Three-Dimensional Multi-Phase Microscopic Simulation of Service Life of Recycled Large Aggregate Self-Compacting Concrete

Recycled large aggregate self-compacting concrete (RLA-SCC) within multiple weak areas. These weak areas have poor resistance to chloride ion erosion, which affects the service life of RLA-SCC in the marine environment. A three-dimensional multi-phase mesoscopic numerical model of RLA-SCC was established to simulate the chloride ions transportation in concrete. Experiments of RLA-SCC immersing in chloride solution were carried out to verify the simulation results. The effects of recycled large aggregate (RLA) content and RLA particle size on the service life of concrete were explored. The results indicate that the mesoscopic numerical simulation results are in good agreement with the experimental results. At the same depth, the closer to the surface of the RLA, the greater the chloride ion concentration. The service life of RLA-SCC in marine environment decreases with the increase of RLA content. Compared with the service life of 20% content, the service life of 25% and 30% content decreased by 20% and 42% respectively. Increasing the particle size of RLA can effectively improve the service life of RLA-SCC in chloride environment. Compared with the service life of 50 mm particle size, the service life of 70 mm and 90 mm increased by 61% and 163%, respectively. .

Experimental Study on Mechanical Properties of Self-Compacting Recycled Concrete

The application of self-compacting recycled concrete can solve the problem of environmental pollution caused by construction waste but its mechanical properties have not been unified and need further study.The strength of recycled concrete is unstable,and its performance still needs further study.The combination of fixed sand and stone volume method and free water cement ratio method is used to determine the mix ratio of self-compacting recycled concrete.24 sets of slump expansion tests and 24 sets of cube axial compression tests were carried out to study the effect of recycled aggregate replacement rate on the flow performance and axial compressive strength of self-compacting recycled concrete,and the performance conversion formula of self-compacting recycled concrete was given.The results show that with the increase of the regenerated coarse aggregate substitution rate,the fluidity and filling property of the self-compacting regenerated concrete mix decreased.The failure of self-compacting recycled concrete is mainly due to the failure of strength between old mortar and new mixture.As the substitution rate increases from 0 to 100%,the axial compressive strength decreases by 15.2%.

A Study on the Effect of Low Calcium Ultra-fine Fly Ash as a Partial Sustainable Supplementary Material to Cement in Self-compacting Concrete

The aim and scope of the present study were to determine the efficacy of UFFA in evaluating the workability,static and dynamic stabilization properties,retention period,and slump loss of SCC systems in their fresh state,as well as their compressive strength at various ages.Microstructure(SEM and XRD)of blended SCC systems were studied.Also,the thermogravimetry behavior of blended SCC specimens were researched.According to the evaluated results,incorporating up to 20%UFFA into fresh concrete improved its performance due to its engineered fine particle size and spherical geometry,both of which contribute to the enhancement of characteristics.Blends of 25%and 30%of UFFA show effect on the water-binder ratio and chemical enhancer dosage,resulting in a loss of homogeneity in fresh SCC systems.The reduced particle size,increased amorphous content,and increased surface area all contribute to the pozzolanic reactivity of the early and later ages,resulting in denser packing and thus an increase in compressive strength.The experimental results indicate that UFFA enhances the properties of SCC in both its fresh and hardened states,which can be attributed to the particles’fineness and their relative effect on SCC.

Pumpability of Manufactured Sand Self-compacting Concrete

By the addition of superplasticizer and air entraining agent,manufactured sand selfcompacting concrete(MS SCC)with slump flow varying from 500 to 700 mm and air content varying from 2.0%to 9.0%were prepared and the pumpability of MS SCC was studied by a sliding pipe rheometer(Sliper).According to the Kaplan’s model,the initial pump pressure and the pump resistance of MS SCC were obtained.Meanwhile,rheological properties including the yield stress and the plastic viscosity of MS SCC were measured by a rheometer.The experimental results show that the increase of slump flow contributes to a higher pumpability and a proper air content,i e,6%is beneficial for the pumpability of MS SCC.Due to the existence of stone powder and stronger angularity of MS,the initial pump pressure of MS SCC is only about 60%-88%that of river sand(RS)SCC with the same slump flow and air content,indicating that MS SCC possesses a higher pumpability than RS SCC.

