Influence of Recycled Concrete Fine Powder on Durability of Cement Mortar

In this paper,the durability of cement mortar prepared with a recycled-concrete fine powder(RFP)was examined;including the analysis of a variety of aspects,such as the carbonization,sulfate attack and chloride ion erosion resistance.The results indicate that the influence of RFP on these three aspects is different.The carbonization depth after 30 days and the chloride diffusion coefficient of mortar containing 10%RFP decreased by 13.3%and 28.19%.With a further increase in the RFP content,interconnected pores formed between the RFP particles,leading to an acceleration of the penetration rate of CO_(2)and Cl^(−).When the RFP content was less than 50%,the corrosion resistance coefficient of the compressive strength of the mortar was 0.84-1.05 after 90 days of sulfate attack.But the expansion and cracking of the mortar was effectively alleviated due to decrease of the gypsum production.Scanning electron microscope(SEM)analysis has confirmed that 10%RFP contributes to the formation of a dense microstructure in the cement mortar.

The Effect of Graphene Oxide on Mechanical Properties of Cement Mortar

Cement is widely used in engineering applications,but it has both the characteristics of high brittleness and poor bending resistance.In this paper,the effects of different amounts ofgraphene oxide on the flexural strength and compressive strength of cement mortar were studied by doping a certain amount of graphene oxide with cement mortar,and the strengthening mechanism of graphene oxide on cement mortar was obtained through microstructure detection.It is found that graphene oxide has a significant enhancement effect on the macroscopic mechanical properties of cement mortar,and graphene oxide provides nano-nucleation sites and growth templates for cement mortar,accelerates the hydration process,reduces the voids between hydration products,greatly increases the compactness,and improves the macroscopic properties of cement-based materials.

Effect of Dry-Wet Cycles on the Transport and Mechanical Properties of Cement Mortar Subjected to Sulfate Attack

This study deals with the analysis of the detrimental effects of a“sulfate attack”on cement mortar for different dry-wet cycles.The mass loss,tensile strength,and gas permeability coefficient were determined and analyzed under different exposure conditions.At the same time,nitrogen adsorption(NAD),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),and X-ray diffraction(XRD)techniques were used to analyze the corresponding variations in the microstructure and the corrosion products.The results show that certain properties of the cement mortar evolve differently according to the durations of the dry-wet cycles and that some damage is caused to the mortars in aqueous solution.The pores fill with corrosion products,increasing the mortar specimen mass and tensile strength while reducing the permeability coefficient and pore size distribution.As corrosion proceeds,the crystallization pressure of the corrosion products increases,resulting in a 16%reduction in tensile strength from the initial value and a 2.6-factor increase in the permeability coefficient,indicating sensitivity to sulfate attack damage.Furthermore,the main corrosion products generated in the experiment are gypsum and ettringite.Application of osmotic pressure and extension of the immersion time can accelerate the erosion process.

Experimental study on the seismic performance of masonry wall reinforced by cement mortar and polypropylene band

Since masonry structures are prone to collapse in earthquakes,a novel joint reinforcement method with a polypropylene band(PP-band)and cement mortar(CM)has been put forward.Compared with the common reinforcement methods,this method not only facilitates construction but also ensures lower reinforcement cost.To systematically explore the influence of joint reinforcement on the seismic performance of masonry walls,quasi-static tests were carried out on six specimens with different reinforcement forms.The test results show that the joint action of PP-band and CM can significantly improve the specimen′s brittle failure characteristics and enhance the integrity of the specimen after cracking.Compared with the specimen without reinforcement,each of the seismic performance indexes of the joint reinforced specimen had obvious improvement.The maximum increased rate about peak load and ductility of the joint reinforced specimen is 100.6%and 233.4%,respectively.

Chloride Corrosion of Reinforced Calcium Aluminate Cement Mortar

This paper describes a study on the corrosion behavior of steel reinforcement in CAC mortars via electrochemical methods including corrosion potential,electrochemical impedance,and linear polarization evaluation.Results indicate that there is a non-linear relationship between the corrosion degree of steel reinforcement in CAC mortar and the concentration of NaCl solution.The electrochemical parameters of specimens immersed in 3%NaCl solution suddenly drop at 40 days,earlier than 60 days of the reference.And the charge transfer resistivity of the specimen has decreased by 11 orders of magnitude at 40 days,showing an evident corrosion on steel reinforcement.However,it is interesting to notice that the corrosion is delayed by high external chloride concentration.The specimens immersed in 9%and 15%NaCl solutions remain in a relatively stable state within 120 days with slight pitting.The great corrosion protection of CAC concrete to embedded steel bars enables its wide application in marine.

