Dražan Jozić

Synergistic Action of a Ternary System of Portland Cement – Limestone – Silica Fume in Concrete

Some experimental investigations on a synergistic action when a ternary system of Portland cement – silica fume – limestone is used in mortar or concrete are present in this paper. Standard laboratory tests with respect to the pore size distribution, micromorphology, compressive strength and sulphate resistance in both sodium and magnesium sulphate solutions were performed on mortars made with 70% (by mass) of Portland cement (PC), type CEM II/B-S and 30% of cement replacement materials consisted of various combination of fine ground limestone filler (LF) and silica fume (SF). In addition to these ternary systems, binary blends, such as: PC-LF, as well as PC-SF, along with 100 % PC mortars, were investigated for comparison. It is found that SF-blends reach higher compressive strengths than LF-blends for the same replacement of cement. When SF was added together with LF, the mortars show considerable increase in the compressive strength and show a lower expansion than a control, sulphate-resisting mortar, independent of the type of sulphate solutions, due to pore size refinement microstructure of mortars.