Workability and Strength of Ceramsite Self-Compacting Concrete with Steel Slag Sand

This study focuses on the workability and compressive strength of ceramsite self-compacting concrete with fine aggregate partially substituted by steel slag sand(CSLSCC)to prevent the pollution of steel slag in the environment.The SF,J-ring,visual stability index,and sieve analysis tests are primarily employed in this research to investigate the workability of freshly mixed self-compacting concrete containing steel slag at various steel slag sand replacement rates.The experiment results indicate that CSLSCC with the 20%volume percentage of steel slag(VPS)performs better workability,higher strength,and higher specific strength.The 7-day compressive strength of CSLSCC with the 0.4 of the water-binder ratio(W/B),decreases with the increase of steel slag content,while the 28-day compressive strength increases significantly.The ceramsite self-compacting concrete with good comprehensive performance can be obtained when the substitution rate of steel slag sand for fine aggregate is less than 20%(volume percentage).

Mechanical Properties of Self-Compacting Rubberized Concrete with Different Rubber Types under Triaxial Compression

Different rubber aggregates lead to changes in the effect of stress conditions on the mechanical behavior of concrete,and studies on the triaxial properties of self-compacting rubber concrete(SCRC)are rare.In this study,35 cylindrical specimens taking lateral stress and rubber type as variables were prepared to study the fresh properties and mechanical behaviors of SCRC under triaxial compression,where the rubber contains two types,i.e.,380μm rubber powder and 1–4 mm rubber particles,and four contents,i.e.,10%,20%and 30%.The test results demonstrated that SCRC exhibited a typical oblique shear failure mode under triaxial compression and had a more moderate descending branch compared with self-compacting concrete(SCC).The presence of lateral stress can significantly improve the compression properties,including initial elastic modulus,peak stress and peak strain,with an improvement range of 3%–73%for peak stress.While rubber aggregates mainly targeted the deformation abilities and toughness for improvement,and the peak strain improvement ranges were 0.1–3.1 times and 0.1–1.0 times for SCRC containing rubber powder and SCRC containing rubber particles,respectively,relative to SCC.At a high lateral stress of at least 12 MPa,the loss of strength due to the addition of rubber can be controlled within 10%,in which case the content of rubber powder and rubber particles was recommended to be at most 20%and 30%,respectively.Based on the Mohr-Coulomb theory,the failure criteria of SCRC with different rubber types were established.For analysis and design purposes,an empirical model was proposed to predict the stressstrain behavior under triaxial compression,considering the influence of different rubber content and lateral stress.The results obtained in this study can provide a valuable reference for the design and application of self-compacting rubberized concrete in practical projects,especially those involving three-way compression states and requiring high-quality deformation and energy dissipation.

Evaluation of the Relationship between Bacteria Concentration and the Strength and Durability of Self-compacting Concrete Incorporating Sporosarcina pasteurii

This research was carried out to evaluate the relationship between the incorporation of calcite precipitation bacteria,sporosarcina pasteurii using calcium lactate as nutrient source and the properties of calcined clay and limestone powder blended self-compacting concrete.Ten mixes were designed and designated S0 to S9 with S0 the control(without bacteria and nutrient)and S1 to S9 at varying bacteria and calcium lactate concentrations and the effect of the bacteria cell density and calcium lactate concentration on the compressive strength,sorptivity and tensile strength with age were evaluated using experimental program and statistical packages(ANOVA and post hoc tests).The result of both the experimental program and statistical evaluation shows that the incorporation of sporosarcina pasteurii and calcium lactate as nutrients had a positive impact on the properties of the ternary blended self-compacting concrete.

The Frost-resisting Durability of High Strength Self-Compacting Pervious Concrete in Deicing Salt Environment

A high strength self-compacting pervious concrete(SCPC) with top-bottom interconnected pores was prepared in this paper. The frost-resisting durability of such SCPC in different deicing salt concentrations(0%, 3%, 5%, 10%, and 20%) was investigated. The mass-loss rate, relative dynamic modulus of elasticity, compressive strength, flexural strength and hydraulic conductivity of SCPC after 300 freeze-thaw cycles were measured to evaluate the frost-resisting durability. In addition, the microstructures of SCPC near the top-bottom interconnected pores after 300 freeze-thaw cycles were observed by SEM. The results show that the high strength SCPC possesses much better frost-resisting durability than traditional pervious concrete(TPC) after 300 freeze-thaw cycles, which can be used in heavy loading roads. The most serious freeze-thaw damage emerges in the SCPC immersed in the 3% of Na Cl solution, while there is no obvious damage in 20% of Na Cl solution. Furthermore, it can be deduced that the high strength SCPC can be used for 100 years in a cold environment.

