Properties of Sustainable High Strength Concrete with Waste Copper Slag

The present work investigates copper slag as a substitute for river sand in high-strength concrete.The concrete mixtures were manufactured with 10%,30%,50%,70%,and 100%of copper slag to evaluate the mechanical and durability properties.The experimental results indicate that replacing copper slag above 50%affects the performance characteristics of the concrete due to its high angularity and lower water absorption characteristics.The strength of concrete with 50%copper slag is improved by 5.6%,whereas the strength of concrete with 100%copper slag is reduced by 2.75%at 28 days.However,increased curing to 90days improves the strength of the former by 7.16%and reduces the latter by only 0.23%.The water absorption,porosity,and rapid chloride penetration of the concrete mixtures with 100%copper slag are increased by 10.44%,13.20%,and 19.56%compared to control concrete.Micro-structural investigations through SEM infer higher replacement of copper results in higher void formation due to its reduced water absorption.

Experimental study on the seismic behavior of high strength concrete fi lled double-tube columns

To study the seismic behavior of high strength concrete fi lled double-tube(CFDT) columns,each consisting of an external square steel tube and an internal circular steel tube,quasi-static tests on eight CFDT column specimens were conducted.The test variables included the width-to-thickness ratio(β1) and the area ratio(β2) of the square steel tube,the wall thickness of the circular steel tube,and the axial force(or the axial force ratio) applied to the CFDT columns.The test results indicate that for CFDT columns with a square steel tube with β1 of 50.1 and 24.5,local buckling of the specimen was found at a drift ratio of 1/150 and 1/50,respectively.The lateral force-displacement hysteretic loops of all specimens were plump and stable.Reducing the width-to-thickness ratio of the square steel tube,increasing its area ratio,or increasing the wall thickness of the internal circular steel tube,led to an increased fl exural strength and deformation capacity of the specimens.Increasing the design value of the axial force ratio from 0.8 to 1.0 may increase the fl exural strength of the specimens,while it may also decrease the ultimate deformation capacity of the specimen with β1 of 50.1.

Influence of MB-value of Manufactured Sand on the Shrinkage and Cracking of High Strength Concrete

The relation between methylene blue （MB） value of MS and its limestone dust content and clay content was investigated. The effects of MB value ranging from 0.35 to 2.5 on the workability of fresh concrete and crack propagation characteristics at the age of 24 hours, and effects on the mechanical properties, dry shrinkage of the harden concrete were tested. The experimental results show that the MB value is not related with the limestone dust content of MS, but in direct proportion to clay content. With the increase of MB value, the concrete workability decreases, and the flexural strength and 7 d compressive strength reduce markedly, whearas the 28 d compressive strength is not affected. When the MB-value is less than or equal to 1.35, the change of the MB-value has a little influence on early plastic cracking and dry shrinkage property of concrete, but when the MB-value is more than 1.35, the tendency of plastic cracking and dry shrinkage is remarkable.

Behavior of High Strength Concrete Filled Square Steel Tube Stub Columns with Inner CFRP Tube Under Biaxial Eccentric Compression

This paper studies the contribution of CFRP(carbon fiber-reinforced polymer)to the mechanical behavior of high strength concrete-filled square steel tube(HCFST)under biaxial eccentric compression.The new type of composite member is composed of an inner CFRP tube and an outer steel tube with concrete filled in the two tubes.The finite element analysis was made by ABAQUS on the behavior of high strength concrete filled square steel tubular columns with inner CFRP circular tube subjected to bi-axial eccentric loading.The results obtained from the finite element analysis were verified with the experimental results.In addition,the load-deflection curves in the whole process were calculated and analyzed,which can be divided into three segments:Elastic phase,plastic phase,descending phase.Based on the load-deflection curves,the stresses analysis on the core concrete,CFRP tube and steel tube were conducted.The confinement effect of the CFRP tube improves the ductility of HCFST-CFRP stub column.CFRP ratio and eccentricity affect the ultimate bearing capacity of HCFST stub column.Finally,a calculation formula of ultimate bearing capacity was proposed in the paper.

