Determining Mechanical and Permeability Properties of Fly Ash and Nano-silica Containing Mixtures Using Taguchi Design Method

This study investigated the effects of four different parameters, namely, nano-silica dosage, fly ash replacement percentage, total binder quantity, and water/binder ratio, on the compressive strength, flexural strength, and sorptivity of mortar samples using the Taguchi experimental design matrix. Four distinct levels were chosen for each parameter, and the L16 orthogonal experimental design matrix was utilized accordingly. On the 28th day, experiments were conducted on the produced samples, the results were analyzed, and signal-to-noise ratios were obtained. The significance of the parameters and the optimal mixtures were determined based on the signal-to-noise ratios. The proportion of fly ash emerged as the most significant parameter in terms of compressive strength. Still, the water/binder ratio was more significant regarding flexural strength and sorptivity. In addition, compressive and flexural tests were conducted again on the twenty-eighth day using the best-performing mixture for confirmation. The method's reliability was determined by comparing the obtained results with the Taguchi estimation results.