mechanical properties of concrete, such as compressive strength, split tensile strength, and flexural strength, while employing different percentage replacements of metakaolin and colloidal silica. According to Indian norms, 150mm cubes were cast for compressive strength tests and 150mm diameter by 300mm height cylinders were produced for split tensile strength tests. In the investigation, metakaolin was used in instead of 10 to 30 percent cement mass, and 0 to 6 percent colloidal silica was added. The results of the experiments indicate that the most optimal mixture, for which the most desirable strength was obtained, is 10% metakaolin and 2% colloidal silica.