Investigating the Effects of Using Microsilica and Nanosilica on the Hardened Mechanical Properties and Durability of SCC Containing Recycled Aggregates

Today, the wastes remaining from concrete degradation is considered as an environmental problem and is one of the biggest challenges in the building industry. Accordingly, many researchers have decided to re-use the materials of aggregates from degradation in concrete production cycles. In this paper, attempts were made to assess and if possible to promote the mechanical and durability characteristics after the addition of nano-silica and micro-silica to self-compacting concrete containing recycled aggregates (obtained from worn concrete degradation). One of the points to be considered in this paper was the attempt to use tests such as half-pole testing and concrete wave velocity. In this regard, 72 mixture designs were studied in 8 collections. In these mixture designs, with respect to the content of recycled aggregates, the nano- and micro-contents were changed. Then, the samples underwent mechanical tests including compressive strength and tensile strength, and durability tests including corrosion potential, concrete wave velocity (ultrasonic) and electrical strength. After the tests, with an increase in the use of nano-silica and micro-silica, the efficiency and fluidity of the fresh concrete were reduced, and compressive strength and tensile strength were increased. Also, at fixed strength, nano-silica caused less efficiency and fluidity than micro-silica and also, with an increase in the content of recycled aggregates in concrete, efficiency and fluidity as well as compressive strength and tensile strength of concrete were reduced.