Assessing the Impact of Nano Silica and Nano Carbonate on High Strength Concrete Properties through Statistical Modelling

International Journal of Civil Engineering
© 2025 by SSRG - IJCE Journal
Volume 12 Issue 11
Year of Publication : 2025
Authors : Chitturi Sravanti, P Srinivasa Rao
pdf
How to Cite?

Chitturi Sravanti, P Srinivasa Rao, "Assessing the Impact of Nano Silica and Nano Carbonate on High Strength Concrete Properties through Statistical Modelling," SSRG International Journal of Civil Engineering, vol. 12,  no. 11, pp. 198-210, 2025. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14445/23488352/IJCE-V12I11P115

Abstract:

The impact of Nano Silica (nS) and Nano Calcium Carbonate (nC) on the hardened and fresh attributes of M90 High Strength Concrete (HSC) is investigated in this work. Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) 53 grade (65%), Fly Ash (15%), Micro Silica (10%), and Quartz Powder (10%) made up the binder system's total weight. Both nS and nC are added at dosages of 3% by weight of cement content to improve performance. The design mix (HSC 3nS 3nC) contained both nanomaterials, whereas the control mix (HSC 0nS 0nC) contained neither. With increasing nano content, the outcomes showed a slight decrease in workability; the slump decreased from 70 mm for the control mix to 51 mm for the highest nano addition. Nonetheless, notable advancements in mechanical characteristics are noted. In comparison to the control, which had a compressive strength of 115.31 MPa, the design mix increased from 102.71 MPa to 113.42 MPa at 28 days, reaching 131.68 MPa at 180 days. In a similar vein, the split tensile strength increased from 9.01 MPa to 9.98 MPa at 180 days and from 7.96 MPa to 8.57 MPa at 28 days. At 28 days, bending strength increased from 10.82 MPa to 11.64 MPa, and at 180 days, it increased from 12.15 MPa to 13.48 MPa. These results confirm that the long-term strength development of HSC is pointedly enhanced by the combined addition of nS and nC, providing better durability potential with a manageable loss of workability. A regression analysis is conducted to establish the correlation between mechanical strengths, revealing strong positive relationships among these properties. The efficacy of the empirical predicted equations presented by investigators and the anticipated equation is assessed by means of statistical parameters such as Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), Integral Absolute Error (IAE), Normal Efficiency (NEF), and Mean Absolute Error (MAE).

Keywords:

High Strength Concrete, Nano Silica, Nano Calcium Carbonate, Quartz Powder, Quartz Sand.

References:

[1] Mounika Ganta, Ramesh Baskar, and Sri Kalyana Rama Jyosyula, “Predicting the Strength Characteristics of Alkali Activated Concrete with Environment Friendly Precursors Using Statistical Methods,” E3S Web of Conferences, vol. 455, pp. 1-11, 2023.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link
[2] Qiqi Xu et al., “Experimental Study on Residual Mechanical Properties of Steel-PVA Hybrid Fiber High Performance Concrete after High Temperature,” Construction and Building Materials, vol. 458, pp. 1-18, 2025.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[3] Hongxuan Tu et al., “Fracture Performance of Ultra High-Performance Concrete (UHPC) at Different Curing Ages: Experimental Investigation and Unified Formulation,” Journal of Sustainable Cement-Based Materials, vol. 14, no. 9, pp. 1793-1808, 2025.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[4] Shuangquan Qing, and Chuanxi Li, “Mechanical Properties and Microstructure of Low Carbon High-Strength Engineered Cementitious Composites with Supplementary Cementitious Material,” Case Studies in Construction Materials, vol. 22, pp. 1-20, 2025.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[5] Sumra Yousuf et al., “The Compressive Strength Development and pH of Cement Mortars Incorporating High Volume Supplementary Cementitious Materials under Accelerated Curing,” Heliyon, vol. 11, no. 3, pp. 1-11, 2025.
[Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[6] Naveen Arasu Anbarasu et al., “Pioneering the Next Frontier in Construction with High-Strength Concrete Infused by Nano Materials,” Matéria (Rio de Janeiro), vol. 30, pp. 1-14, 2025.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[7] Mohammed Abd El-Salam Arab et al., “Microstructure, Durability and Mechanical Properties of High Strength Geopolymer Concrete Containing Calcinated Nano-Silica Fume/Nano-Alumina Blend,” Construction and Building Materials, vol. 472, 2025.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[8] Chao Chang et al., “Enhancing Mechanical Properties of High-Strength Recycled Concrete with Basalt Fiber and Nano-Calcium Carbonate: Experimental and Numerical Investigations,” Construction and Building Materials, vol. 489, pp. 1-25, 2025.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[9] Seyed Sina Mousavi et al., “Influence of Coated Steel Fibers on Mechanical Properties of UHPC Considering Graphene Oxide, Nano-Aluminum Oxide, and Nano-Calcium Carbonate,” Fibers, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 1-24, 2025.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[10] Xinkui Yang et al., “Performance Evaluation of Pre-Stressed High-Strength Concrete Pipe Piles Produced with Steel Slag Powder and Ground Quartz sand as Composite Supplementary Cementitious Materials,” Construction and Building Materials, vol. 478, 2025.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[11] Büşra Aktürk et al., “One-Part Sodium Carbonate-Activated Slag/Calcined Dolomite Mixes: Effects of Nano-Silica on Strength Development, Microstructure and Shrinkage,” Journal of Sustainable Cement-Based Materials, vol. 14, no. 7, pp. 1293-1309, 2025.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[12] Deprizon Syamsunur et al., “Concrete Performance Attenuation of Mix Nano-SiO2 and Nano-CaCO3 under High Temperature: A Comprehensive Review,” Materials, vol. 15, no. 20, pp. 1-24, 2022.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[13] Zemei Wu et al., “Mechanisms Underlying the Strength Enhancement of UHPC Modified with Nano-SiO2 and Nano-CaCO3,” Cement and Concrete Composites, vol. 119, 2021.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[14] Yulius Rief Alkhaly et al., “Characteristics of Reactive Powder Concrete Comprising Synthesized Rice Husk Ash and Quartzite Powder,” Journal of Cleaner Production, vol. 375, 2022.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[15] Xiao Yang et al., “Study on Workability and Mechanical Strength of Low Cement Ultra-High Performance Concrete with Ultrafine Quartz Powder as Alternative Material under High Temperature Curing,” Case Studies in Construction Materials, vol. 21, pp. 1-18, 2024.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[16] M.M. Mokhtar et al., “Investigating the Mechanical Performance of Nano Additives Reinforced High-Performance Concrete,” Construction and Building Materials, vol. 320, 2022.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[17] Zhizhuo Feng et al., “Effect of Nano-CaCO3 on Early-Age Properties and Cracking Potential of High-Strength Concrete,” Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering, vol. 35, no. 4, pp. 1-13, 2023.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[18] Mavoori Hitesh Kumar et al., “Mechanical Behaviour of High Strength Concrete Modified with Triple Blend of Fly Ash, Silica Fume and Steel Fibers,” Materials Today: Proceedings, vol. 65, no. 2, pp. 933-942, 2022.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[19] Zhi-hang Wang et al., “Effect of Nano-SiO2 and Nano-CaCO3 on the Static and Dynamic Properties of Concrete,” Scientific Reports, vol. 12, pp. 1-16, 2022.