Effect of Coal Gangue with Different Kaolin Contents on Compressive Strength and Pore Size of Blended Cement Paste

The effects of activated coal gangue on compressive strength, porosity and pore size distribution of hardened cement pastes were investigated. Activated coal gangue with two different kaolin contents, one higher and one lower, were used to partially replace Portland cement at 0%, 10%, and 30% by weight. The water to binder ratio（w/b） of 0.5 was used for all the blended cement paste mixes. Experimental results indicate that the blended cement of activated coal gangue mortar with higher kaolin mineral content has a higher compressive strength than that with lower kaolin mineral content. The porosity and pore size of blended cement mortar were significantly affected by the replacement of activated coal gangue.

Strength evolution and deformation behaviour of cemented paste backfill at early ages： Effect of curing stress, filling strategy and drainage

In this study, a pressure cell apparatus is developed to investigate the early age evolution of the strength and deformation behaviour of cemented paste backfill(CPB) when subjected to various loading conditions under different curing scenarios. The different curing scenarios that are simulated include:(1)drained and undrained conditions,(2) different filling rates,(3) different filling sequences, and(4) different curing stresses. The findings show that drainage, curing stress, curing time and filling rate influence the mechanical and deformation behaviours of CPB materials. The coupled effects of consolidation, drainage and suction contribute to the strength development of drained CPB subjected to curing stress. On the other hand, particle rearrangement caused by the applied pressure and suction development due to self-desiccation plays a significant role in the strength gain of undrained CPB cured under stress.Furthermore, curing stress induces slightly faster rate of cement hydration, which can contribute to strength acquisition.

Early-age strength property improvement and stability analysis of unclassified tailing paste backfill materials

High-density tailings,small cementitious materials,and additives are used for backfill materials with poor early compressive strength(ECS),which may greatly affect the mining and backfill cycle,to prepare paste backfill materials(PBMs)with a high ECS.The effects and mechanisms of different early strength agents on the property of PBM are investigated.The action mechanism of additives on the properties of PBM is also analyzed through X-ray diffraction,scanning electron microscope,and energy dispersive spectrometry.Results show that the effects of single-component additives 1,3,and 6 are better than those of the other additives,and their optimal dosages are 3wt%,1wt%,and 3wt%,respectively.The optimum multicomponent combinations are 1wt%of additive 1 and 1.5wt%of additive 6.The ECS of the paste with additive 10 increases to a greater extent than that of the other pastes because of the synergistic action of additive 1 with additive 6.The hydration product of Ca(OH)2 is consumed,and more C-S-H gels are generated with the addition of additives to paste.Tailings particles,ettringite crystals,and gels intertwined with one another form a dense net-like structure that fills the pores.This structure can significantly improve the ECS of PBM.

High strain rate compressive strength behavior of cemented paste backfill using split Hopkinson pressure bar

The stability of cemented paste backfill(CPB)is threatened by dynamic disturbance,but the conventional low strain rate laboratory pressure test has difficulty achieving this research purpose.Therefore,a split Hopkinson pressure bar(SHPB)was utilized to investigate the high strain rate compressive behavior of CPB with dynamic loads of 0.4,0.8,and 1.2 MPa.And the failure modes were determined by macro and micro analysis.CPB with different cement-to-tailings ratios,solid mass concentrations,and curing ages was prepared to conduct the SHPB test.The results showed that increasing the cement content,tailings content,and curing age can improve the dynamic compressive strength and elastic modulus.Under an impact load,a higher strain rate can lead to larger increasing times of the dynamic compressive strength when compared with static loading.And the dynamic compressive strength of CPB has an exponential correlation with the strain rate.The macroscopic failure modes indicated that CPB is more seriously damaged under dynamic loading.The local damage was enhanced,and fine cracks were formed in the interior of the CPB.This is because the CPB cannot dissipate the energy of the high strain rate stress wave in a short loading period.