Influence of Bayer Red Mud on the Operational and Mechanical Characteristics of Composite Cement Mortar

The aim of this study is to enhance the value and utilization of red mud generated in the Bayer process by preparing composite cement mortars.The effects of two different types of Bayer red mud with varying physical and chemical characteristics on the fluidity,mechanical strength,mineral composition,and microstructure of the composite cement mortar were systematically evaluated.The results showed that the optimal addition of red mud A was 10 wt%,while it was 20 wt% for red mud B.The mechanical properties of the composite cement mortar met the standards for P·O42.5 cement.Furthermore,the composite mortar with the addition of red mud B showed higher flexural and compressive strengths compared to the composite mortar with red mud A.This improvement is attributed to the smaller particle size of red mud B,which filled the micro-pores and increased the compactness of the cement stone,as well as its higher content of Na_(2)O,K_(2)O,and other free alkalis,which resulted in more obvious alkali activation,accelerating the hydration of the active minerals in the slurry.

Pozzolanic Activity of Burned Coal Gangue and Its Effects on Structure of Cement Mortar

The pozzolanic activity of coal gangue burned at different burning temperatures was investigated. The burned coal gangue was mixed with portland cement in different proportions （ 20% - 60% ）. The pozzolanic activity of coal gangue burned and the hydration products were examined, the compressive strengths of the pastes of the mixtures were tested, and the mechanism of the reaction was discussed. The experimental results slum, that the coal gangue burned at 750 ℃ has the optimum pozzolanic activity, and the burned coal ganguc with SiO2 and Al2 O3 is in an active form. When the coal gangue burned at 750℃ is mixed into portland cement, the content of calcium hydroxide in paste is significantly reduced, while the contents of hydrated calcium silk.ate and hydrated calcium aluminate are increased accordingly, hence resulting in the improvement of the microstructure of mortar. The compressive strength of cement paste decreases with increasing the content of burncd coal gangue. The decease in strength is small in the range of 20% - 30% coal gangue substitution and significant in 30%- 60% substitution.

Effects of Carbon Nanotubes on Mechanical and 2D-3D Microstructure Properties of Cement Mortar

To study the influence of multi-wall carbon nanotubes （MWCNTs） on the mechanical and microstructural properties of cementitious composites, 0.00, 0.02, 0.08, 0.10, and 0.20 wt% of multi-wall carbon nanotubes were added into cement mortar, in which the cement-sand ratio was 1：1.5. The flexural and compressive strengths of cement mortar at the age of 3, 7, 28 and 90 d and the fracture performance at the age of 28 d were determined, its 2D micrograph was tested by means of SEM, and the 3D defects distribution was firstly determined with or without CNTs by means of XCT （X-ray computerized tomography）. The results showed that 0.08 wt% of CNTs improved the compressive strength and flexural strength by 18% and 19~A, respectively, and a significant improvement of its fracture property was observed. Moreover lower addition of carbon nanotubes to cement mortars can improve its microstructure and decrease the defects significantly compared to the cement mortar without CNTs. With the increase of the content of CNTs, the mechanical properties of cement mortars presented to be declined largely due to the agglomeration of CNTs.

Hybrid Modified Rubber Powder and Its Application in Cement Mortar

This research focused on using the waste rubber powder as a kind of regenerate resources to improve the mechanical properties of cement mortar.The two kinds of hybrid modified rubber powder TRP and ATRP were prepared by sol-gel method and then used in cement mortar.The structures and properties of them were studied.It is shown that the nano Si-O-Si network is generated in TRP and ATRP networks and the hydrophilic group is grafted on the surface of ATRP.The mechanical properties of rubber-treated mortar（RTM） were tested and the microstructures of them were also studied.Compared to the mortars with unmodified rubber powders（RP）,NaOH treated rubber powder（SRP） and coupling agent treated rubber powder（CRP）,the RTM with ATRP has the highest compressive strength and flexural strength.The stress-strain curves shown that the peak of stress of RTM with ATRP is increased and indicated the higher compression deformation and toughness.It is found that the interfacial adhesion between the ATRP and cement mortar is increased distinctly by SEM,which results in enhanced ductility and mechanical properties of RTM with ATRP.

The Properties of Cement Mortars Modified by Emulsified Epoxy and Micro-fine Slag

The epoxy resin polymer cement mortars with excellent performances were made up through modifying ordinary Portland cement with emulsified epoxy and micro fine slag.The microstructure of the epoxy resin polymer cement materials was studied and their hydration and hardening characteristics were discussed by means of modern analysis measures such as SEM,XRD and Hg intrusion micromeritics.The experimental results indicate that the series effects of water reducing,density,pozzolanicity,filling and solidification crosslinking through the action together with epoxy organism and micro fine slag endowed cement based materials with perfect performances.The main hydration products in the system are C S H gel and hydrated calcium aluminate.At later age,AFt can be in existence,and no Ca(OH) 2 is found.When epoxy resin is solidified,the organism is in a network structure.In the micro pore structure of hydrated cement with modified epoxy and fine slag,big harmful pores were fewer,more harmless abundant micro pores were and the possible pore radius was smaller than that of ordinary Portland cement.