Structural Behavior of Continuous Prestressed Steel Fiber Reinforced High Strength Concrete Beam

The flexural behaviors of continuous fully and partially prestressed steel fiber reinforced high strength concrete beams are studied by experiment and nonlinear finite element analysis. Three levels of partial prestress ratio （PPR） are considered, and three pairs of two-span continuous beams with box sections varying in size are designed. The major parameters involved in the study include the PPR and the fiber location. It is concluded that the prestressed high strength concrete beam exhibits satisfactory ductility; the influences of steel fiber on the crack behaviors for partially prestressed beams are not as obvious as those for fully prestressed ones; steel fibers can improve the structural stiffness after cracking for fully prestressed high strength concrete beams; the moment redistribution from mid-span to intermediate support in the first stage should be mainly considered in practical design.

Mechanical Properties and Flowability of High Strength Concrete Incorporating Ground Granulated Blast-furnace Slag

The high strength concrete(HSC)was produced by partially replacingthe normal portland cement with special ground granulatedblast-furnace slag(GGBS)ranging up to 60/100. The effects of the GGBSon the flowabilityand mechanical properties of HSC were studied. Thehydration process and microstructure char- acteristics wereinvestigated by X-ray diffraction(XRD)and scanning microscopy(SEM),respectively. The test results indicate that the GGBS has especiallysupplementary effect on water reducing and excellent property Ofbetter control of lump loss.

Effects of Curing Conditions on Strength Development of High Strength Concrete

This paper presents the results of a series of studies on the influence of curing conditions on the strength development of high strength concrete. The 1-, 3-, 7-, 14- and 28-day strengths of four different mixes of Grade 75 similar to 80 concrete, with or without pulverized fuel ash and/or condensed silica fume, under five different curing regimes were investigated. It is revealed that the curing conditions have significant influence on both the short term and long term strength development of the concrete and that concrete mixes of the same grade but containing different mineral admixtures show distinct favour for a curing regime. These results will be helpful for evaluating suitable curing methods for high strength concrete with different mix proportions.

Influence of Nano-Materials on Mechanical and Permeation Characteristics of High Strength Concrete

Efforts have been made to evaluate the influences of the addition of nanoparticles on the strength,durability and mineralogical changes of high strength concrete(HSC).Therefore,mixes were prepared for conventional concrete mix(CCM)of M80 grade.Further,various mixes were prepared by replacing cementitious materials initially with 1%Nano-CaCO_(3)(NC),2%NC,3%NC in the CCM,and then 1%NC and Nano-SiO_(2)(NS)NS,2%NC and NS,3%NC and NS(NC and NS were in equal proportion)in the CCM.The developed concretes were then evaluated for mechanical properties,permeation characteristics,and mineralogical studies.From the studies,it is found that the concrete at 2%NCS possesses superior mechanical and superior permeation characteristics of all the mixes.A clear variation in the mineralogical structure with the addition of nanoparticles has been observed.

Developing Sustainable High Strength Concrete Mixtures Using Local Materials and Recycled Concrete

This study presents the development of high strength concrete (HSC) that has been made more sustainable by using both local materials from central Texas and recycled concrete aggregate (RCA), which has also been obtained locally. The developed mixtures were proportioned with local constituents to increase the sustainable impact of the material by reducing emissions due to shipping as well as to make HSC more affordable to a wider variety of applications. The specific constituents were: limestone, dolomite, manufactured sand (limestone), locally available Type I/II cement, silica fume, and recycled concrete aggregate, which was obtained from a local recycler which obtains their product from local demolition. Multiple variables were investigated, such as the aggregate type and size, concrete age (7, 14, and 28-days), the curing regimen, and the water-to-cement ratio (w/c) to optimize a HSC mixture that used local materials. This systematic development revealed that heat curing the specimens in a water bath at 50℃ (122oF) after demolding and then dry curing at 200℃ (392oF) two days before testing with a w/c of 0.28 at 28-days produced the highest compressive strengths. Once an optimum HSC mixture was identified a partial replacement of the coarse aggregate with RCA was completed at 10%, 20%, and 30%. The results showed a loss in compressive strength with an increase in RCA replacement percentages, with the highest strength being approximately 93.0 MPa (13,484 psi) at 28-days for the 10% RCA replacement. The lowest strength obtained from an RCA-HSC mixture was approximately 72.9 (MPa) (10,576 psi) at 7-days. The compressive strengths obtained from the HSC mixtures containing RCA developed in this study are comparable to HSC strengths presented in the literature. Developing this innovative material with local materials and RCA ultimately produces a novel sustainable construction material, reduces the costs, and produces mechanical performance similar to prepackaged, commercially, available construction building materials.

