Behavior of Structural Lightweight Concrete Containing Nano Silica and Steel Fibers under Compressive Monotonic Loading

The weak mechanical properties of lightweight aggregate concrete (LWAC) such as low strength and brittleness discourage its vast application in structural members. An effective method to improve the mechanical properties of concrete is the use of pozzolanic and reinforcing materials. The loading condition and the ingredients of mix compositions affect the concrete behavior, so more extensive and detailed research into the effects of type of concrete material on the stress-strain curve is required in order to predict the accurate response of structural members. In this paper, various amounts of Nano-Silica (1, 3 and 5 percent by weight of cement) and steel fiber with constant volume fraction of 1% were added to mixtures and the effects of these parameters on the compressive stress-strain curves were investigated. Furthermore, the key parameters that control the concrete behavior under compressive monotonic loading, including compressive strength, modulus of elasticity and strain at peak stress were evaluated. Results indicate that the optimized combined use of steel fibers and Nano-silica has significant effect on the improvement of compressive behavior of LWAC. The compressive strength and modulus of elasticity in the mix containing 3% Nano-silica and 1% steel fiber increase by about 46% and 26% compared to the plain LWAC mix.