Experimental Investigation of the Effects of Nano-Silica on the Mechanical and Durability Properties of Concrete

Authors

https://doi.org/10.48314/ijrceai.vi.74

Abstract

Nanotechnology is one of the rapidly developing fields in engineering and construction materials, with increasing applications in cement-based materials and concrete. In recent years, considerable attention has been directed toward the use of nanoparticles, particularly nano-silica, due to their high surface area, pozzolanic activity, and ability to modify the microstructure of cementitious materials. Nano-silica can participate in hydration reactions and fill fine pores within the cement matrix, potentially improving the mechanical properties, permeability, and durability of concrete. Despite the increasing application of nanomaterials in concrete, studies concerning their influence on the strength and durability characteristics of concrete at different ages remain necessary. In this study, the effects of nano-silica on the mechanical and durability properties of concrete were experimentally investigated. Five different mix designs were prepared, including mix A as the control mixture without nano-silica and mixes B1, B2, B3, and B4 containing different proportions of nano-silica. The specimens were tested at the ages of 7, 28, 90, and 180 days. Compressive strength, tensile strength, water penetration, and electrical resistivity tests were performed to evaluate the effects of nano-silica on the performance of the concrete. The results demonstrated that the incorporation of nano-silica generally improved the compressive and tensile strengths compared with the control mixture. The rate of strength development was particularly significant at early ages, while the improvement continued at later ages. The results of the water penetration test also showed that increasing the nano-silica content reduced water penetration, which can be attributed to the pore-filling effect and high pozzolanic activity of nano-silica, resulting in a denser cementitious matrix. Furthermore, the electrical resistivity of concrete increased significantly with the addition of nano-silica, particularly at later ages. The increase in electrical resistivity indicates a reduction in ionic transport and electrical conductivity, which can contribute to reducing the risk of reinforcement corrosion. Overall, the findings indicate that the appropriate incorporation of nano-silica can improve the mechanical performance and durability of concrete.      

Keywords:

Concrete, Compressive strength, Tensile strength, Water absorption, Electrical resistivity, Nanotechnology, Nano-Silica