Surface Modification of Fly Ashes with Carbide Slag and Its Effect on Compressive Strength and Autogenous Shrinkage of Blended Cement Pastes

Surfaces of grade III fly ashes were modified through mixing with carbide slag and calcining at 850 ℃ for 1 h. Mineralogical compositions and surface morphology of fly ashes before and after modification were characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD） and scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, respectively. Effect of surface-modified fly ashes on compressive strength and autogenous shrinkage of blended cement pastes was investigated. Microstructures of cement pastes were examined by backscattered electron （BSE） imaging and mercury intrusion porosimetry （MIP）. The experimental results showed that β-C2S was formed on the surfaces of fly ashes after modification. Hydration ofβ-C2S on the surface-modified fly ashes densified interface zone and enhanced bond strength between particles of fly ashes and hydrated clinkers. In addition, surface modification of fly ashes tended to decrease total porosity and 10-50 nm pores of cement pastes. Surface modification of fly ashes increased compressive strength and reduced autogenous shrinkage of cement pastes.

Strength Development and Microstructure of Hardened Cement Paste Blended with Red Mud

Red mud was activated to be a mineral admixture for Portland cement by means of heating at different elevated temperatures from 400 ℃ to 700 ℃ . Results show that heating was ef-fective, among which thermal activation of red mud at 600 ℃ was most effective. Chemical analysis suggested that cement added with 600 ℃ thermally activated red mud yielded more calcium ion dur-ing the early stage of hydration and less at later stage in liquid phase of cement water suspension sys-tem, more combined water and less calcium hydroxide in its hardened cement paste. MIP measure-ment and SEM observation proved that the hardened cement paste had a similar total porosity and a less portion of large size pores hence a denser microstructure compared with that added with original red mud.

A machine learning model to predict unconfined compressive strength of alkali-activated slag-based cemented paste backfill

The unconfined compressive strength(UCS)of alkali-activated slag(AAS)-based cemented paste backfill(CPB)is influenced by multiple design parameters.However,the experimental methods are limited to understanding the relationships between a single design parameter and the UCS,independently of each other.Although machine learning(ML)methods have proven efficient in understanding relationships between multiple parameters and the UCS of ordinary Portland cement(OPC)-based CPB,there is a lack of ML research on AAS-based CPB.In this study,two ensemble ML methods,comprising gradient boosting regression(GBR)and random forest(RF),were built on a dataset collected from literature alongside two other single ML methods,support vector regression(SVR)and artificial neural network(ANN).The results revealed that the ensemble learning methods outperformed the single learning methods in predicting the UCS of AAS-based CPB.Relative importance analysis based on the bestperforming model(GBR)indicated that curing time and water-to-binder ratio were the most critical input parameters in the model.Finally,the GBR model with the highest accuracy was proposed for the UCS predictions of AAS-based CPB.

Size effect on cubic and prismatic compressive strength of cement paste

A series of compression tests were conducted on 150 groups of cement paste specimens with side lengths ranging from 40 mm to 200 mm. The specimens include cube specimens and prism specimens with height to width ratio of 2. The experiment results show that size effect exists in the cubic compressive strength and prismatic compressive strength of the cement paste, and larger specimens resist less in terms of strength than smaller ones. The cubic compressive strength and the prismatic compressive strength of the specimens with side length of 200 mm are respectively about 91% and 89% of the compressive strength of the specimens with the side length of 40 mm. Water to binder ratio has a significant influence on the size effect of the compressive strengths of the cement paste. With a decrease in the water to binder ratio, the size effect is significantly enhanced. When the water to binder ratio is 0.2, the size effects of the cubic compressive strength and the prismatic compressive strength of the cement paste are 1.6 and 1.4 times stronger than those of a water to binder ratio of 0.6. Furthermore, a series of formulas are proposed to calculate the size effect of the cubic compressive strength and the prismatic compressive strength of cement paste, and the results of the size effect predicted by the formulas are in good agreement with the experiment results.

Using particle swarm optimization algorithm in an artificial neural network to forecast the strength of paste filling material

In order to forecast the strength of filling material exactly, the main factors affecting the strength of filling material are analyzed. The model of predicting the strength of filling material was established by applying the theory of artificial neural net- works. Based on cases related to our test data of filling material, the predicted results of the model and measured values are com- pared and analyzed. The results show that the model is feasible and scientifically justified to predict the strength of filling material, which provides a new method for forecasting the strength of filling material for paste filling in coal mines.