Experimental Shear Study on Reinforced High Strength Concrete Beams Made Using Blended Cement

With the increased application of High Strength Concrete(HSC)in construction and lack of proper guidelines for structural design in India,behavioral study of high strength concrete is an important aspect of research.Research on the behavior of HSC reinforced beams with concrete strength more than 60 MPa has been carried out in the past and is still continuing to understand the structural behavior of HSC beams.Along with the many benefits of the high strength concrete,the more brittle behavior is of concern which leads to sudden failure.This paper presents the behavior of reinforced HSC beams in shear with considering the effects of various factors like shear reinforcement ratio,longitudinal reinforcement ratio,l/d ratio(length to depth ratio),etc.Ten numbers Reinforced Concrete Beams of various sizes using concrete mix with three different w/c ratios(0.46,0.26 and 0.21)were cast for shear strength assessment.The beams were tested in simply supported condition over two fixed steel pedestals with load rate of 0.2 mm/minute in displacement control.Mid-point deflection was measured using LVDT.A comparative analysis of theoretical approaches of Euro code,extension of current IS code up to M90 and the experimental data was done to understand the behavior of beams.Shear capacities of beams without any factors of safety were used to assess the actual capacities and then was compared with the experimental capacity obtained.Results of this study can be used in the design of high strength concrete and will be more reliable in Indian continent as the regional materials and exposure conditions were considered.

Seismic performance of steel reinforced ultra high-strength concrete composite frame joints

To investigate the seismic performance of a composite frame comprised of steel reinforced ultra high-strength concrete （SRUHSC） columns and steel reinforced concrete （SRC） beams, six interior frame joint specimens were designed and tested under low cyclically lateral load. The effects of the axial load ratio and volumetric stirrup ratio were studied on the characteristics of the frame joint performance including crack pattern, failure mode, ductility, energy dissipation capacity, strength degradation and rigidity degradation. It was found that all joint specimens behaved in a ductile manner with flexural-shear failure in the joint core region while plastic hinges appeared at the beam ends. The ductility and energy absorption capacity of joints increased as the axial load ratio decreased and the volumetric stirIup ratio increased. The displacement ductility coefficient and equivalent damping coefficient of the joints fell between the corresponding coefficients of the steel reinforced concrete （SRC） frame joint and RC frame joint. The axial load ratio and volumetric stirrup ratio have less influence on the strength degradation and more influence on the stiffness degradation. The stiffness of the joint degrades more significantly for a low volumetric stirrup ratio and high axial load ratio. The characteristics obtained from the SRUHSC composite frame joint specimens with better seismic performance may be a useful reference in future engineering applications.

Internal Curing Using Water-releasing Material for High Strength Micro-expansive Concrete

Due to its low water content, it is difficult for expansive agent to have an effective expansive effect on high strength concrete to compensate its extensive shrinkage and form a certain expansion. To solve this problem, water-releasing material with water storage and releasing characteristics was incorporated into high strength micro-expansive concrete to provide internal curing, and expansive effect of expansive agent was improved. Migration of water from initially saturated water-releasing material to the surrounding hydrating cement paste was investigated. Based on a given efficient diffusion distance of water stored in water-releasing material, the mass and real water-cement ratio of cured cement paste were estimated. At the same time, the effect of internal curing of water-releasing material on the volume deformation of high strength micro-expansive concrete was investigated.

Shear design of high strength concrete prestressed girders

Normal strength prestressed concrete I-girders are commonly used as the primary superstructure components in highway bridges. However, shear design guidelines for high strength PC girders are not available in the current structural codes. Recently, ten 7.62 m （25 feet） long girders made with high strength concrete were designed, cast, and tested at the University of Houston （UH） to study the ultimate shear strength and the shear concrete contribution （Vc） as a function of concrete strength （f＇c）. A simple semi-empirical set of equations was developed based on the test results to predict the ultimate shear strength of prestressed concrete I-girders. The UH-developed set of equations is a function of concrete strength （√f＇c）, web area （bwd）, shear span to effective depth ratio （a/d）, and percentage of transverse steel （Pt）. The proposed UH-Method was found to accurately predict the ultimate shear strength of PC girders with concrete strength up to 117 MPa （17000 psi） ensuring satisfactory ductility. The UH-Method was found to be not as overly conservative as the ACI-318 （2011） code provisions, and also not to overestimate the ultimate shear strength of high strength PC girders as the AASHTO LRFD （2010） code provisions. Moreover, the proposed UH-Method was found fairly accurate and not exceedingly conservative in predicting the concrete contribution to shear for concrete strength up to 117 MPa （17000 psi）.

