Blok konkrit telah mula digunakan dalam industri pembinaan sejak awal abad ke
20. Ia dijadikan sebagai bahan isian untuk pembinaan dinding dan juga sebagai bahan
penampung beban. Oleh kerana permintaan untuk blok konkrit di dalam industri
pembinaan kini meningkat dan berkemungkinan akan terus meningkat di masa
hadapan, kajian ini dilakukan untuk mencari sifat-sifat batu blok terutamanya batu
blok berongga dengan bahan lain untuk memperbaiki kekuatan dan ketahanannya.
Untuk kajian ini, blok konkrit berongga dengan tambahan wasap silika telah dibuat
menggunakan nisbah reka bentuk campuran kering, 1:6. Ujian seperti ujian kekuatan
mampatan, ketumpatan, serapan air dan kadar serapan air awal telah dijalankan untuk
mencapai objektif kajian ini. Sebanyak 36 sampel telah dibuat untuk kedua-dua jenis
blok konkrit iaitu blok konkrit biasa dan blok konkrit dengan wasap silika.
Berdasarkan hasil dan pemerhatian daripada ujian yang dijalankan, kekuatan blok
konkrit dengan wasap silika adalah lebih tinggi dari batu blok biasa sebanyak 50%.
Peratus serapan air dan kadar serapan air awal juga lebih rendah dan blok konkrit
dengan wasap silika juga lebih tumpat.
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Concrete block has been commonly used in constructions since in the first
half of the 20th century. The blocks are mainly used as fillers in wall constructions
and also as load bearing units. Since the demand of concrete block is high on the
market currently and possibly the future, this study is done to find the properties of
concrete block especially hollow concrete block with other materials in order to
enhance its performance and durability. For this research, hollow concrete block
with an admixture of silica fume was formed by using a dry mix design ratio, 1:6.
Tests such as compressive strength test, density test, water absorption test and
initial rate of suction (IRA) were done to find the properties of the block and to
compare them to the control block that was also created by using the same dry mix
design ratio but without any admixture. A total of 36 samples were produced for
both the control block and the block with silica fume. The properties of the hollow
concrete blocks were taken based on the testing results. From the results and
observations, the strength of the hollow concrete block with silica fume was
enhanced and higher than the control block by approximately 50%. The water
absorption and initial rate of suction of the silica fume concrete block were also
lower than the control, and the blocks were much denser.