Early Age Compressive Strength of Pastes by Electrical Resistivity Method and Maturity Method

The compressive strength development of Portland cement pastes was investigated by the electrical resistivity method and the maturity method.The experiments were carried out on the cement pastes with different water-cement ratios at different curing temperatures.The results show that the application of the maturity method has limitation to obtain the strength.It is found that both of the compressive strength and the electrical resistivity follow hyperbolic trend for all the mixes.The hyperbolic equation of each mix is obtained to estimate the ultimate resistivity value which can probably be reached.The relationship between electrical resistivity and compressive strength of the cement pastes is established based on the test results and interpreted by the empirical Archie equation and a strength-porosity equation.The relationship between the electrical resistivity after temperature correction and the compressive strength was linear and independent of curing temperature and water-cement ratio.

Analysis of Pore Structures and Their Relations with Strength of Hardened Cement Paste

Three cement samples were prepared, includi ng OPC consisted of 100wt% portland cement, PFA consisted of 70wt% portland cemen t and 30wt% fly-ash, and CA consisted of 70wt% portland cement and 30wt% modifi ed fly ash. The strength of hardened cement paste of these samples was tested an d their pore structures were determined by a mercury intrusion porosimeter. More over,the data of the pore structures of three samples were comprehensively analy zed. The relations between the pore structures and the compressive strength of t he three samples were studied. The experimental results show that the relations between the porosity determined by the mercury intrusion porosimeter and the com pressive strength are not notable, and the total pore surface area, the average pore diameter and the median pore diameter could be used to explain the differen ce of the strength of the tested samples.

Effect of Fly Ash and Silica Fume on Hydration Rate of Cement Pastes and Strength of Mortars

The effect of fly ash and silica fume on hydration rate and strength of cement in the early stage was studied. Contrast test was applied to the complex cementitious system to investigate the hydration rate. Combined with mechanical strength, the influence of fly ash and silica fume during the hydration process of complex binder was researched. The peak of the rate of hydration heat evolution and the mechanical strength decreased as the ratio of fly ash increased, however, as the ratio of silica fume increased, the peak of the rate of hydration heat evolution and the mechanical strength increased obviously. When the ratios of fly ash and silica fume are 10% and 5%, the peak of the rate of hydration heat evolution is the highest. At the same time 7 days of flexural and compressive strength are the highest as 8.89 MPa and 46.52 MPa, respectively. Fly ash and silica fume are the main factors affecting the hydration rate and the mechanical property.

RELATIONSHIP OF 3CaO·3Al_2O_3·SrSO_4 PASTE STRUCTURE AND ITS STRENGTH

The hydration process and the paste structure of a new cemerititious mineral 3CaO ?3Al2Oi ?SrSOt have been investigated in the presence of different sulphates. It is difficult to form hydrates with SrSOt,but the paste is toughened greatly by SrSO4 microcrystal precipitates and very high strength is ob-tained. A quantity of expansive ettringite is formed in the pres-ence of gypsum. That makes porosity of paste increase and strength decrease.

Estimating shear strength of high-level pillars supported with cemented backfilling using the HoekeBrown strength criterion

Deep metal mines are often mined using the high-level pillars with subsequent cementation backfilling(HLSCB)mining method.At the design stage,it is therefore important to have a reasonable method for determining the shear strength of the high-level pillars(i.e.cohesion and internal friction angle)when they are supported by cemented backfilling.In this study,a formula was derived for the upper limit of the confining pressure σ3max on a high-level pillar supported by cemented backfilling in a deep metal mine.A new method of estimating the shear strength of such pillars was then proposed based on the Hoek eBrown failure criterion.Our analysis indicates that the horizontal stress σhh acting on the cemented backfill pillar can be simplified by expressing it as a constant value.A reasonable and effective value for σ3max can then be determined.The value of s3max predicted using the proposed method is generally less than 3 MPa.Within this range,the shear strength of the high-level pillar is accurately calculated using the equivalent MohreCoulomb theory.The proposed method can effectively avoid the calculation of inaccurate shear strength values for the high-level pillars when the original HoekeBrown criterion is used in the presence of large confining pressures,i.e.the situation in which the cohesion value is too large and the friction angle is too small can effectively be avoided.The proposed method is applied to a deep metal mine in China that is being excavated using the HLSCB method.The shear strength parameters of the high-level pillars obtained using the proposed method were input in the numerical simulations.The numerical results show that the recommended level heights and sizes of the high-level pillars and rooms in the mine are rational.

