Early Age Hydration of Cement Paste Monitored with Ultrasonic Velocity and Numerical Simulation

Early age hydration of cement paste was investigated by monitoring the ultrasonic propagation velocity and simulated with the numerical model CEMHYD3D. The ultrasonic velocity of the P-wave was recorded during the first 24 hours of the hydration process and its evolution was analyzed. It is shown that the UPV method is an effective, accurate and non-destructive method for monitoring the early age hydration process of cement paste. The early age hydration process can be classified as four periods, which are the dormant period, acceleration period, deceleration period and stabilization period. Higher w/c ratios result in lower UPV, and delay initial setting time due to the decreased solid volume. The change of UPV is clearly related to the hydration degree of cement particles.

Influence of Superplasticizers on Early Age Drying Shrinkage of Cement Paste with the Same Consistency

The influence of superplasticizer（SP） on the early age drying shrinkage of cement paste with the same consistency was investigated. To conduct the test, which lasted for 72 hours, three paste mixtures were used for comparison. The 72 hours early age drying shrinkage staring from the initial setting time was measured by a clock gauge. The pore size distribution was measured by Mercury Intrusion Method. The surface tension of capillary simulation liquid and mass loss of paste were also measured. The experimental results showed that the addition of SP increased the early drying shrinkage greatly. The ratios of water evaporation and the total free water in mixtures added with SPs showed great differences. SPs fined the capillary pores of paste, and the volume of pore with diameter within 50 nm was well consistent with shrinkage rate. The addition of SPs did not raise the capillary liquid surface tension. It showed that with the volume of pore with diameter within 50 nm and the ratio of water evaporation and the total free water a tolerable shrinkage result of paste added with SP could be predicted, and the elastic modulus could have an influence on the early shrinkage. These results have never been proposed before.

Effect of Superplasticizers on the Early Age Hydration of Sulfoaluminate Cement

The effects of two types of superplasticizers on the properties of CSA cement pastes during early hydration were studied. The influences of two types of superplasticizers on the properties of cement pastes, including the normal consistency, setting time, fl uidity, and compressive strength, were investigated by using various methods. The hydration products of the cement pastes cured for 1 day and 3 days were studied by X-ray diffraction（XRD） and scanning electron microscopy（SEM）. The results show that the PCE type superplasticizer retards the early age hydration while the FDN type superplasticizer accelerates the early age hydration of the CSA cement. Both types of superplasticizers have no infl uence on the further hydration of CSA cement, confi rmed by the calorimeter tests as well. The ultrasonic pulse velocity measurements were used to probe the influence of two types of superplasticizers on the hydration of CSA cement pastes at a high water-cement ratio（0.45）. The results show that the PCE type superplasticizer retards the early age hydration of the CSA cement while the FDN type superplasticizer has little infl uence on the early age hydration of the CSA cement.

Cracking Tendency of Restrained Concrete at Early Ages

A modified testing system characterized by full automation, steady operation and high accuracy of strain and stress measurements was developed to determine the cracking tendency of high strength concrete （HSC） in restrained condition at early ages. The shrinkage stress and the tensile creep behavior of HSC at early ages were investigated. The influence of W/C ratio and curing conditions on the early-age shrinkage stress and tensile creep was evaluated. It was found that the lower W/C ratio and drying curing condition resulted in higher shrinkage stress, stress induced tensile creep and greater cracking tendency.

Thermal and Stress Analysis of Early Age Concrete for Spread Footing

The early age performance of spread footing, especially the growth of cracks, is deeply influenced by the heat of hydration of cement. In this paper, 3D finite element method(FEM)models are set up to analyze the temperature distribution and thermal stresses of the spread footing during the first seven days after concrete placement. The mechanical properties of early age concrete are calculated, which are further used in the FEM models. The possibilities of crack growth are estimated by the method of crack index. The crack indexes of quite a number of points are very close to the allowable limit of 1.0 during the last three days. It is also indicated that the influence of foundation ring on the thermal stresses of concrete can be neglected.

Effects of Water-cement Ratio and Hydration Heat Regulating Materials on Hydration Process of Early-age Cementitious Materials

By means of low-field nuclear magnetic resonance(LF-NMR),the transverse relaxation time(T_(2))signals of physically bound water in cement paste were monitored to indicate water content change and characterize the early-age hydration process.With the curves of the T_(2)signals and hydration time obtained,the hydration process could be divided into four typical periods using the null points of the second derivative curve,and the influences of water-cement ratio(w/c)and hydration heat regulating materials(HHRM)on hydration process were analyzed.The experimental results showed that the hydration rate of pure cement paste in accelerated period presented a positive correlation with w/c.Compared to pure cement paste,the addition of HHRM extended all four periods,and led to a much faster hydration rate in initial period as well as a slower rate in accelerated period.Finally,according to the LFNMR test results,the early-age hydration model of cementitious materials was proposed considering w/c and HHRM content.