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[20] Jayaraman Ariyagounder, and Senthilkumar Veerasamy, “Experimental Investigation on the Strength, Durability and Corrosion Properties of Concrete by Partial Replacement of Cement with Nano-SiO2, Nano-CaCO3 and Nano-Ca(OH)2,” Iranian Journal of Science and Technology, Transactions of Civil Engineering, vol. 46, pp. 201-222, 2022.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[21] Maysam Shmlls, Dávid Bozsaky, and Tamás Horváth, “Compressive, Flexural and Splitting Strength of Fly Ash and Silica Fume Concrete,” Pollack Periodica, vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 50-55, 2021.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[22] Ramalingam Malathy et al., “Use of Industrial Silica Sand as a Fine Aggregate in Concrete—An Explorative Study,” Buildings, vol. 12, no. 8, pp. 1-26, 2022.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[23] Xing Xiong et al., “Performance and Microstructure of Ultra-High-Performance Concrete (UHPC) with Silica Fume Replaced by Inert Mineral Powders,” Construction and Building Materials, vol. 327, 2022.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[24] Musa Adamu et al., “A Soft Computing Technique for Predicting Flexural Strength of Concrete Containing Nano-Silica and Calcium Carbide Residue,” Case Studies in Construction Materials, vol. 17, pp. 1-15, 2022.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[25] Dejian Shen et al., “Cracking Failure Behavior of High Strength Concrete Containing Nano-CaCO3 at Early Age,” Cement and Concrete Composites, vol. 139, 2023.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[26] Abdulkader El-Mir, Salem G. Nehme, and Joseph J. Assaad, “Effect of Binder Content and Sand Type on Mechanical Characteristics of Ultra-High Performance Concrete,” Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering, vol. 47, pp. 13021-13034, 2022.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[27] Sachin Patil, H. Sudarsana Rao, and Vaishali. G. Ghorpade, “The influence of Metakaolin, Silica Fume, Glass Fiber, and Polypropylene Fiber on the Strength Characteristics of High Performance Concrete,” Materials Today: Proceedings, vol. 80, pp. 577-586, 2023.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[28] Selim Pul, “Experimental Investigation of Tensile Behaviour of High Strength Concrete,” Indian Journal of Engineering & Materials Sciences, vol. 15, pp. 467-472, 2008.
[Google Scholar]
[29] G. Lavanya, and J. Jegan, “Evaluation of Relationship between Split Tensile Strength and Compressive Strength for Geopolymer Concrete of Varying Grades and Molarity,” International Journal of Applied Engineering Research, vol. 10, no. 15, pp. 35523-35527, 2015.
[Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[30] Nicholas J. Carino, and H.S. Lew, “Re-Examination of the Relation Between Splitting Tensile and Compressive Strength of Normal Weight Concrete,” Journal Proceedings, vol. 79, no. 3, pp. 214-219, 1982.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[31] Francis A. Oluokun, Edwin G. Burdette, and J. Harold Deatherage, “Splitting Tensile Strength and Compressive Strength Relationships at Early Ages,” Materials Journal, vol. 88, no. 2, pp. 115-121, 1991.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[32] M.A. Rashid, M.A. Mansur, and P. Paramasivam, “Correlations between Mechanical Properties of High-Strength Concrete,” Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering, vol. 14, no. 3, 2002.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[33] P.N. Ojha, Brijesh Singh, and Pranay Singh, “Empirical Equations for Prediction of Split Tensile and Flexural Strength of High Strength Concrete Including Effect of Steel Fiber,” International Journal of Research on Engineering Structures and Materials, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 95-112, 2023.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[34] Chamroeun Chhorn, Seong Jae Hong, and Seung Woo Lee, “Relationship between Compressive and Tensile Strengths of Roller-Compacted Concrete,” Journal of Traffic and Transportation Engineering (English Edition), vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 215-223, 2018.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[35] Mohammad Smadi, and Ezzddeen Migdady, “Properties of High Strength Tuff Lightweight Aggregate Concrete,” Cement and Concrete Composites, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 129-135, 1991.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[36] K. Ashwini, and P. Srinivasa Rao, “Evaluation of Correlation between Compressive and Splitting Tensile Strength of Concrete Using Alccofine and Nano Silica,” IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 3rd International Conference on Inventive Research in Material Science and Technology, Coimbatore, India, vol. 1091, pp. 1-7, 2021.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]