A Modeling Method for Predicting the Strength of Cemented Paste Backfill Based on a Combination of Aggregate Gradation Optimization and LSTM

Cemented paste backill(CPB)is a susta inable mining technology that is widely used in mines and helps to improve the mine environment.To investigate the relationship between aggregate grading and different affecting factors and the uniaxial compressive strength(UCS)of the cemented paste backill(CPB),Talbol gradation theory and neural networks is used to evaluate aggregate gradation to determine the optimum aggregate ratio.The mixed aggregate ratio with the least amount of cement(waste stone content river sand content=7:3)is obtained by using Talbol grading theory and pile compactness function and combined with experiments.In addition,the response surface method is used to design strength speaific ratio experiments.The UCS prediction model which ues the ISTM and considers the aggregates gradation have high accuracy.The root mean square error(RMSE)of the prediction results is 0.0914,the coefficient of determination(R^(2))is 0.9973 and the variance account for(VAF)is 99.73.Compared with back propagation neural network(BP-ANN),extreme lea ming machine(ELM)and madal basis function neural network(RBF ANN),LSTM can efectively characterize the nonlinear relationship between UCS and individual affecting factors and predict UCS with high accuracy.The sensitivity analysis of different affecting factors on UCS shows that all 4 factors have significant effect on UCS and sensitivity is in the following ranking:cement content(0.9264)>slurry concentration(0.9179)>aggregate gradation(waste rodk content)(0.9031)>curing time(09031).

Using cemented paste backfill to tackle the phosphogypsum stockpile in China:A down-to-earth technology with new vitalities in pollutant retention and CO_(2) abatement

Phosphogypsum(PG),a hard-to-dissipate by-product of the phosphorus fertilizer production industry,places strain on the biogeochemical cycles and ecosystem functions of storage sites.This pervasive problem is already widespread worldwide and requires careful stewardship.In this study,we review the presence of potentially toxic elements(PTEs)in PG and describe their associations with soil properties,anthropogenic activities,and surrounding organisms.Then,we review different ex-/in-situ solutions for promoting the sustainable management of PG,with an emphasis on in-situ cemented paste backfill,which offers a cost-effective and highly scalable opportunity to advance the value-added recovery of PG.However,concerns related to the PTEs'retention capacity and long-term effectiveness limit the implementation of this strategy.Furthermore,given that the large-scale demand for ordinary Portland cement from this conventional option has resulted in significant CO_(2) emissions,the technology has recently undergone additional scrutiny to meet the climate mitigation ambition of the Paris Agreement and China's Carbon Neutrality Economy.Therefore,we discuss the ways by which we can integrate innovative strategies,including supplementary cementitious materials,alternative binder solutions,CO_(2) mineralization,CO_(2) curing,and optimization of the supply chain for the profitability and sustainability of PG remediation.However,to maximize the co-benefits in environmental,social,and economic,future research must bridge the gap between the feasibility of expanding these advanced pathways and the multidisciplinary needs.

Resistance of Cement Paste and Its Relationship to Strength under the Corrosive Action of Ambient Media

In this study, we measured the resistances (test frequency 837.8 Hz) of the paste of Portland cement (PC) and phosphoaluminate cement (PALC) subjected to different types of corrosion and different numbers of freeze-thaw cycles. This study aimed to improve understanding of the changing characteristics of paste resistance from both micro and macro perspectives by associating changes in the paste microstructure with changes in the paste mechanical strength using X-ray diffraction (XRD), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and other methods. Our results showed that changes in the paste resistance under the corrosive action of ambient media could signal the deterioration of paste structure and loss of paste strength. Continuous hydration reactions within the paste were found to render it more dense and increase its resistance. Invasion of corrosive ions was found to continue to increase paste resistance if the structure of the cement paste was not destroyed. Otherwise, paste resistance would decrease. Corrosive media were found to cause the dispersion of hydrated gels with certain degree of polymerization. Because spatial resistance was found to cause difficulty in the transportation of ion clusters, the decreases in resistance caused by long-term corrosion might be reduced due to a compensation effect. This effect was found to be related to the severity of structural damage to the paste. The magnitudes of corrosive effects of chemical media on the radicals in the cement paste structure were found to occur in the following order: SiO4 > AlO4 > PO4. The resistance and strength of the PC was always lower than those of PALC. In addition, losses of resistance and strength by PALC were mainly due to deterioration of the radical structure of AlO6.