Early-age Electrical Resistivity and Reactive Capacity of Mineral Admixtures in Mortars

A non-contacting electrical resistivity measurement device was used to investigate the effect of different types and contents of mineral admixtures on the hydration perfrormanee of mortars during early age. The experimental results show that the changes of measured resistivity with time of hydration can be used to describe the hydration characteristics of cement-based materials, as well as the physical and chemical behavior of fly ash; blast furnace slag and silica fume at the very early ages. With an increasing replacement ratio of mineral admixtures, for the specimens blended with fly ash or slag, the resistivity increases firstly, then the following flatting period extends and after setting the resistivity increasing becomes slow and consequently a lower resistivity value at 24 hours occurs. This is due to the dilution effect and lower pozzolanicl hydraulic activity of fly ash and slag. However, for the samples incorporated with silica fume, the resistivity value through 24 hours is lower with shorter flatting period and larger slope in the resistivity curves, which is because of its particle size effect and higher pozzolanic activity of silica fume. Moreover, non-contacting resistivity measurement might provide a helpful information to predict the long term performanee including the durability of cement-based materials at early ages.

Shift work aggravates metabolic syndrome development among early-middle-aged males with elevated ALT

AIM: To examine whether shift work accelerates metabolic syndrome (MetS) development among early middle-aged males with elevated alanine aminotransferase (e-ALT).METHODS: A retrospective, observational followup study on MetS development at a 5-year interval was conducted using health examination data. Nine hundred and ninety six male employees not fulfi lling MetS criteria at screening were enrolled. Age, MetScomponents, liver enzymes, serological markers for viral hepatitis, abdominal ultrasound, insulin resistance status, lifestyles, and workplace factors were analyzed.RESULTS: The prevalence of elevated serum ALT (> 40 U/L, e-ALT) at baseline was 19.1%. There were 381 (38.3%) workers with long-term exposures to day-night rotating shift work (RSW). 14.2% of subjects developed MetS during follow-up. After 5 years, the workers with e-ALT had significantly unfavorable changes in MetS-components, and higher rates of MetS development, vs subjects with normal baseline ALT levels. Workers with both baseline e-ALT and 5-year persistent RSW (pRSW) exposure had the highest rate of MetS development. Also, e-ALT-plus-pRSW workers had a significant increase in MetS-components atfollow-up, compared with the other subgroups. After controlling for potential confounders, e-ALT-plus-pRSW workers posed a signifi cant risk for MetS development (odds ratio, 2.7; 95% confi dence interval, 1.4-5.3, vs workers without baseline e-ALT nor pRSW). CONCLUSION: We suggest that all early middle-aged male employees with e-ALT should be evaluated and managed for MetS. Particularly in terms of job arrangements, impacts of long-term RSW on MetS development should be assessed for all male employees having baseline e-ALT.

Initial Rifting Age of the Nearly N–S Rifts in Southern Tibetan Plateau:New Evidence from the Age limit of the Early Sediments

Objective The nearly parallel N-S-trending rifts in southern Tibet represent the E-W extension of the Tibet Plateau. Most data which constrained the age of the extensional deformation come from isotopic dating of the dikes probably related to the activity of the nearly N-S faulting and micas from hydrothermal activity and the low- temperature thermochronology of plateau uplift. Previous research shows that there are at least three different ideas about the age of the rifts： （1） older than 16-12 Ma, （2） 14- 10 Ma, and （3） 8-4 Ma （Fig. la）. For the old sedimentary strata represented the beginning of the rifting, the dating of the sediments helps to better define the initial rifting age.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EGYPT AND PALESTINE IN THE EARLY BRONZE AGE(ca.3400-2000 BCE)

The relationship between Egypt and Palestine can be traced back to theChalcolithic Age thanks to the evidence of current excavations in the Nile Deltaand Sinal.Palestinian pottery and cast metal objects from the Delta sites of Maadi,Minshat Abu Omar,and elsewhere have proved contacts with Palestine inProtodynastic(Nagada Ⅱ-Ⅲ)times.The Egyptian Protodynastic Period andDynasty 1 were contemporary with the Palestinian EB Ⅰ and EB Ⅲ,and

The Early Hydration and Strength Development of High-strength Precast Concrete with Cement/Metakaolin Systems