X-ray Microtomography of the Carbonation Front Shape Evolution of Cement Mortar and Modeling of Accelerated Carbonation Reaction

In situ monitoring of the microstructure evolution of cement mortar in accelerated carbonation reaction for different carbonation ages was carried out by X-ray computed tomography （XCT）. And the carbonation degrees of different time were measured by the volume fraction of uncarbonated and carbonated parts. Meanwhile, we presented a model for the carbonation of cement mortar by means of X-ray computed tomography （XCT）. Based on the principles of chemical engineering processes, the reacted products become a solid inert ash layer. Finally, the model was validated with results of accelerated carbonation of cement mortar. The model is thus able to reasonably predict the carbonation ohenomena for accelerated conditions.

Influences of Polypropylene Fiber and SBR Polymer Latex on Abrasion Resistance of Cement Mortar

Influences of polypropylene （PP） fiber and styrene-butadiene rubber （SBR） polymer latex on the strength performance, abrasion resistance of cement mortar were studied. The experimental results show that the flexural strength, brittleness index （σF/σC） and abrasion resistance can be improved significantly by the addition of PP fiber and SBR polymer latex. The relationship between the flexural strength and abrasion resistance was analyzed, showing a good linear relationship between them. The reinforced mechanism of PP fiber and SBR polymer latex on cement mortar was analyzed by some microscopic tests. The test results show that the addition of SBR polymer latex has no significant influence on the cement hydration after 7 d curing. Adding SBR polymer latex into cement mortar can form a polymer transition layer in the interfaces of PP fiber and cement hydrates, which improves the bonding properties between the PP fiber and cement mortar matrix effectively.

TRANSVERSAL INERTIAL EFFECT ON RELAXATION/RETARDATION TIME OF CEMENT MORTAR UNDER HARMONIC WAVE

Under dynamic loading, the constitutive relation of the cement mortar will be significantly affected by the transversal inertial effect of specimens with large diameters. In this paper, one-dimensional theoretical analysis is carried out to determine the transversal inertial effect on the relaxation/retardation time of the cement mortar under the harmonic wave. Relaxation time or retardation time is obtained by means of the wave velocity, attenuation coefficient and the frequency of the harmonic wave. Thus, the transversal inertial effect on the relaxation time from Maxwell model, as well as on retardation time from Voigt model is analyzed. The results show that the transversal inertial effect may lead to the increase of the relaxation time, but induce the decrease of the retardation time. Those should be taken into account when eliminating the transversal inertial effect in applications.

Performance Evaluation of MWCNTs Reinforced Cement Mortar Composites using Natural and Commercial Surfactants

An efficient and promising approach for effectively dispersing multi-walled carbon nanotubes(MWCNTs)in cementitious composites has been investigated.The naturally occurring organic extracts from species of indigenously known‘Keekar’trees scattered along tropical and sub-tropical regions;is found as an exceptional replacement to the non-natural commercial surfactants.In the initial phase of investigation,ideal surfactant’s content required for efficient dispersion of MWCNTs in solution was determined using ultra-violet spectroscopy.The experimental investigations were then extended to five different cement composite formulations containing 0.0,0.025,0.05,0.08 and 0.10%MWCNTs by weight of cement.It was observed that the natural surfactant produced efficient dispersion at much reduced cost(approx.14%)compared with the commercial alternate.The estimated weight efficiency factor f was found 6.5 times higher for the proposed sustainable replacement to the conventional along with remarkable increase of 23%in modulus of rupture on 0.08 wt%addition of MWCNTs.Besides strength enhancement,the dispersed MWCNTs also improved the first crack and ultimate fracture toughness by 51.5%and 35.9%,respectively.The field emission scanning electron microscopy of the cryofractured samples revealed efficient dispersion of MWCNTs in the matrix leading to the phenomenon of effective crack bridging and crack branching in the composite matrix.Furthermore,the proposed scheme significantly reduced the early age volumetric shrinkage by 39%.

