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Providing a framework for optimizing a mixing design of reactive powder concrete (RPC)

Farid Ghaffari Moghaddam
Farid Ghaffari Moghaddam
, 
Abbas Akbarpour
Abbas Akbarpour
 and 
Afshin Firouzi
Afshin Firouzi
   | Jul 31, 2021
Organization, Technology and Management in Construction: an International Journal's Cover Image
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Article Category: Research Paper
Published Online: Jul 31, 2021
Page range: 2438 - 2449
Received: Mar 03, 2020
Accepted: Jul 20, 2020
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/otmcj-2020-0024
Keywords
© 2021 Farid Ghaffari Moghaddam et al., published by Sciendo
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Fig. 1

Optimal mixing design with respect to the weight of the compressive strength effect.
Optimal mixing design with respect to the weight of the compressive strength effect.

Fig. 2

Optimal mixing design with respect to the weight of the low cost effect.
Optimal mixing design with respect to the weight of the low cost effect.

Fig. 3

Optimal mixing design with respect to the weight of the water penetration effect.
Optimal mixing design with respect to the weight of the water penetration effect.

Fig. 4

Optimal mixing design with respect to the weight of the surface resistivity effect.
Optimal mixing design with respect to the weight of the surface resistivity effect.

Fig. 5

Optimal mixing design with respect to the weight of the modulus of elasticity effect.
Optimal mixing design with respect to the weight of the modulus of elasticity effect.

Fig. 6

Equal weighting between the criteria.
Equal weighting between the criteria.

Fig. 7

Performance sensitivity of the options.
Performance sensitivity of the options.

Fig. 8

An example of the dynamic sensitivity of the options.
An example of the dynamic sensitivity of the options.

Fig. 9

The gradient sensitivity of the options.
The gradient sensitivity of the options.

Fig. 10

Optimal mixing design with equal weighting between the criteria.
Optimal mixing design with equal weighting between the criteria.

Mixture proportions of concrete.

No. Mixtures Cement content/type (Kg) W/CM PCE (kg/m3) Silica fume (kg/m3) Colloidal nanosilica (kg/m3) Powdered nanosilica (kg/m3) Quartz (0–75 μm), (kg/m3) Sand (0–75 μm), kg/m3 Sand (0–5 mm), kg/m3 Gravel (5–9.5 mm), kg/m3 Gravel (9.5–19 mm), kg/m3 Quartz (0–1 mm), kg/m3 Quartz (75 μm to 6 mm), kg/m3
1 S62 900/II 0.28 48.7 225 9 90 1,000* – – – – – –
2 S63 900/II 0.31 48.7 225 9 90 1,000* – – – – – –
3 S64 900/V 0.28 44 180 18 18 – 1,000 – – – – –
4 S65 0.247 44 180 18 18 – 1,001 – – – – –
5 S68 900/V 0.27.4 46.5 180 18 18 – – 1,000 – – – –
6 S70 900/V 0.27.4 50 180 18 18 – – 1,000** – – – –
7 S72 900/II 0.25.1 52 180 18 – – 1,100** – – – – –
8 S73 900/II 0.27.2 52 180 18 – – 1,100** – – – – –
9 S76 900/II 0.30.4 56 165 18 – 1,000 – – – – – –
10 S77 900/II 0.27.7 56 165 18 – – – – – – 1,000 –
11 RP,S1 900/II 0.31 46 165 18 – 139 – – – – – 861
12 RP,S2 900/II 0.31 46 165 18 – 50 – – – – – 950
13 RP,S3 900/II 0.31 46 165 18 – 100 – – – – – 900
14 RP,S4 900/II 0.31 46 165 18 – 0 – – – – – 1,000
15 RP,O1 900/II 0.31 46 165 18 165 268 567* – – – – –
16 RP,O2 900/II 0.31 46 165 18 165 567 268* – – – – –
17 RP,O3 900/II 0.31 46 165 18 85 315 600* – – – – –
18 RP,O4 900/II 0.31 46 165 18 85 600 315* – – – – –
19 RP,M1 900/II 0.25 40 165 18 – – – 600 – – 400 –
20 RP,M2 900/II 0.25 40 165 18 – – – 500 – – 500 –
21 RP,M3 900/II 0.25 40 165 18 – – – 400 – – 600 –
22 RP,M4 900/II 0.25 40 165 18 – – – 700 – – 300 –
23 SCC1 400/II 0.48 12 60 .. 120 – – 820 750 – – –
24 SCC2 400/II 0.5 9 60 .. 120 – – 820 750 – – –
25 SCC3 400/II 0.45 9 70 .. 74 – – 900 525 225 – –
26 SCC4 400/II 0.45 9 70 .. 74 – – 800 450 400 – –
27 SCC5 400/II 0.45 9 70 .. 74 – – 900 225 525 – –
28 C1 400/II 0.45 1.75 .. .. – – – 920 440 460 – –
29 C2 400/II 0.45 1.75 .. .. – – – 900 220 700 – –
30 C3 400/II 0.45 1.75 .. .. – – – 850 470 400 – –

Chemical compositions (%) of quartz sand and silica fume.