Experimental Study of Waste Tire Rubber,Wood-Plastic Particles and Shale Ceramsite on the Performance of Self-Compacting Concrete

In recent decades,the utilization of waste tires,plastic and artificial shale ceramsite as alternative fine aggregate to make self-compacting concrete(SCC)has been recognized as an eco-friendly and sustainable method to manufacture renewable construction materials.In this study,three kinds of recycled aggregates:recycled tire rubber particles,wood-plastic particles,artificial shale ceramsite were used to replace the sand by different volume(5%,10%,20%and 30%),and their effects on the fresh and hardened properties of SCC were investigated.The slump flow and V-funnel tests were conducted to evaluate the fresh properties of modified-SCC mixtures.The hardened properties include 3,7 and 28-day compressive strengths,axial compressive strength,static elastic modulus,and compressive stress-strain behavior at 28 days.The test results showed that the incorporation of these three kinds of alternative aggregates had a negative impact on the fresh properties of SCC.Besides,the 28-day compressive strength and axial compressive strength decreased with the increase of rubber and wood-plastic particles content.In this experiment,all the three kinds of recycled aggregates can improve the ductility and deformability of SCC,and the most excellent performance comes from SCC with recycled rubber particles.

Rheological Properties of Self-compacting Concrete Paste Containing Chemical Admixtures

Self-compacting concrete （SCC） was used for the filling layer of CRTSⅢ plate ballastless track, which needs excellent workability. The rheological properties of SCC cement paste containing chemical admixtures （CA） such as polycarboxylate-based superplasticizer （PCE）, air-entraining agent （AE） and defoamer （DF） were investigated using a Brookfield R/S SST2000 soft solid tester with a vane geometry spindle. The cementitious materials were designed as one, two and, three components systems by addition of ordinary portland cement （OPC） with these chemical admixtures. The rheological properties of one-component system （PCE paste） were improved with increasing the content of PCE. For two components systems of PCE-AE and PCE-DF, yield stress and plastic viscosity reduced firstly and increased afterward with the increasing of AE content. And the plastic viscosity reached the optimum when the content of AE is 0.004wt%. In general, the trend of yield stress and plastic viscosity decreased with the increasing of the DF content. For three components systems, PCE-AE-DF systems, the rheological properties were improved compared with the sample with AE or DF, which attributed to mixes of the active components mentioned above （CA） which could have a synergetic effect.

The Impermeability Mechanism of Self-compacting Water Proof Concrete

The impermeability mechanism of water-proof self-compacting concrete (WPSCC )w as studied. The mechanism and influential factors, such as water-cement ratio(w /c), dosage of powder, superplasticizer, sand content, aggregate conte nt, fly ash, UEA, PP fiber, on compactibility and crack resistance of WPSCC were analyzed. A type of WPSCC successfully applied in tunnel liner with its validit ies, conveniences and economies by mockup test was developed and optimized. Expe rimental results show that the WPSCC has good workability, mechanical properties and impermeability when reasonable requirements are fulfilled.

Self-compacting Concrete-filled Steel Tubes Prepared from Manufactured Sand with a High Content of Limestone Fines

To meet the requirements of construction of concretes filled in the steel tube arches,a C60 grade micro-expansive self-compacting concrete （SCC） was prepared from manufactured sand （MS）.The utilization of MS with a high content of quarry limestone fines was dealed for SCC applications.The workability,compressive and splitting strength,modulus of elasticity,restrained expansion and chloride ion permeability as well as freeze-thaw resistance of three MS-SCC mixes with fines content of 3%,7% and 10% were tested and compared with those of the natural sand （NS）-SCC mix.The experimental results indicate that the performances of the C60 MS-SCC with fines content of 7% are excellent and compared favorably with those of C60 NS-SCC.

