Simulation of a temperature rise in concrete incorporating silica fume

Abstract

Silica fume is a by-product of induction arc furnaces and has long been used as a mineral admixture to produce high-strength, high-performance concrete. Owing to the pozzolanic reaction between calcium hydroxide and silica fume, compared with Portland cement, the hydration of concrete containing silica fume is much more complex. In this paper, by considering the production of calcium hydroxide in cement hydration and its consumption in the pozzolanic reaction, a numerical model is proposed to simulate the hydration of concrete containing silica fume. The heat evolution rate of silica fume concrete is determined from the contribution of the cement hydration and the pozzolanic reaction. Furthermore, the temperature rise in silica fume concrete is evaluated based on the degree of hydration of cement and silica fume. The proposed model is verified using experimental data on concrete with different water-to-cement ratios and silica fume substitution ratios.