Evaluating the Influence of Hydrophobic Nano-Silica on Cement Mixtures for Corrosion-Resistant Concrete in Green Building and Sustainable Urban Development

The use of hydrophobic nano-silica particles in concrete for improved corrosion resistance and durability has been explored in recent years, and its potential impact on sustainable urban development and green building practices has been studied. The impact of substituting hydrophobic nano-silica particles for 2% of the cement weight in high-strength concrete mixes was investigated in this research. The study focuses on evaluating the physical-mechanical properties, including compressive strength, tensile strength, modulus of elasticity, and Poisson’s ratio. Additionally, the influence of these mixes on corrosion resistance is examined. The concrete designs feature a high strength of 42 MPa, and the hydrophilic nano-silica particles undergo functionalization processes to obtain hydrophobic properties. Contact angle measurements and water absorption tests confirm the hydrophobicity of the material. Physical, electrochemical, and electrical tests were conducted to determine the corrosion resistance contribution of the nano-silica particles when substituted at 2% of the cement weight. The research findings reveal that concrete containing nano-silica particles demonstrates improved physical-mechanical properties compared to other mixes. Incorporating nano-silica enhances concrete by accelerating hydration, increasing early-age strength, and providing hydrophobicity, resulting in improved physical-mechanical properties over other mixes. However, it was observed that the addition of hydrophobic and non-hydrophobic nano-silica tends to reduce corrosion resistance compared to concrete without these particles, despite exhibiting greater compactness. This suggests a direct influence of nano-silica on the corrosion phenomenon.