Experimental investigation on freeze-thaw durability of polymer concrete

Assessing the durability of concrete is of prime importance to provide an adequate service life and reduce the repairing cost of structures.Freeze-thaw is one such test that indicates the ability of concrete to last a long time without a significant loss in its performance.In this study,the freeze-thaw resistance of polymer concrete containing different polymer contents was explored and compared to various conventional cement concretes.Concretes’fresh and hardened properties were assessed for their workability,air content,and compressive strength.The mass loss,length change,dynamic modulus of elasticity,and residual compressive strength were determined for all types of concretes subjected to freeze-thaw cycles according to ASTM C666-procedure A.Results showed that polymer concrete(PC)specimens prepared with higher dosages of polymer contents possessed better freeze-thaw durability compared to other specimens.This high durability performance of PCs is mainly due to their impermeable microstructures,absence of water in their structure,and the high bond strength between aggregates and a polymer binder.It is also indicated that the performance of high-strength concrete containing air-entraining admixture is comparable with PC having optimum polymer content in terms of residual compressive strength,dynamic modulus of elasticity,mass loss,and length change.

Characterization by Thermogravimetric Analysis of Polymeric Concrete with High Density Polyethylene Mechanically Recycled

This paper presents the results of the characterization by thermogravimetric analysis of a new composite material called polymeric concrete. The polymeric concrete contains micro-particles obtained from High Density Poly-Ethylene (HDPE) mechanically recycled (post-consumer bottles);the official Mexican standard NMX-E-232-SCFI-1999 considers the HDPE as the recyclable plastic material. Thermo-grams based on weight lost were obtained from the raw material (HDPE) and the polymer concrete in order to obtain the glass transition temperature (Tg) and melting temperature (Tf). The analysis conditions were defined from 20°C to 180°C and the heat rate of 1°C/minute. The results show that the glass transition temperature of polymeric concrete is 46°C and the HDPE is 38°C. These results mean that the polymeric concrete is more resistant to decomposition. With respect to the melting temperature, the results show that the 2°C difference between polymeric concrete and HDPE is not significant. The polymeric concrete with HDPE recycled can be considered as composite material thermoplastic. The new material melts when it is heated to 146°C and has the ability to be softened, processed and reprocessed with temperature and pressure changes, which make it possible to obtain molded pieces in the desired shape.

Toughness of Polymer Modified Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete

An experimental investigation is carried out to study the toughness of polymer modified steel fiber reinforced concrete. Volume fraction of steel fibers is varied from 0% to 7% at the interval of 1% by weight of cement. 15% SBR latex polymer was used by weight of cement. Cubes of size 150 × 150 × 150 mm for compressive strength, prism specimens of size 150 mm × 150 mm × 700 mm for flexure strength and, specimen of size 150 × 150 × 150 mm with 16 mm diameter tor steel bar of length 650 mm embedded in concrete cube at the center for bond test were prepared. Various specimens were tested after 28 days of curing. Area under curve (toughness) is measured and mentioned in this work.

Optimization of Expanded Polystyrene Lightweight Aggregate in Pre-Cast Concrete Blocks by a Completely Random Experimental Design (CRED) with Mixture and Process Variables

The aim of this study was to determine the optimum design mix to produce pre-cast concrete blocks by a completely random experimental design (CRED) with mixture and process variables. The polymerized concrete was studied its composition: Cement, and water defined as the mixture compounds. To choose the best model, all the possible models were assessed through the ANOVA, which tested each possible model. The linear-linear model was preferred, since that do not present evidence of lack of fit, and it is capable of relating how to react the process variables, when are changed the variable mixture condition levels. The optimum experimental condition, obtained for the polymerized concrete, was: The size of the polystyrene beads was 4.8 mm sized polystyrene beads, 5.0% polystyrene that replaced the aggregate, 18.3% cement, 73.4% aggregate and 8.3% water. In this condition, the blocks made with polymerized concrete show a compressive strength above 15 Mpa, allowing its utilization in paving.