To study the relationship between material composition, curing conditions and strength development, the study simulated high-strength precast concrete pile production, and a high-strength mortar up to 90 MPa was designed and a hot-water pool was built for concrete curing. The major point of the study was to achieve a high early strength by using cement/metakaolin systems without autoclave curing with high-pressure steam. By means of XRD and thermal analysis, the progress of the hydration of the cement pastes blended with metakaolin was characterized. The main results indicate that high strength can be obtained at early age by the use of metakaolin and thermal treatment （hot-water curing）. The improvement in strength of mortars with metakaolin can be explained by an increase in the amount of C-S-H and C-S-A-H hydrated phases and a decrease in the amount of calcium hydration（CH）. Further more, a decrease in Ca/Si ratio of the matrix was observed from the results of EDX analysis, which also leaded to an improvement of the compressive strength. These results are of great importance for the high-strength precast concrete manufacturing industry.

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%.

In-situ Monitoring the Setting Behavior of Foamed Concrete Using Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity Method

The applicability of ultrasonic pulse velocity （UPV） method to in-situ monitor setting and hardening process of foamed concrete （FC） was systematically investigated. The UPVs of various FC pastes were automatically and continuously measured by a specially designed ultrasonic monitoring apparatus （UMA）. Ultrasonic tests were performed on FC mixtures with different density （300, 500, 800 and 1 000 kg/m3）, and different fly ash contents （0%, 20%, 40% and 60%）. The influence of curing temperatures （20, 40, 60 and 80~C） was also studied. The experimental results show that three characteristic stages can be clearly identified during the setting process of an arbitrary FC paste： dormant stage, acceleration stage, and deceleration stage. Wet density, fly ash content, and curing temperature have great impact on setting behavior. A stepwise increase of the wet density results in shorter dormant stage and larger final UPV. Hydration reaction rate is obviously promoted with an increase in curing temperature. However, the addition fly ash retards the microstn,lcture formation. To aid in comparing with the ultrasonic results, the consistence spread test and Vicat needle test （VNT） were also conducted. A correlation between ultrasonic and VNT results was also established to evaluate the initial and final setting time of the FC mixtures. Finally, certain ranges of UPV with reasonable widths were suggested for the initial and final setting time, respectively.

The Suffering of the Innocent： Wartime Violence and the Common People The Case of the Great Siege of Malta of 1565

War is arguably the most extreme scenario for the exertion of violence. All warring parties suffer in one way or another but those who suffer most are usually those who least deserve it--the common folk. The paper will take as a case study one of the epic Mediterranean battles in the ongoing Christian versus Muslim conflict of the Early Modem Age. Happening in 1565, though micro in scale, the four-month engagement known as the Great Siege of Malta which was fought between the Ottoman Turkish troops and their Barbary Coast partners on the one side and the Hospitallers of the Order of St. John and their European and Maltese allies on the other side, was macro in its significance. This fierce clash left its destructive mark not only on the warring adversaries but the more so on the Maltese inhabitants who found themselves immersed in a war which was not strictly theirs but of which they were forced to endure the hardships, participate in the ongoing combat, and face the daily extreme psychological pressure and physical cruelty which are generally meted out to the defenceless and the most vulnerable in the war zone. No brutality was spared and extreme violence was the order of the day.

THE ANIMAL BONES FROM A FURTHER GROUP OF EARLY BRONZE AGE PITS AT OSTIANO, S. SALVATORE (Cremona)

The faunal remains from a group of pits excavated at Ostiano, S. Salvatore (Cremona- Northern Italy) are represented by bones of cattle, sheep/goat, pig and hare. Together with the archaeo-botanical and archaeological data, they reveal a well balanced, mixed subsistence strategy, combiningcereal agriculture and stock raising, adapted to the geographical and environmental location of this EarlyBronze Age settlement. I resti faunistici di un altro gruppo di pozzetti del sito del Bronzo antico di Ostiano,S. Salvatore (Cremona). I reperti faunistici di Ostiano, S. Salvatore sono rappresentati da resti di bovini,capra/pecora, maiale e lepre. Unitamente ai reperti archeobotanici ed archeologici, questi docmnentanouna strategia di sussistenza ben bilanciata fra allevamento ed agricoltura che concorda con la localizza-zione geografico-ambientale del sito dell’età del Bronzo antica.

