Experimental Evaluation of High-Performance Concrete Incorporating Alccofine and Nano Silica

The construction industry's demand for sustainable and high-performance concrete has intensified the search for innovative supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs). This experimental investigation evaluates the performance of M60 grade high-performance concrete (HPC) incorporating Alccofine 1203 and nano-silica as partial cement replacements. The study systematically examined workability, compressive strength, and flexural strength properties at various curing ages (28, 90, and 180 days). Results demonstrate that 15% Alccofine replacement achieved optimal compressive strength enhancement of 14.96% (79.70 N/mm²) at 28 days compared to control mix (69.33 N/mm²). Similarly, 3% nano-silica replacement yielded 12.83% strength improvement (78.22 N/mm²). The synergistic combination of 15% Alccofine + 3% nano-silica demonstrated superior long-term performance, achieving 87.41 N/mm² compressive strength at 180 days—a 13.47% enhancement over control concrete. However, workability decreased progressively with increasing SCM content, requiring higher superplasticizer dosages. The findings indicate that carefully optimized combinations of these ultra-fine SCMs can significantly enhance concrete performance while contributing to sustainable construction practices.