Basic Properties of Concrete with Silica Fume as Supplementary Cementitious Material: Effects of Replacement Level and Particle Size
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33736/jaspe.10641.2025Keywords:
Compressive strength, Flexural Strength, Particle size, Silica fume, SlumpAbstract
This study systematically investigates both the effects of replacement level and particle size of silica fume (SF) on concrete, identifying critical insights for optimising its use as a supplementary cementitious material (SCM). The key finding is that while SF significantly enhances mechanical properties, its optimal performance is contingent on two distinct factors: a specific replacement percentage for different strengths and a refined particle size for overall efficacy. Specifically, compressive strength was maximised at a 20%wt cement replacement, achieving 49.5 MPa at 56 days, whereas flexural strength peaked at a lower 10%wt replacement, showing a 40% increase over the control. This divergence underscores distinct strengthening mechanisms; compressive strength is governed by enhanced bulk hydration, while flexural strength is more sensitive to the densification of the interfacial transition zone (ITZ). Concurrently, any incorporation of SF markedly reduced workability, with slump values plummeting from 178 mm for the control mix to just 25 mm at 25%wt replacement, primarily due to its fine particle morphology. Beyond replacement level, particle size was identified as a decisive factor. Grinding SF from a median diameter of 76 µm to a finer median diameter of 47 µm profoundly improved concrete performance, leading to a 25% increase in early compressive strength and a remarkable more than 60% increase in flexural strength compared to mixes with larger, unground SF particles, despite a manageable reduction in slump. These results demonstrate that the sustainability and structural efficiency gains from using SF are not inherent but must be engineered. Ultimately, successfully balancing the often-competing demands of workability and strength requires a tailored approach that simultaneously optimises both its proportion in the mix and its physical fineness.
References
Neville, A. M. (2011). Properties of concrete, 5th ed. Pearson Education Limited, London.
Karein, S. M. M., Ramezanianpour, A. A., Ebadi, T., Isapour, S., & Karakouzian, M. (2017). A new approach for application of silica fume in concrete: Wet granulation. Construction and Building Materials, 157, 573-581. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2017.09.132
Ali, T., Buller, A. S., Abro, F. U. R., Ahmed, Z., Shabbir, S., Lashari, A. R., & Hussain, G. (2022). Investigation on mechanical and durability properties of concrete mixed with silica fume as cementitious material and coal bottom ash as fine aggregate replacement material. Buildings, 12(1), 44. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12010044
Sathiparan, N., & Subramaniam, D. N. (2025). Sustainable pervious concrete with silica fume as cement replacement: A review. Transportation Research Record, 2679(2), 1224-1241. https://doi.org/10.1177/03611981241265852
Luo, T., Hua, C., Liu, F., Sun, Q., Yi, Y., & Pan, X. (2022). Effect of adding solid waste silica fume as a cement paste replacement on the properties of fresh and hardened concrete. Case Studies in Construction Materials, 16, e01048. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cscm.2022.e01048
Lee, S., & Lee, S. (2010). Mechanical properties and durability of cement concrete incorporating silica fume. Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society, 47(5), 412–418. https://doi.org/10.4191/kcers.2010.47.5.412