SiO2 Al2O3 Fe2O3 CaO Na2O K2O
Quartz sand 96–98.8 0.151–1.65 0.2–0.7 0.2–0.5 0.03–0.08 0.03–0.1
Silica fume 90 1.3 1.1 1.7 0.5 0.3

Optimal framework for mixing design of the concrete.

No. Optimum mixture Aggregate Cement (kg)/type Silica fume (kg) Powdered nanaosilica (kg) Colloidal nanosilica (kg) Concrete
1 S76 Quartz (0–75 μm) 900/II 165 – 18 RPC
2 S77 Quartz (0–1 mm) 900/II 165 – 18 MRPC
3 RPM Quartz + sand (0–1 mm) 900/II 165 – 18
4 RPS Quartz (75 μm–6 mm) 900/II 165 – 18
5 RPO Quartz + Ottawa (0–75 μm) 900/II 165 85–165 18 RPC
6 S64–65 Sand (0–75 μm) 900/V 180 18 18
7 S72–73 Crystal sand (0–75 μm) 900/II 180 – 18
8 S62–63 Ottawa sand 900/II 225 90 9
9 S70 Crystal sand (0–5 mm) 900/V 180 18 18 MRPC
10 S68 Sand (0–5 mm) 900/V 180 18 18
11 C Gravel + sand 900/II – – – C
12 SCC Gravel + sand 900/II 60–70 74–120 – SCC

Prices reserved for consumable materials.

Materials Quartz (ton) PCE (kg) Cement (ton) Silica fume (ton) Colloidal nanosilica (kg) Ottawa sand (kg) Gravel + sand (ton) Crystal sand (ton)
Price, $ 4 1.6 16 44 4.8 3.2 1.2 1.6

Properties of colloidal nanosilica, powdered nanosilica and silica fume.

SiO2, % Size, nm Specific surface area, m2/g Salt content (%) Type Density, kg/m3 (lb/yd3)
Colloidal nanosilica 99.9 35 400 24 Combiner 1.05 (1.77)
Powdered nanosilica 99 20–30 160–200 100 Powder 0.150–0.220 (0.253–0.37)
Silica fume 90 229 20.7 100 Powder 2.1 (3.54)

Test results for the compressive strength, surface resistivity, water penetration and modulus of elasticity (Ed).

No. Mixtures Compressive strength (28 days), MPa Surface resistivity, kΩ·cm Water penetration, mm Ed, GPa
23°C 80°C
1 S 62 138.8 – 95 9.5 56.68
2 S63 118.7 – 73 12.1 52.66
3 S64 146.3 – 63.9 12.4 59.32
4 S65 174.5 – 68 12.1 67.82
5 S68 100.6 – 79.1 10.5 49.17
6 S70 118.1 – 89.6 11 53.63
7 S72 120.2 – 107.9 7.5 55.98
8 S73 113.4 – 76.6 10 48.24
9 S76 137 193.5 125 6.1 78.53
10 S77 125.3 187 123 6.6 74.27
11 RP,S 1 98.1 125.3 154 5.2 48.82
12 RP,S2 96.5 127.2 104 5.4 49.29
13 RPS,3 97.6 118.3 112 6.1 50.87
14 RP,S4 95.2 115.4 195 4.2 48.68
15 RP,O1 89.8 112.4 174 4.4 42.05
16 RP,O2 93.5 127.2 121 5.5 43.87
17 RP,O3 95.4 118.6 158 4.1 49.85
18 RP,O4 91.4 115.9 83 7.4 42.61
19 RP,M1 121.2 174.3 124 6.4 65.63
20 RP,M2 119.4 161.2 92 9.5 61.97
21 RP,M3 105.4 145.4 113 7.5 63.97
22 RP,M4 104.3 138.3 180 4.5 59.37
23 SCC1 52.3 – 42.35 15 34.43
24 SCC2 48.9 – 37.5 18 33.76
25 SCC3 57.6 – 77.85 12 38.22
26 SCC4 55.1 – 33 14.3 34.98
27 SCC5 44.2 – 37 16 31.51
28 C1 38.2 – 5.2 21.5 41.57
29 C2 36.5 – 4.8 33.3 37.53
30 C3 35.4 – 7.3 35.5 34.64

Selection options in the software.

Mixtures, kg/m3 S62–63 S64–65 S72–73 S76 RPO RPM RPS S68 S70 S77 SCC C
Aggregate Ottawa sand Sand (0–75 μm) Crystal sand (0–75 μm) Quartz (0–75 μm) Quartz (0–75 μm), Ottawa Sand + quartz Quartz (0–1 mm) Sand (75 μm–6 mm) Crystal sand (0–5 mm) Quartz (0–1 mm) Gravel + sand Gravel +sand
Cement type II V II II II II II V V II II II
Silica fume 225 180 180 165 165 165 167 180 180 165 6–70 –
Powder nanosilica 90 18 – – 85–165 – – 18 18 – 74–120 –
Colloidal nanosilica 9 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 – –
Concrete RPC MRPC SCC C
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