References

  1. [1] Mohammed, B. S., Achara, B. E., Nuruddin, M. F., Yaw, M., & Zulkefli, M. Z. (2017). Properties of nano-silica-modified self-compacting engineered cementitious composites. Journal of cleaner production, 162, 1225–1238. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.06.137
  2. [2] Manzi, S., Mazzotti, C., & Chiara Bignozzi, M. (2017). Self-compacting concrete with recycled concrete aggregate: Study of the long-term properties. Construction and building materials, 157, 582–590. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2017.09.129
  3. [3] Aydın, A. C., Nasl, V. J., & Kotan, T. (2018). The synergic influence of nano-silica and carbon nano tube on self-compacting concrete. Journal of building engineering, 20, 467–475. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2018.08.013
  4. [4] Nandhini, K., & Ponmalar, V. (2018). Microstructural behaviour and flowing ability of self-compacting concrete using micro- and nano-silica. Micro & nano letters, 13(8), 1213–1218. https://doi.org/10.1049/mnl.2018.0105
  5. [5] Esquinas, A. R., Álvarez, J. I., Jiménez, J. R., Fernández, J. M., & de Brito, J. (2018). Durability of self-compacting concrete made with recovery filler from hot-mix asphalt plants. Construction and building materials, 161, 407–419. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2017.11.142
  6. [6] Afzali Naniz, O., & Mazloom, M. (2018). Effects of colloidal nano-silica on fresh and hardened properties of self-compacting lightweight concrete. Journal of building engineering, 20, 400–410. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2018.08.014
  7. [7] Nasr, D., Behforouz, B., Borujeni, P. R., Borujeni, S. A., & Zehtab, B. (2019). Effect of nano-silica on mechanical properties and durability of self-compacting mortar containing natural zeolite: Experimental investigations and artificial neural network modeling. Construction and building materials, 229, 116888. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2019.116888
  8. [8] Athiyamaan, V. (2021). Admixture-based self-compacted concrete with self-curing concrete techniques a state of art of review. Cleaner engineering and technology, 5, 100250. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clet.2021.100250
  9. [9] Hani, N., Nawawy, O., Ragab, K. S., & Kohail, M. (2018). The effect of different water/binder ratio and nano-silica dosage on the fresh and hardened properties of self-compacting concrete. Construction and building materials, 165, 504–513. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2018.01.045
  10. [10] Bernal, J., Reyes, E., Massana, J., León, N., & Sánchez, E. (2018). Fresh and mechanical behavior of a self-compacting concrete with additions of nano-silica, silica fume and ternary mixtures. Construction and building materials, 160, 196–210. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2017.11.048
  11. [11] Samimi, K., Kamali-Bernard, S., & Maghsoudi, A. A. (2018). Durability of self-compacting concrete containing pumice and zeolite against acid attack, carbonation and marine environment. Construction and building materials, 165, 247–263. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2017.12.235
  12. [12] Tang, P., & Brouwers, H. J. H. (2018). The durability and environmental properties of self-compacting concrete incorporating cold bonded lightweight aggregates produced from combined industrial solid wastes. Construction and building materials, 167, 271–285. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2018.02.035
  13. [13] Massana, J., Reyes, E., Bernal, J., León, N., & Sánchez-Espinosa, E. (2018). Influence of nano- and micro-silica additions on the durability of a high-performance self-compacting concrete. Construction and building materials, 165, 93–103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2017.12.100
  14. [14] Niewiadomski, P., Hoła, J., & Ćwirzeń, A. (2018). Study on properties of self-compacting concrete modified with nanoparticles. Archives of civil and mechanical engineering, 18(3), 877–886. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acme.2018.01.006
  15. [15] Gülşan, M. E., Alzeebaree, R., Rasheed, A. A., Niş, A., & Kurtoğlu, A. E. (2019). Development of fly ash/slag based self-compacting geopolymer concrete using nano-silica and steel fiber. Construction and building materials, 211, 271–283. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2019.03.228
  16. [16] Esfandiari, J., & Loghmani, P. (2019). Effect of perlite powder and silica fume on the compressive strength and microstructural characterization of self-compacting concrete with lime-cement binder. Measurement, 147, 106846. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.measurement.2019.07.074
  17. [17] Joshaghani, A., Balapour, M., Mashhadian, M., & Ozbakkaloglu, T. (2020). Effects of nano-TiO2, nano-Al2O3, and nano-Fe2O3 on rheology, mechanical and durability properties of self-consolidating concrete (SCC): An experimental study. Construction and building materials, 245, 118444. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.118444
  18. [18] Sasanipour, H., Aslani, F., & Taherinezhad, J. (2019). Effect of silica fume on durability of self-compacting concrete made with waste recycled concrete aggregates. Construction and building materials, 227, 116598. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2019.07.324
  19. [19] Zhang, J., An, X., & Li, P. (2020). Research on a mix design method of self-compacting concrete based on a paste rheological threshold theory and a powder equivalence model. Construction and building materials, 233, 117292. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2019.117292
  20. [20] Faraj, R. H., Mohammed, A. A., & Omer, K. M. (2022). Self-compacting concrete composites modified with nanoparticles: A comprehensive review, analysis and modeling. Journal of building engineering, 50, 104170. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2022.104170
  21. [21] Almohammad-albakkar, M., & Behfarnia, K. (2021). Effects of the combined usage of micro and nano-silica on the drying shrinkage and compressive strength of the self-compacting concrete. Journal of sustainable cement-based materials, 10(2), 92–110. https://doi.org/10.1080/21650373.2020.1755382
  22. [22] Lin, W. T. (2020). Effects of sand/aggregate ratio on strength, durability, and microstructure of self-compacting concrete. Construction and building materials, 242, 118046. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.118046
  23. [23] Hakeem, I. Y., Amin, M., Zeyad, A. M., Tayeh, B. A., Agwa, I. S., & Abu el-hassan, K. (2023). Properties and durability of self-compacting concrete incorporated with nanosilica, fly ash, and limestone powder. Structural concrete, 24(5), 6738–6760. https://doi.org/10.1002/suco.202300121
  24. [24] Marvasty, G. K., Mazloom, M., & Ahmadi, S. H. (2026). SEM- and DGFM-based evaluation of fracture parameters in self-compacting concrete incorporating silica fume and nano-silica. Engineering fracture mechanics, 340, 112137. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfracmech.2026.112137

Downloads

Published

2026-12-09

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 4 (2026): International Journal of Researches on Civil Engineering with Artificial Intelligence (IJRCEAI)

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Majdi, A. (2026). Experimental Investigation of the Effects of Nano-Silica on the Mechanical and Durability Properties of Concrete. International Journal of Researches on Civil Engineering With Artificial Intelligence , 3(4), 283-301. https://doi.org/10.48314/ijrceai.vi.74

Similar Articles

1-10 of 28

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.