Design and Preparation of High Elastic Modulus Self-compacting Concrete for Pre-stressed Mass Concrete Structures

Requirements of self-compacting concrete （SCC） applied in pre-stressed mass concrete structures include high fluidity, high elastic modulus, low adiabatic temperature rise and low drying shrinkage, which cannot be satisfied by ordinary SCC. In this study, in order to solve the problem, a few principles of SCC design were proposed and the effects of binder amount, fly ash （FA） substitution, aggregate content and gradation on the workability, temperature rise, drying shrinkage and elastic modulus of SCC were investigated. The results and analysis indicate that the primary factor influencing the fluidity was paste content, and the main methods improving the elastic modulusof SCC were a lower sand ratio and an optimized coarse aggregate gradation. Lower adiabatic temperature rise and drying shrinkage were beneficial for decreasing the cement content. Further, based on the optimization of mixture, a C50 grade SCC （with binder amount of only 480 kg/ m3, fly ash substitution of 40%, sand ratio of 51% and proper coarse aggregate gradation （Vs.~0 mm： V10-16 ram： V16.20 mm= 30%： 30%：40%）） with superior workability was successfully prepared. The temperature rise and drying shrinkage of the prepared SCC were significantly reduced, and the elastic modulus reached 37.6 GPa at 28 d.

Effect of SiO_(2) Aerogel-cement Mortar Coating on Strength of Self-Compacting Concrete after Simulated Tunnel Fire

In order to facilitate self-compacting concrete to be better used in tunnel linings that can resist fires,a SiO_(2) aerogel-cement mortar coating was prepared.Based on the HC curve,a self compacting concrete cube specimens coated and uncoated with SiO_(2) aerogel-cement mortar(SiO_(2)-ACM)were heated to simulate tunnel fire for 0.5,1,1.5,2,2.5,3 and 4 h,respectively.The residual compressive strength was tested after the specimens were cooled to room temperature by natural cooling and water cooling.The results show that,the damages of specimens become more serious as fire time goes on,but the residual strength of specimens coated with SiO_(2)-ACM is always higher than that of uncoated with SiO_(2)-ACM.In addition,the residual strength of specimens cooled by water cooling is lower than that of natural cooling.However,for the specimens coated with SiO_(2)-ACM,the adverse effects of water cooling are lessened.With the increase of fire time,the protective effect of SiO_(2)-ACM is still gradually improved.Finally,a formula was established to predict the residual 150 mm cube compressive strength of specimens protected by SiO_(2)-ACM after a simulated tunnel fire.

Mechanical Properties and Microcosmic Properties of Self-Compacting Concrete Modified by Compound Admixtures

It has become a research hotspot to explore raw material substitutes of concrete.It is important to research the mechanical properties of self-compacting concrete(SCC)with slag powder(SP)and rubber particle(RP)replacing cement and coarse aggregate,respectively.12 kinds of composite modified self-compacting concrete(CMSCC)specimens were prepared by using 10%,20%and 30%SP and 30%,40%,50%and 60%RP.The rheological properties,mechanical properties and microstructure of the CMSCC were investigated.Results indicate that the workability,compressive strength,splitting tensile strength and flexural strength of CMSCC prepared by 20%SP and less than 40%RP are improved.In order to maximize the utilization of waste materials,20%SP and 40%RP can be used as the optimal ratio of the combined modifier.The microstructure shows that the addition of proper amount of SP is conducive to the formation of increasingly more uniform C-S-H gel.C-SH gel can fill the internal pores of the sample and enhance the adhesion between the aggregate,thus improving the mechanical properties of CMSCC.RP has a rougher surface and lower density and stiffness,which inhibits the workability and mechanical properties of CMSCC.The above research results have important theoretical and practical significance for the selection of raw materials of self-compacting concrete and the rational use of industrial wastes.

Long term behavior of self-compacting reinforced concrete beams

Tests were carried out on 8 self-compacting reinforced concrete(SCC) beams and 4 normal reinforced concrete beams. The effects of mode of consolidation,load level,reinforcing ratio and structural type on long term behavior of SCC were investigated. Under the same environmental conditions,the shrinkage-time curve of self-compacting concrete beam is very similar to that of normal concrete beam. For both self-compacting reinforced concrete beams and normal reinforced concrete beams,the rate of shrinkage at early stages is higher,the shrinkage strain at 2 months is about 60% of the maximum value at one year. The shrinkage strain of self-compacting reinforced concrete beam after one year is about 450×10-6. Creep deflection of self-compacting reinforced concrete beam decreases as the tensile reinforcing ratio increases. The deflection creep coefficient of self-compacting reinforced concrete beam after one and a half year is about 1.6,which is very close to that of normal reinforced concrete beams cast with vibration. Extra cautions considering shrinkage and creep behavior are not needed for the use of SCC in engineering practices.

