Investigation of the Effect of Diatomite Powder Replacement Instead of Silica Fume in Reactive Powder Concrete (RPC)

In this research, after obtaining the optimal mixing plan and making RPC samples at the Concrete Laboratory of Azarbaijan Shahid Madani University, in six mixing designs containing 0, 25, 50 , 75% and 100% of diatomite powder and the final design was again considered with 14% increase in water due to the consistency correction and the diameter of the flow table tset. The specimens were cured in a water bath at 25 and 50 degrees Celsius at the age of 7, 28 and 90 days, then pressure and tensile tests where done, and also water absorption at 28 days and water absorption during the curing and flow table test. The results indicate that the highest compressive strength for concrete with 25% diatomite powder is obtained, which compressive strength is 87.2 MPa for 90 days. The results of the experiments clearly showed that diatomite powder could be used as a substitute for silica fume in the manufacture of RPC, and also the results indicated that the curing temperature had a significant effect on the initial resistance of RPC, so that with increasing temperature the compressive strength, tensile strength and water absorption also increase