Riaz, M., Alam, Z., Zafar, T., Javed, U., & Akhlaq, H. (2022). Investigation of mechanical and durability properties of sustainable high-strength concrete. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Forensic Engineering, 176(1), 3-15. https://doi.org/10.1680/jfoen.22.00008
Ma, J., & Yan, B. (2021). Study on the mechanical properties and mechanism of cement concrete based on interface modification. 4th International Symposium on Traffic Transportation and Civil Architecture (ISTTCA), 742-748. https://doi.org/10.1109/isttca53489.2021.9654649
Smarzewski, P. (2023). Mechanical and microstructural studies of high performance concrete with condensed silica fume. Applied Sciences, 13(4), 2510. https://doi.org/10.3390/app13042510
Siddique, R., & Khan, M. I. (2011). Supplementary cementing materials. Springer, Berlin. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-17866-5
Menéndez, E., Sanjuán, M. Á., & Recino, H. (2023). Study of microstructure, crystallographic phases and setting time evolution over time of Portland cement, coarse silica fume, and limestone (PC-SF-LS) ternary Portland cements. Crystals, 13(8), 1289. https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst13081289
Dalvand, A., Sharbatdar, M. K., Kheyroddin, A., & Nikui, A. (2014). Assessment of statistical variations in experimental impact resistance and mechanical properties of silica fume concrete. Scientia Iranica, 21(5), 1577-1590. http://scientiairanica.sharif.edu/article_1749_247b985c9a89110fd82dd7f3f259de26.pdf
Mandelot-Matetelot, S. J. L., Mogire, P., & Odero, B. (2025). Performance analysis of Ronier fibers (Borassus aethiopum) with silica fume on the mechanical properties of concrete. Engineering Technology & Applied Science Research, 15(1), 20024-20033. https://doi.org/10.48084/etasr.9591
Zhao, S., & Zhang, Q. (2019). Effect of silica fume in concrete on mechanical properties and dynamic behaviors under impact loading. Materials, 12(19), 3263. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma12193263
Ata, T. H. B., & Ibraheem, A. T. (2025). The impact of Jordanian natural zeolite and silica fume on concrete performance sustainability. Edelweiss Applied Science and Technology, 9(1), 1228-1242. https://doi.org/10.55214/25768484.v9i1.4380
Wang, D., Zhou, X., Fu, B., & Zhang, L. (2018). Chloride ion penetration resistance of concrete containing fly ash and silica fume against combined freezing-thawing and chloride attack. Construction and Building Materials, 169, 740-747. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2018.03.038
Paruthi, S., Dewangan, A., Sharma, N., Singh, N., Gulia, R., Garg, V., & Khan, A. H. (2025). Leveraging silica fume as a sustainable supplementary cementitious material for enhanced durability and decarbonization in concrete. Advances in Civil Engineering, 2025(1), 5513764. https://doi.org/10.1155/adce/5513764
Erdoğdu, Ş., Kurbetci, Ş. & Nayır, S. (2022). Long-Term Efficiency of Silica Fume in Terms of Sulfate Resistance of Concrete Immersed in Sulfate Solutions and Seawater. Iranian Journal of Science and Technology Transactions of Civil Engineering, 46(4), 2739-2746. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40996-021-00750-4
Ul Haq, I., Elahi, A., Nawaz, A., Shah, S. A. Q., & Ali, K. (2022). Mechanical and durability performance of concrete mixtures incorporating bentonite, silica fume, and polypropylene fibers. Construction and Building Materials, 345, 128223. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2022.128223
Siddharta, A. (2025). Production of Cement in Malaysia from 2015 to 2024. Statista, March 5. https://www.statista.com/statistics/719188/cement-production-malaysia/
United Nations. (2025). Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). https://sdgs.un.org/goals
DSM. (2014) MS EN 197-1:2014: Cement - Part 1: Composition, specifications and conformity criteria for common cements (First revision). Cyberjaya: Department of Standards Malaysia.