Enhancing the Interaction of Carbon Nanotubes by Metal-Organic Decomposition with Improved Mechanical Strength and Ultra-Broadband EMI Shielding Performance

The remarkable properties of carbon nanotubes(CNTs)have led to promising applications in the field of electromagnetic inter-ference(EMI)shielding.However,for macroscopic CNT assemblies,such as CNT film,achieving high electrical and mechanical properties remains challenging,which heavily depends on the tube-tube interac-tions of CNTs.Herein,we develop a novel strategy based on metal-organic decomposition(MOD)to fabricate a flexible silver-carbon nanotube(Ag-CNT)film.The Ag particles are introduced in situ into the CNT film through annealing of MOD,leading to enhanced tube-tube interactions.As a result,the electrical conductivity of Ag-CNT film is up to 6.82×10^(5) S m^(-1),and the EMI shielding effectiveness of Ag-CNT film with a thickness of~7.8μm exceeds 66 dB in the ultra-broad frequency range(3-40 GHz).The tensile strength and Young’s modulus of Ag-CNT film increase from 30.09±3.14 to 76.06±6.20 MPa(~253%)and from 1.12±0.33 to 8.90±0.97 GPa(~795%),respectively.Moreover,the Ag-CNT film exhibits excellent near-field shield-ing performance,which can effectively block wireless transmission.This innovative approach provides an effective route to further apply macroscopic CNT assemblies to future portable and wearable electronic devices.

Investigation of anisotropic strength criteria for layered rock mass

Layered rock mass is a type of engineering rock mass with sound mechanical anisotropy,which is generally unfavorable to the stability of underground works.To investigate the strength anisotropy of layered rock,the Mohr-Coulomb and Hoek-Brown criteria are introduced to establish the two transverse isotropic strength criteria based on Jaeger's single weak plane theory and maximum axial strain theory,and parameter determination methods.Furthermore,the sensitivity of strength parameters(K 1,K 2,and K 3)that are used to characterize the anisotropy strength of non-sliding failure involved in the strength criteria and confining pressure are investigated.The results demonstrate that strength parameters K 1 and K 2 affect the strength of layered rock samples at all bedding angles except for the bedding angle of 90°and the angle range that can cause the shear sliding failure along the bedding plane.The strength of samples at any bedding angle decreases with increasing K 1,whereas the opposite is for K 2.Except for bedding angles of 0°and 90°and the bedding angle range that can cause the shear sliding along the bedding plane,K 3 has an impact on the strength of rock samples with other bedding angles that the specimens'strength increases with increase of K 3.In addition,the strength of the rock sample increases as confining pressure rises.Furthermore,the uniaxial and triaxial tests of chlorite schist samples were carried out to verify and evaluate the strength criteria proposed in the paper.It shows that the predicted strength is in good agreement with the experimental results.To test the applicability of the strength criterion,the strength data of several types of rock in the literature are compared.Finally,a comparison is made between the fitting effects of the two strength criteria and other available criteria for layered rocks.

Prediction models of burst strength degradation for casing with considerations of both wear and corrosion

Casing wear and casing corrosion are serious problems affecting casing integrity failure in deep and ultra-deep wells.This paper aims to predict the casing burst strength with considerations of both wear and corrosion.Firstly,the crescent wear shape is simplified into three categories according to common mathematical models.Then,based on the mechano-electrochemical(M-E)interaction,the prediction model of corrosion depth is built with worn depth as the initial condition,and the prediction models of burst strength of the worn casing and corroded casing are obtained.Secondly,the accuracy of different prediction models is validated by numerical simulation,and the main influence factors on casing strength are obtained.At last,the theoretical models are applied to an ultra-deep well in Northwest China,and the dangerous well sections caused by wear and corrosion are predicted,and the corrosion rate threshold to ensure the safety of casing is obtained.The results show that the existence of wear defects results in a stress concentration and enhanced M-E interaction on corrosion depth growth.The accuracy of different mathematical models is different:the slot ring model is most accurate for predicting corrosion depth,and the eccentric model is most accurate for predicting the burst strength of corroded casing.The burst strength of the casing will be overestimated by more than one-third if the M-E interaction is neglected,so the coupling effect of wear and corrosion should be sufficiently considered in casing integrity evaluation.