Hydration of a silica fume blended low-alkali shotcrete cement

The slow reaction of the silica fume during hydration decalcifies the C-S-H and decreases the alkali concentration to 30 mM and the pH value of the pore solution to 11.5 after 1 year and longer. The further reaction of the silica fume is expected to be slow and to result in a decrease of pH to 11. Further, the destabilisation of ettringite to thaumasite is expected. The long-term stability of C-S-H and the pH of approximately 11 make ESDRED a good candidate for usage in contact with the clay-based barriers of a repository for radioactive waste.