ANALYSIS OF THE TIME-DEPENDENT VOLUME REDUCTION OF CONCRETE CONTAINING SILICA FUME

The use of silica fume (SF) to produce high-performance concretes is g aining acceptance in the construction industry. Concretes of compressi ve strength above 70 MPa with improved resistance to aggressive chemic als have been produced successfully using SF. The time-dependent volum e reduction of concrete caused by moisture loss, known as drying shrin kage, is known to have a profound influence on cracking, long-term def lection and losses in prestressing. It is therefore necessary to have a clear understanding of these deformations in concrete containing SF in order to assess its long-term properties. In this Paper, results of an extensive test programme to evaluate the drying shrinkage of concr ete containing different amounts of SF are presented and discussed. Th e results are analysed to help explain the mechanisms of drying shrink age in concrete containing SF.