Ng, C. K., Ting, J. K. S., Jack, N. L., Lim, L. L. P., & Ting, S. N. (2024). The Properties of Normal Concrete with Ground Manganese Slag as Binder Replacement. Journal of Advanced Research in Applied Mechanics, 116(1), 62-74. https://doi.org/10.37934/aram.116.1.6274
Teyenne, D. C., Franklin, R. E., & Erntroy, H. C. (2010). Design of normal concrete mixes. Building Research Establishment Ltd., Garston, Watford. https://openlibrary.org/books/OL19678938M/Design_of_normal_concrete_mixes
BSI. (2021). BS EN 12390-1:2021: Testing hardened concrete - Part 1: Shape, dimensions and other requirements for specimens and moulds. London: British Standards Institution. https://knowledge.bsigroup.com/products/testing-hardened-concrete-shape-dimensions-and-other-requirements-for-specimens-and-moulds-2
BSI. (2019). BS EN 12390-2:2019: Testing hardened concrete - Part 2: Making and curing specimens for strength tests. London: British Standards Institution. https://knowledge.bsigroup.com/products/testing-hardened-concrete-making-and-curing-specimens-for-strength-tests-2
BSI. (2019). BS EN 12350-2:2019: Testing fresh concrete - Part 2: Slump test. London: British Standards Institution. https://knowledge.bsigroup.com/products/testing-fresh-concrete-slump-test-2
BSI. (2019). BS EN 12390-3:2019: Testing hardened concrete - Part 3: Compressive strength of test specimens. London: British Standards Institution. https://knowledge.bsigroup.com/products/testing-hardened-concrete-compressive-strength-of-test-specimens-1
BSI. (2019). BS EN 12390-5:2019: Testing hardened concrete - Part 5: Flexural strength of test specimens. London: British Standards Institution. https://knowledge.bsigroup.com/products/testing-hardened-concrete-flexural-strength-of-test-specimens-1
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 UNIMAS Publisher
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Copyright Transfer Statement for Journal
1) In signing this statement, the author(s) grant UNIMAS Publisher an exclusive license to publish their original research papers. The author(s) also grant UNIMAS Publisher permission to reproduce, recreate, translate, extract or summarize, and to distribute and display in any forms, formats, and media. The author(s) can reuse their papers in their future printed work without first requiring permission from UNIMAS Publisher, provided that the author(s) acknowledge and reference publication in the Journal.
2) For open access articles, the author(s) agree that their articles published under UNIMAS Publisher are distributed under the terms of the CC-BY-NC-SA (Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License) which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, for non-commercial purposes, provided the original work of the author(s) is properly cited.
3) For subscription articles, the author(s) agree that UNIMAS Publisher holds copyright, or an exclusive license to publish. Readers or users may view, download, print, and copy the content, for academic purposes, subject to the following conditions of use: (a) any reuse of materials is subject to permission from UNIMAS Publisher; (b) archived materials may only be used for academic research; (c) archived materials may not be used for commercial purposes, which include but not limited to monetary compensation by means of sale, resale, license, transfer of copyright, loan, etc.; and (d) archived materials may not be re-published in any part, either in print or online.
4) The author(s) is/are responsible to ensure his or her or their submitted work is original and does not infringe any existing copyright, trademark, patent, statutory right, or propriety right of others. Corresponding author(s) has (have) obtained permission from all co-authors prior to submission to the journal. Upon submission of the manuscript, the author(s) agree that no similar work has been or will be submitted or published elsewhere in any language. If submitted manuscript includes materials from others, the authors have obtained the permission from the copyright owners.
5) In signing this statement, the author(s) declare(s) that the researches in which they have conducted are in compliance with the current laws of the respective country and UNIMAS Journal Publication Ethics Policy. Any experimentation or research involving human or the use of animal samples must obtain approval from Human or Animal Ethics Committee in their respective institutions. The author(s) agree and understand that UNIMAS Publisher is not responsible for any compensational claims or failure caused by the author(s) in fulfilling the above-mentioned requirements. The author(s) must accept the responsibility for releasing their materials upon request by Chief Editor or UNIMAS Publisher.
6) The author(s) should have participated sufficiently in the work and ensured the appropriateness of the content of the article. The author(s) should also agree that he or she has no commercial attachments (e.g. patent or license arrangement, equity interest, consultancies, etc.) that might pose any conflict of interest with the submitted manuscript. The author(s) also agree to make any relevant materials and data available upon request by the editor or UNIMAS Publisher.
To download Copyright Transfer Statement for Journal, click here