Corrosion Protection of CNTs/CNFs Modified Cement Mortars

The aim of this study is to examine the performance of nano additives in two different sets of mortar specimens armed with reinforcing steel rebars. In particular, three sets of reinforced concrete cylinders with additives of 0.1% wt of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and carbon nanofibers (CNFs) have been exposed to a solution of 3.5% NaCl, and further examined for the impact of nano-modification on corrosion performance. The anti-corrosive performance of these additives was investigated through linear polarization technique (LPR), mass loss and mercury porosimetry technique (MIP). From the investigation results, it is found that the addition of CNTs/CNFs causes lower steel corrosion, whereas the pore structure of concrete with CNTs/CNFs can significantly reduce the mass loss rate and the relative permeability.

Diffusion Characteristic of Sulfate Anion in Surface Region of Cement Mortar at Early Stage

The SO4^（2-）concentration distributions in surface region of cement mortar immersed in sulfate solution at early stage were measured by layered sampling method combined with chemical analysis, and the diffusion coefficients of SO4^（2-）anions in surface region of mortar into internal area were calculated by means of instantaneous plane diffusion theory. The experimental results showed that the SO4^（2-）concentration gradually reduced when the diffusion depth increased in the surface region of mortar. Diffusion coefficient（D） was relevant with the concentration and kind of environmental sulfate solution, which reduced with immersion time at the beginning, and then rose slowly after a period of time. The calculation of initial diffusion coefficient（D0） and starting time of deterioration（t∞） caused by sulfate attack was further attempted based on the data of diffusion coefficient, and it was found that D0 and t∞ were all relevant with concentrations of sulfate and different kind of sulfate as well.

Effect of Sand Content on Strength and Pore Structure of Cement Mortar

The effects of four sand contents on the compressive, flexural and splitting-tensile strength of cement mortars were evaluated. Moreover, we experimentally investigated the pore structure of cement mortar brought about by changing the sand content and water/cement ratio. The changes in the pore structure were quantified by measuring the porosity and pore size distribution obtained by using mercury intrusion porosimetry（MIP） technique. The test results show that the strengths of cement mortar increase with increasing sand content. It is also suggested that the traditional water/cement ratio law can be applied to cement mortar with different sand contents, provided that a slight modification is introduced. Sand content is an important parameter influencing the pore structure of cement mortar. Moreover, there is a good relationship between the pore structure and strength of cement mortar.

Effect of graphene on mechanical properties of cement mortars

Functionalized graphene nano-sheets(FGN) of 0.01%-0.05%(mass fraction) were added to produce FGN-cement composites in the form of mortars. Flow properties, mechanical properties and microstructure of the cementitious material were then investigated. The results indicate that the addition of FGN decreases the fluidity slightly and improves mechanical properties of cement-based composites significantly. The highest strength is obtained with FGN content of 0.02% where the flexural strength and compressive strength at 28 days are 12.917 MPa and 52.42 MPa, respectively. Besides, scanning electron micrographs show that FGN can regulate formation of massive compact cross-linking structures and thermo gravimetric analysis indicates that FGN can accelerate the hydration reaction to increase the function of the composite effectively.

Effect of strain rate and water-to-cement ratio on compressive mechanical behavior of cement mortar

Effects of strain rate and water-to-cement ratio on the dynamic compressive mechanical behavior of cement mortar are investigated by split Hopkinson pressure bar(SHPB) tests. 124 specimens are subjected to dynamic uniaxial compressive loadings.Strain rate sensitivity of the materials is measured in terms of failure modes, stress-strain curves, compressive strength, dynamic increase factor(DIF) and critical strain at peak stress. A significant change in the stress-strain response of the materials with each order of magnitude increase in strain rate is clearly seen from test results. The slope of the stress-strain curve after peak value for low water-to-cement ratio is steeper than that of high water-to-cement ratio mortar. The compressive strength increases with increasing strain rate. With increase in strain rate, the dynamic increase factor(DIF) increases. However, this increase in DIF with increase in strain rate does not appear to be a function of the water-to-cement ratio. The critical compressive strain increases with the strain rate.

Mechanical properties of cement mortar in sodium sulfate and sodium chloride solutions

To investigate the mechanical properties of cement mortar in sodium sulfate and sodium chloride solutions, uniaxial compression test and ultrasonic test were performed. Test results show that the relative dynamic elastic modulus, the mass variation,and the compressive strength of cement mortar increase first, and then decrease with increasing erosion time in sodium sulfate and sodium chloride solutions. The relative dynamic elastic moduli and the compressive strengths of cement mortars with water/cement ratios of 0.55 and 0.65 in sodium sulfate solution are lower than those in sodium chloride solution with the same concentration at the420 th day of immersion. The compressive strength of cement mortar with water/cement ratio of 0.65 is more sensitive to strain rate than that with water/cement ratio of 0.55. In addition, the strain-rate sensitivity of compressive strength of cement mortar will increase under attacks of sodium sulfate or sodium chloride solution.