Early Paleozoic granulite-facies metamorphism and anatexis in the northern West Qinling orogen： Monazite and zircon U-Pb geochronological constraints

In the northern West Qinling orogen(WQO), granulite-facies metamorphic rocks are recognized within the Qinling Complex. These rocks are composed of amphibole-bearing two-pyroxene granulite and garnet-sillimanite gneiss with widespread migmatitization. We investigate three granulite-facies samples and one leucosome sample from the Qinling Complex, which are suitable for U-Pb analyses of zircon and monazite. SHRIMP and LA-ICPMS U-Pb age dating of zircon and monazite from two pelitic granulites provides weighted mean ages of 430±4 Ma(MSWD=0.88) and 433±4 Ma(MSWD=0.27), respectively.Based on the petrographic characteristics and zircon CL imagery, we postulated a ca. 430 Ma metamorphic timing for the pelitic granulites. LA-ICPMS zircon U-Pb data from an amphibole two-pyroxene granulite sample reports two weighted mean age groups:424±3 Ma(MSWD=0.45) and 402±3 Ma(MSWD=1.4), which were interpreted as granulite-facies metamorphic and retrograde ages, respectively. LA-ICPMS U-Pb dating of zircons from the leucosome sample yields a weighted mean age of 426±2 Ma(MSWD=0.3), which is interpreted as the crystallization age of the leucosome. These data indicate that the West QOB experienced early Paleozoic granulite-facies metamorphism and anatexis similar to the East QOB. However, it remains unclear whether the early Paleozoic granulite facies metamorphism resulted from an arc setting created by the northward subduction of the Shangdan ocean or from a continental collisional orogenic event.

Geochronology, Geochemistry and Tectonic Significance of the Early Carboniferous Gabbro and Diorite Plutons in West Ujimqin, Inner Mongolia

Early Carboniferous gabbros and diorites are distributed in West Ujimqin, Inner Mongolia. The LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb ages of the gabbro and diorite samples are 321± 2 Ma（MSWD=0.65） and 319.4± 1.5 Ma（MSWD=0.42）, respectively. In addition, new geochemistry data from three gabbro and three diorite samples are presented. All six samples show high Al_2O_3 contents but low-TiO_2 contents, belonging to tholeiitic and calc-alkali basalt series. All of the samples have similar chondrite normalized REE patterns characterized by moderate depletion in LREE similar to normal middle oceanic ridge basalt（MORB）. The MORB and PM-normalized trace element patterns show the enrichment in large ion lithophile elements（LILE, e.g., Rb, Ba and Sr）, depletion in high field strength elements（HFSE） and distinctly negative Nb and Ta anomalies similar to volcanic arc basalt. Furthermore, as shown in the correlation plots of La/Ba vs. La/Nb, Ba/La vs. Ce/Pb, Th/La vs. Ce/Pb, Nb/La vs. Ba/Rb, and Nb/Y vs. La/Yb, the magma source has underwent contamination and metasomatism from the subduction fluid. According to the Zr/Nb, La/Nb, and La/Ta ratios and the Nb/Y vs. Zr/Y and Sm/Yb vs. La/Sm diagrams, the magma was derived from shallow depleted lithospheric mantle and formed by moderate（5%~20%） partial melting of spinel lherzolites. Tectonic setting discrimination diagrams reveal that the gabbros and diorites display both characteristics of MORB and volcanic arc basalt, which is consistent with their geochemical characteristics. On the basis of the geochemical features of these samples, combined with regional geological data and many previous researches in the study area, the Early Carboniferous gabbros and diorites of West Ujimqin are suggested to be formed in an intensely extensional rift setting, and a limited immature ocean basin probably formed after subsequent development.

Influence of accelerated curing on the compressive strength of polymer-modified concrete

In recent building practice,rapid construction is one of the principal requisites.Furthermore,in designing concrete structures,compressive strength is the most significant of all parameters.While 3-d and 7-d compressive strength reflects the strengths at early phases,the ultimate strength is paramount.An effort has been made in this study to develop mathematical models for predicting compressive strength of concrete incorporating ethylene vinyl acetate(EVA)at the later phases.Kolmogorov-Smirnov(KS)goodness-of-fit test was used to examine distribution of the data.The compressive strength of EVA-modified concrete was studied by incorporating various concentrations of EVA as an admixture and by testing at ages of 28,56,90,120,210,and 365 d.An accelerated compressive strength at 3.5 hours was considered as a reference strength on the basis of which all the specified strengths were predicted by means of linear regression fit.Based on the results of KS goodness-of-fit test,it was concluded that KS test statistics value(D)in each case was lower than the critical value 0.521 for a significance level of 0.05,which demonstrated that the data was normally distributed.Based on the results of compressive strength test,it was concluded that the strength of EVA-modified specimens increased at all ages and the optimum dosage of EVA was achieved at 16%concentration.Furthermore,it was concluded that predicted compressive strength values lies within a 6%difference from the actual strength values for all the mixes,which indicates the practicability of the regression equations.This research work may help in understanding the role of EVA as a viable material in polymer-based cement composites.