High strength reinforced concrete with metakaolin and silica fume in marine environment: an experimental work

Abstract

A possible way to modify the mix design, aiming to increase the service life of a reinforced concrete structure, is the use of mineral admixtures. However, it is still important to study some topics about the efficiency of these materials (especially metakaolin) in different types of aggressive environments.The aim of this work is to quantify the increase in the service life caused by metakaolin and silica fume. This work advanced in this point, considers an easy and practical way to quantify the service life extension caused by the use of admixtures in high strength concrete exposed to marine environment. The results showed that metakaolin and silica fume increased service life in marine environment by 240 per cent and 440 per cent, respectively. This evidenced the high efficiency of the metakaolin and silica fume admixture as a way to produce more durable concrete for regions highly influenced by salt spray.