Comparison of Effect of Metakaolin and silica Fume on Fly Ash Concrete Performance

Silica fume is a common mineral admixture used in HSC and HPC, but being its high price and shrinkage in concrete, its usage is under restrictions. As a new mineral admixture, metakaolin gets more and more attention. In order to compare the difference between silica fume and metakaolin, the effects of metakaolin and silica fume on concrete workability, compressive strength, and chloride penetration resistance are studied. It shows that incorporating with fly ash together, silica fume reduces the slump extension, but metakaolin can increases it; silica fume can increases early strength more than metakaolin can, but it isn’t useful for later and long-time strength; metakaolin not only can increase early strength, but also can improve long-time strength. Silica fume and metakaolin can increase the chloride penetration resistance. As a new mineral additive, metakaolin can play a role in concrete which silica fume does, even much better than silica fume.