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BISLEY
Silica Fume
Extrema-dur & CONCRETE DURABILITY
One of the most pressing problems for the global construction in
dustry isthe rapid deterioration of concrete struc:ures caused by
aggressive environmental condrtions including hiftl chloride and/or

sulphate levels. AS a result or the substantial costs involved In restoring affected structures, emphasis is now increasingly placed on
designing for durability from the outset.
Over the last 30 years the incorporation of Silica Fume has become
widely recognised as an effective and reliable strategy to enhance
the durablllty of concrete. Typically Extrema-dur Silica Fume Is an
ultrafine powder consisting of nearly spherical particles around 100
times smaller than a grain of cement. When introduced into con
crete these particles assist to fill the voids between the cement/
aggregate matrix. Additionally, Extrema dur reacts with the free
llme which Is present In OPC concretes to form acklltional quantities
of strong-binding CSH (calcium silicate hydrate). CSH is a principal
binding component in OPC concrete. By replacing weak binding
lime with more CSH, Extrema-dur.. significantly enhances the overall compressive strength of the mix. This extra CSH further assists in
refining the pore structure of the concrete.
By adding 5 12% Extrema-dur by weight of cemEnl, In a properly
designed concrete mix it is possible to produce a finished concrete
of significantly higher strength and dramatically lcwer permeability.
Weight for weight Extrema-Dur Silica Fume Is 2 to 5 times more
efficient than cement in terms of its contribution to compressive
strength. In a high quality mix, Extrema-dur4 ls capable of reducing
permeability by a factor of 100 times or more.
How does this assist concrete durability ? Two of the most signifi
cant contributors to concrete deterioration are ccrrosion of the

underlying steel reinforcement and sulfate attack.

Extrema-dui4 Inhibitscorrosion first of all by sub!tantlally decreasing the permeability of the concrete, which in turn reduces transport of chloride-laden moisture. Secondly, Extremadur increases

the resistivity of the concrete severalfold. Electron flow isan im

portant element of the electro-chemical corrosion process, and an
increase In resistivity serves to Inhibit corrosion. Anally,
Extrema-du!"' improves the adhesion of the concrete to the rein
forcement.

Sulfates can attack concrete by reacting with the 'ree lime in the
mix. A series of chemical reactions then ensue, th~ final product of
which occupies more volume than the pre-reaction components.
This expansive chemical reaction forces the concr~te apart, ultimately causing cracking and spalling. Extrema-dut improves sul
fate resistance by reducing the permeability of the mix, which lnhlb
its the diffusion of sulfate through the concrete. Secondly, it re
duces the amount of free lime in the concrete thereby deterring
initiation of this form of expansive chemical react on. In an appropriate mix, replacement of 10% ordinary Portland Cement by Ex
trema-dur can achieve similar, or better, levels of sulphate resls-

Extrema-dur"
Slllca Fume
lance than conventional SRC (sulphate resisting cement), with the
additional benefits of improved chlorideresi.stance and enhanced
strength.
Although Extremadur is capable of substantially improving the
performance of conventional concretes, Its benefits will only be
realised if sound basic concrete practices are pursued. A properly
optimised mix design is essential, as is accurate weigh batching of
ingredients, appropriate mixing, placing .3nd, most importantly,
curing. With careful attention to these a1eas Extrema-dur provides
an extremely effective means of enhancing the longevity of structures.

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BISLEY
Silica Fume
Like ~II high performana concrete, conaete maide Mm Extrem~

dur-4' Silica H.Jme requires care in the selection of raw materials

and mix design, coupled with sound preparation, application and

curinR practices. The benefits of Extrema-Our will onlv be realised
Wsound basic concrete iractices are pursued. Extrema.Our Silica
~ume is not a remedy for deficient conaete procedures.

STORAGE AND CONVEYING

Working
with
Extrema-dur

In general Extrema-dur' must be kept dry and away from posS<ble contaminants. Whilst all txtremadurbulk bagsare UV
treated, to avoid deterf.>ration of the bulk bag fabric it is

strongly recommended that the product is stored under cover

away from d irect sun exposure.

~or large projects, Extrema-dur may be stored in silos and

conveyed pneumatically or by screw conveyors as per cement.
The silo can be considerably smaller than the site cement,
GGBS or fly ash silos, due to the lower addition rate of the Silica Fume. As Exirema-dur Silica Fume is considerably finer
than cement it is essential that all valves and fittings in the
conveying line are well sealed. Sharp bends and steep inclines
in conveying lines should be avoided to minimise the possibility of blockages. Conveying lines fabricated from rubber tubing
are particularly effective, as these can be easily vibrated
(manually or mechanically) to clear any restriction. Flange fittings and hose joiners should be minimised or, where possible,
eliminated from the conveying path. Spreaders should be used
to maintain the curvature of the rubber pipelines.
0

For smaller projects Extrema-dur may be fed directly from the

bulk bags or small bags to the weigh hopper or the truck mixer
itself. Bisley will be pleased to put customers in contact with
specialised Silica Fume debagging/ conveying equipment
manufacturers on request.

Extrema-Our may also be slurrified with water, using a high

shear mixer. Undensified Extrema-dur silica fume is sometimes preferred in this application, however many users have
reported excellent results with densified Silica Fume, using
appropriate slurrification equipment.

WEIGHING AND BATCHING

For most projects, dosage rates for Extrema-dur silica
fume will be in the range of 5 to 15% by weight of cement.
Regardless of the required dosage level it is essent ial t hat

the product is accurately weigh batched. Extrema-dur is a

highly efficient pozzolan and relatively minor deviations in
addition rates ca n materially influence finished fresh and
cured concrete characteristics.
Oensified Extrema-dur silica fu me consists of loosely
bound agglomerates of extremely fine, near spherical, particles. To ensure optimum performance these agglomerates must be broken down and distributed uniformly
throughout the concrete mix. Thorough mixing is therefore
essential. Relative to OPC concrete it is prudent to allow for

additional mixing time, regardless of the batch mixing process used. Poor mixing often manifests itself in the form of
significant slump variations. In extreme cases balling of the
concrete may occur. Such difficulties are readily addressed
by increasing the mixing time.

WORKABILITY
Following mixing, t he pozzolanic action of the Extrema-dur
Silica Fume leads to an accelerat ion of CSH gel formation.
As with all com mercial Silica J=ume this - together w ith

other factors including the high surface area of the produc1

- leads to an increase in water demand and a red uction in
slump. Silica Fume concretes are both highly cohesive and
thixotropic. The use of Superplasticisers (SP), with or without conventional water reducers, is essential to correct for
the increased water demand and assist slump retention.
Today, most major concrete admixture companies are able
to furnish SP-'s that are well optimised to the charact erist ics

of Silica Fume concrete.