Influência da adição de sílica ativa sobre a resistência mecânica e a tenacidade à fratura de concretos de cimento portland para utilização em pavimentos rígidos rodoviários

Abstract

The concrete is a ceramic matrix reinforced with ceramic aggregate compound type, characterized by a quasi-brittle mechanical behavior. Its physical and mechanical properties are established by its microstructure, controlled by the water/cement ratio, aggregate size and shape, by the use of modifiers like silica fume, etc. The literature show improvements in the mechanical strength, durability and density of cement portland concretes modified with silica fume. The rigid road pavements is shortly used in Brazil, which demand the enlargement of the research and development field associated with it, including materials, processing and physics and mechanics properties. In this work is studied the relationship between the addition of different amounts of silica fume (a mixture basis, with 0%, and additions of 3, 6, 9 and 12%, relative to the cement mass) and mechanical strength (resistance to axial compression, fc, and tensile strength in bending, fct) and fracture toughness - using specimens of type "short-rod" with Chevron notch, calculated from the maximum load (KICVM), and physical properties (specific gravity , absorption index and void index) of portland cement concrete applied in road rigid pavements. The chemical composition of gross materials, the concrete phases and microstructure are analyzed using the XRF, XRD and SEM techniques. The mechanical tests were performed at 7 and 28 days of concrete age. The slump test value was defined by technologic demand of the road operational execution as fixed value of 50 +/- 10 mm, obtained by initial value of water/cement ratio equal to 0,47, which suffer a small change caused by the increasing in the silica fume content that decrease the specified concrete slum test value. The growth of the silica fume content caused a decrease in the values of absorption index (a reduction in the porous volume), flexural tensile strength, and axial compressive strength and in the values of the fracture toughness. Moreover, in all of the concrete types, the minimum values of fctMk surpass the technical value required by rigid pavements (fctMk ≥ 4,5 MPa) and the fracture toughness values were coherent with the literatures data. These improving in the mechanical behavior and in the physical properties of the concretes are associated to physical and chemical effects promoted by silica addition in the concrete structure, characterized by a pores volume reduction and by a strengthening of matrix/aggregate interface, as demonstrated by SEM fractography analysis of the different concretes. A preliminary production cost of concretes analysis, based on the simplified Westergaard Theory to design a single plate of concrete, appointed out the economic viability of the use of silica fume as a modifier of concrete of portland cement, up to certain levels, in the construction of road rigid pavements in the State of Rio Grande do Norte / Brazil.