Effect of silica fume and PVA fiber on the abrasion resistance and volume stability of concrete

The effects of silica fume, PVA fiber and their combinations on the mechanical properties, microstructure, abrasion resistance and volume stability of cement pastes and/or fly ash concrete were studied experimentally in this work. The results indicated that the compressive strength and tensile strength of concrete containing both silica fume and PVA fiber were obviously improved compared with the control concrete. The addition of PVA fiber in concrete considerably reduced the drying shrinkage and improved the anti-cracking resistance of cement pastes and concrete, and the abrasion resistance of concrete significantly increased with the addition of silica fume and PVA fiber. These findings have been successfully adopted to guide the design and construction of hydraulic structures in the southwest of China.