Thermo-Mechanical Modeling of High-Strength Concrete Column Subjected to Moderate Case Heating Scenario in a Fire

This paper presents a numerically developed computer model to simulate the thermal behavior and evaluate the mechanical performance of a fixed ends centrically loaded High Strength Concrete Column(HSCC),subjected to Moderate Case Heating Scenario(MCHS),in a hydrocarbon fire.The temperature distribution within the mid-height cross-sectional area of the column was obtained to determine the thermal and mechanical responses as a function of temperature.The governing two-dimensional transient heat transfer partial differential equation(PDE),was converted into a set of or­dinary algebraic equations,subsequently,integrated numerically by using the explicit finite difference method,(FDM).A computer program,Visual Basic for Applications(VBA),was then developed to solve the set of or­dinary algebraic equations by implementing the boundary as well as initial conditions.The predictions of the model were validated against experimen­tal data from previous studies.The general behavior of the model as well as the effect of the key model parameters were investigated at length in the review.Finally,the reduction in the column’s compression strength and the modulus of elasticity was estimated using correlations from existing litera­ture.And the HSCC failure load under fire conditions was predicted using the Rankine formula.The results showed that the model predictions of the temperature distribution within the concrete column are in good agreement with the experimental data.Furthermore,the increase in temperature of the reinforced concrete column,(RCC),due to fire resulted in a significant reduction in the column compression strength and considerably accelerates the column fire failure load.

Autogenous Shrinkage of High Strength Lightweight Aggregate Concrete

The characteristic of autogenous shrinkage（AS） and its effect on high strength lightweight aggregate concrete（HSLAC） were studied.The experimental results show that the main shrinkage of high strength concrete is AS and the amount of cement can affect the AS of HSLAC remarkably,At the early stage the AS of HSLAC is lower than that of high strength normal concrete,but it has a large growth at the later stage.The AS of high strength normal concrete becomes stable at 90d age,but HSLAC still has a high AS growth .It is found that adjusting the volume rate of lightweight aggregate,mixing with a proper dosage of fly ash and raising the water saturation degree of lightweight aggregate can markedly reduce the AS rate of HSLAC.

Preparation for Retarding and High Early Strength Concrete

The primary objective of this research was to determine optimum dosage of mixing concrete containing plasticizers and fly ash, consistent with desirable structural grade concrete properties. Factorial tests were also conducted to investigate the four main factors： water-cementing materials ratio, water content, content of superplasticizers （SP） and fly ash content. It was found that the requirement for setting time played the dominant role in shrinkage and anti-cracking, and fly ash played a critical role in workability and reducing heat of hydration but showed insignificant effects on slump, early strength and initial setting time of concrete.

STRENGTH CRITERION FOR PLAIN CONCRETE UNDER MULTIAXIAL STRESS BASED ON DAMAGE POISSON’S RATIO

A new unified strength criterion in the principal stress space has been proposed for use with normal strength concrete （NC） and high strength concrete （HSC） in compressioncompression-tension, compression-tension-tension, triaxial tension, and biaxial stress states. The study covers concrete with strengths ranging from 20 to 130 MPa. The conception of damage Poisson＇s ratio is defined and the expression for damage Poisson＇s ratio is determined basically. The failure mechanism of concrete is illustrated, which points out that damage Poisson＇s ratio is the key to determining the failure of concrete. Furthermore, for the concrete under biaxial stress conditions, the unified strength criterion is simplified and a simplified strength criterion in the form of curves is also proposed. The strength criterion is physically meaningful and easy to calculate, which can be applied to analytic solution and numerical solution of concrete structures.

