Investigation of effect of size and content of nano/SiO2 on the strength and durability of RCC in freezing-thawing cycles

RCC remains a widely used construction material over the last decade. RCC is placed in a manner similar to paving; the material is delivered by dump trucks or conveyors, spread by small bulldozers or specially modified asphalt pavers, and then compacted by vibratory rollers. By definition, Roller Compacted Concrete (RCC) is the concrete compacted by a roller in a hardened state. RCC is a special type of concrete that has essentially the same ingredients as concrete. However, at different ratios, partial substitution of fly ash is increased for Portland cement. This type of concrete has facilitated constructing many new dam and pavement projects and reducing costs by shortening the time duration of implementation. Rolled concrete materials are generally applied instead of the soil-cement mixtures in projects. Soil-cement and rolled concrete are both completely compacted mixtures of cement, aggregate, and water, while their main differences are the type and size of aggregates. Using this kind of concrete has provided a chance for the construction of many dams and new pavements with economic advantages, leading to the quick construction management. Since these structures are exposed to climatic factors, their durability, especially against alternate thawing-freezing cycles, is of paramount importance. In the current research, silica nanoparticles were added to the RCC mix of three different diameters (10, 15, and 30 nm) and three different ratios (1, 3, and 5% by cement weight) in 50, 100, and 300 cycles to investigate their effects on compressive strength, dimensions, and weights of RCC samples. The experimental results illustrated that mixtures containing nano-silica had a better durability and strength than non-additive mixtures.