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Elkem Microsilica - The choice for high performance concrete

(2008-03-10) Silica fume (microsilica) has been called the most important new product in concrete technology in the 1990's and the material has given civil engineers another tool in the design and construction of structures for the next century.

To promote microsilica in concrete is to promote high quality concrete technology and the benefits of advanced concrete materials: in terms of durable infrastructure, advanced concrete structures and sustainable high quality concrete construction.

Bridge construction, marine structures, parking structures, water supply and sewage facilities all benefit from the use of microsilica (silica fume). Likewise, the special properties of microsilica concrete provide benefits in fresh concrete properties, so that rheology improvements provide benefits in terms of concrete pumping and stability of the concrete mix. Special concretes like high strength concrete, light weight concrete (LWC, LWAC), shotcrete and low permeability concretes are better made with microsilica.



 

Pantheon in Rome (119-128 AD) is an outstanding example of the durability and lasting strength pozzolans will give concrete.

Pantheon in Rome (119-128 AD) is an outstanding example of the durability and lasting strength pozzolans will give concrete.


 


New to microsilica concrete? Planning laboratory testing? Some advice!

Laboratory mixing is unlikely to provide the same amount of mixing and dispersion energy that mixers do in real life. Therefore it is, unfortunately, a common experience to receive complaints that the material does not work as efficiently as expected. The cause is normally insufficient mixing so that the agglomorates found in densified microsilica are not fully dispersed. This is typically a laboratory phenomenon.

 

Our recommendation is to use undensified material (or microsilica slurry) for laboratory testing - this will remove a lot of laboratory related effects.

 

We also direct you attention to the advice published by the Silica Fume Association on laboratory testing which can be obtained here. To follow the advice given here is particularly important if, for some reason, it is decided to use densified silica fume in the laboratory.