Abstract
An investigation was performed to assess the influence of silica fume and superplasticizer on setting behavior of high-strength concrete mixtures. Both admixtures were added in various proportions to a mortar mixture, and setting times were determined by means of penetration resistance of freshly cast mortar. The influence of temperature was also investigated by exposing mortar specimens to different storage temperatures. Silica fume was found to shorten initial set times, whereas superplasticizer was found to delay initial set. Statistical analysis identified an interaction effect between these admixtures: the influence of one admixture on initial set depended on the amount of the other admixture. Mortar temperature not only affected initial and final set times, but also influenced the time interval between initial and final set.
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