Properties of Chemically Synthesized Nano-geopolymer Cement based Self-Compacting Geopolymer Concrete(SCGC)

The physical and mechanical properties of self-compacting geopolymer concrete(SCGC) using chemically synthesized nano-geopolymer cement was investigated. Nano-geopolymer cement was synthesized using nano-silica, alkali activator, and sodium aluminate in the laboratory. Subsequently, nine nanogeopolymer cement sbased SCGC mixes with varying nano-geopolymer cement content, alkali activator content, coarse aggregate(CA) content, and curing temperature were produced. The workability-related fresh properties were assessed through slump flow diameter and slump flow rate measurements. Mechanical performances were evaluated through compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, and modulus of elasticity measurements. In addition, rapid chloride penetration test, water absorption, and porosity tests were also performed. It was assessed that all mix design parameters influenced the fresh and hardened properties of SCGC mixes. Based on test results, it was deduced that nano-geopolymer cement SCGC performed fairly well. All the SCGC mixes achieved the 28-day compressive strength in the range of 60-80 MPa. Additionally, all mixes attained 60% of their 28-day strength during the first three days of elevated temperature curing. FTIR and SEM analyses were performed to evaluate the degree of polymerization and the microstructure respectively for SCGC mixes.

Formwork lateral pressure of precast normal-concrete composite shear walls infilled with self-compacting concrete

Wall cracking and mold expanding due to concrete vibrations can be effectively solved through the application of precast normal-concrete composite shear walls infilled with self-compacting concrete(SCC). However, the high liquidity of SCC will induce a higher lateral pressure. Therefore, it is important to obtain a better understanding of the template lateral pressure. In this work, nine composite shear walls were experimentally investigated, focusing on the effects of two parameters, i.e., the casting rate and the section width of the formwork. The time-varying pressure was monitored during the SCC pouring. It is found that the increase of casting rate from 3.2 m/h to 10.3 m/h resulted in a higher maximum lateral pressure. The higher casting rate led to a longer time required for the lateral pressure to drop to a steady value. There was no correlation between the section width and the rate of decrease in the initial formwork pressure and stable value. Based on the test results, a formula considering the effect of casting speed for the calculation of SCC formwork pressure was established to fill the gap in the current standards and for engineering applications.

Preparation of Self-compacting Ultra-high Toughness Cementitious Composite

A self-compacting ultra-high toughness cementitious composite （UHTCC） reinforced by discontinuous short polyvinyl alcohol （PVA） fibers, which exhibits self-compacting performance in the fresh state and strain-hardening and multiple cracking behavior in the hardened state, was developed through controlling flow properties of fresh mortar matrix at constant ingredients concentrations determined by micromechanical design and ensuring uniform fibers dispersion. The superplasticizer was utilized to adjust its flow properties in the fresh state. A series of flow tests, including deformability test, flow rate test, and self-placing test, were conducted to characterize and quantify the fluidity performance of fresh mortar matrix and self-compactability of fresh UHTCC. It is revealed that the utilization of superplasticizer is efficient in producing the fresh mortar matrix with desirable fluidity and the resulting self-compacting UHTCC. In addition, results of four point bending tests on the developed self-compacting UHTCC confirm the insensitivity of mechanical performance of self-compacting UHTCC to the presence of external vibrations as well as the flexural characteristics of deformation hardening and multiple cracking.

Investigation on the Free and Restrained Shrinkage of Self-compacting Concrete

A novel ellipsis-ring cracking apparatus with an automatic monitoring system was used to measure the restrained shrinkage and initial cracking time of self-compacting concrete (SCC). The free shrinkage, restrained shrinkage and strength were integrated to evaluate the effect of the mineral admixtures and content of cementitious materials on shrinkage of SCC. The experimental results show that the initial cracking time of SCC incorporating fly ash was delayed, the shrinkage value and rate was reduced. The hydration achievement of silica fume increased free shrinkage and reduced initial cracking time of FA-SCC comparing to control sample, but silica fume improved the mechanical properties of FA-SCC in early age. As same strength, with the reducing the content of cementitious materials, the initial cracking time of SCC delayed and cracking sensitivity decreased markedly, especially when the content of cementitious materials achieve 450 kg/m3.