Bearing capacity of eco-friendly RC short piles exposed to groundwater salts

Abstract Twenty-eight piles were divided into four groups. Two groups were made of natural aggregate, while the other two were made of full replacement of recycled aggregate. In each group, the cement was replaced with 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30% of silica fume. Two groups were stored for 270 days under normal water conditions, while the other two were stored underground water conditions. Tests results have shown that it’s possible to improve the strength and the structural behavior of piles under sulfate attack considerably by using 20% of silica fume, while 15% is sufficient when the piles are under normal conditions. However, high levels of silica fume 25–30% in recycled aggregate concretes piles and 20–30% in normal aggregate concretes piles gave a clear decrease in ultimate load capacity.