A study of the mechanical properties of ground ceramic powder concrete incorporating nano-SiO2 particles

Waste material recycling through using in concrete manufacturing not only provides a promising resource to produce a high quality concrete, but also helps to properly encounter the problem of waste disposal. It is a good option for use in concrete because waste ground ceramic has a highly resistant structure and cannot be processed by any recycling system and because it is produced in large quantities. Thus, this study focused on two different phases: in the first phase, the use of waste ground ceramic as a pozzolan in concrete was investigated. Concrete samples with 10–40% of ground ceramic powder substitution were made. In the second phase of the study, the simultaneous effect of using 0.5–1% of nano-SiO2 and from 10% to 25% of ground ceramic powder was determined. In all cases, compressive strength and water absorption tests were performed. The results show that adding ground ceramic up to 20% does not have a significantly negative effect on the compressive strength of concrete. Furthermore, using any amount of ground ceramic in the concrete reduces its water absorption capacity. In addition, using nano-SiO2 and pozzolan simultaneously leads to improved compressive strength and a reduced water absorption capacity. Therefore, nano-SiO2 can improve the effects of ground ceramic powder on the properties of concrete.