A Simple Mix Proportion Design Method Based on Frost Durability for Recycled High Performance Concrete Using Fully Coarse Recycled Aggregate

Durability design of recycled high performance concrete（RHPC） is fundamental for improving the use rate and level of concrete waste as coarse recycled aggregate（CRA）. We discussed a frostdurability-based mix proportion design method for RHPC using 100 % CRA and natural sand. Five groups of RHPC mixes with five strength grades（40, 50, 60, 70 and 80 MPa） were produced using CRA with four quality classes, and their workability, 28 d compressive strengths and frost resistances（measured by the compressive strength loss ratio and the relative dynamic modulus of elasticity） were tested. Relationships between the 28 d compressive strength, the frost resistance and the CRA quality characteristic parameter, water absorption, were then developed. The criterion of a CRA maximum water absorption limit value for RHPC was suggested, independent of its source and quality class. The results show that all RHPC mixes achieve the expected target workability, strength, and frost durability. The research results demonstrate that the application of the proposed method does not require trial testing prior to use.

Durability of Concrete Subjected to the Combined Actions of Flexural Stress,Freeze-thaw Cycles and Bittern Solutions

Freeze-thaw durabilities of three types of concretesnormal portland cement concrete （OPC）, high strength concrete （HSC） and steel fiber reinforced high strength concrete （SFRHSC） were systemically investigated under the attacks of chemical solution, and combination of external flexural stress and chemical solution. Four kinds of bitterns from salt lakes in Sinkiang, Qinghai, Inner Mongolia and Tibet provinces of China were used as chemical attack solutions. The relative dynamic modulus （RDM） was used as an index for evaluating the damage degree during the course of chemical attack and stress corrosion. The experimental results show that the freeze-thaw durability of concrete is visibly reduced in the present of the flexural stress, i e, stress accelerates the damage process. In order to quantify the stress accelerated effect, a stress accelerating coefficient was proposed. The stress accelerating coefficient is closely related with the types of bitterns and the numbers of freeze-thaw cycles is. The more numbers of freeze-thaw cycles is, the greater the stress accelerating coefficient for various concretes will be. In addition, there also exists a critical ratio of external stress to the maximum flexural stress. If the stress ratio exceeds the critical one, the freeze-thaw durability of various concretes will be greatly decreased compared to the responding concretes without applied stress. The critical stress ratio of OPC, HSC and SFRHSC is 0.30, 0.40 and 0.40, respectively, indicating that HSC and SFRHSC have advantages over OPC and are suitable to use in the bittern erosion regions.

The Effect of Various Polynaphthalene Sulfonate Based Superplasticizers on the Workability of Reactive Powder Concrete

A superplasticizer is a type of chemical admixture used to alter the workability(viscosity)of fresh concrete.The workability of fresh concrete is often of particular importance when the water-to-cement(w/c)ratio is low and a particular workability is desired.Reactive Powder Concrete(RPC)is a high-strength concrete formulated to provide compressive strengths exceeding 130MPa and made of primarily powders.RPC materials typically have a very low w/c,which requires the use of a chemical admixture in order to create a material that is easier to place,handle and consolidate.Superplasticizer are commonly used for this purpose.Superplasticizers are developed from different formulations,the most common being Polycarboxylate Ether(PCE),Polymelamine Sulfonate(PMS),and Polynaphthalene Sulfonate(PNS).This study investigates the effect of various PNS based superplasticizers on the rheological performance and mechanical(compressive strength)performance of a RPC mixture.Six distinctive types of PNS based superplasticizers were used;three of various compositional strengths(high,medium,low range)from a local provider,and three of the same compositional strengths(high,medium,low)from a leading manufacturer.The properties investigated were the individual superplasticizers’viscosity,the concrete workability,determined through a mortar spread test,the concrete viscosity,and the compressive strength of the hardened RPC mixtures measured at 7,14,and 28 days.Two separate RPC mixtures were prepared,which contained two different water-to-cementitious ratios,which consequently increases the dosage of superplasticizer needed,from 34.8L/m3 to 44.7L/m3.The results show that the name brand high range composition produced the overall highest spread,lowest viscosity,and a highest compressive performance.However,the local provider outperformed the name brand in the mid and low range compositions.Lastly,the rheology assessment also confirmed that the name brand high range,and RPC fabricated with the name brand high range,developed the lowest viscosities.