Fracture behavior of fly ash concrete containing silica fume

Effect of silica fume on fresh properties, compressive strength at 28 days and fracture behavior of fly ash concrete composite were studied in this paper. Test results indicated that the fluidity and flowability of fly ash concrete composites decreased and fly ash concrete composite are more cohesive and appear to be sticky with the addition of silica fume. Addition of silica fume was very effective in improving the compressive strength at 28 days of fly ash concrete composite, and the compressive strength of fly ash concrete composite has a trend of increase with the increase of silica fume content. Results also indicated that all the fracture parameters of effective crack length, fracture toughness, fracture energy, the critical crack opening displacement and the maximum crack opening displacement of fly ash concrete composite decreased with the addition of silica fume. When the content of silica fume increased from 3% to 12%, these fracture parameters decreased gradually with the increase of silica fume content. Furthermore, silica fume had great effect on the relational curves of the three-point bending beam specimen. As the silica fume content increased from 3% to 12%, the areas surrounded by the three relational curves and the axes were becoming smaller and smaller, which indicated that the capability of concrete composite containing fly ash to resist crack propagation was becoming weaker and weaker.