Effect of New Hardening Accelerator on the Strength of Segment Concrete

A novel crystal nucleus-based cement-hardening accelerator was evaluated using various mortar and segment concrete experiments.The mechanism of hardening acceleration was investigated via hydration temperature variation analysis,hydration degree analysis,X-ray diffraction(XRD)and scanning electron microscopy(SEM).In the presence of accelerator,the fluidity loss of mortar was increased after 30 minuites,and a coagulation was also observed.Moreover,based on the image of SEM,the formation of C-S-H gels was enhanced in the early hydration.As a result,the hardening accelerator could significantly boost the early strength of concrete,especially within one day of pouring,and shorten steam curing time to meet the demolding strength.