Effect of Shrinkage Reducing Agent and Steel Fiber on the Fluidity and Cracking Performance of Ultra-High Performance Concrete

Due to the low water-cement ratio of ultra-high-performance concrete(UHPC),fluidity and shrinkage cracking are key aspects determining the performance and durability of this type of concrete.In this study,the effects of different types of cementitious materials,chemical shrinkage-reducing agents(SRA)and steel fiber(SF)were assessed.Compared with M2-UHPC and M3-UHPC,M1-UHPC was found to have better fluidity and shrinkage cracking performance.Moreover,different SRA incorporation methods,dosage and different SF types and aspect ratios were implemented.The incorporation of SRA and SF led to a decrease in the fluidity of UHPC.SRA internal content of 1%(NSRA-1%),SRA external content of 1%(WSRA-1%),STS-0.22 and STE-0.7 decreased the fluidity of UHPC by 3.3%,8.3%,9.2%and 25%,respectively.However,SRA and SF improved the UHPC shrinkage cracking performance.NSRA-1%and STE-0.7 reduced the shrinkage value of UHPC by 40%and 60%,respectively,and increased the crack resistance by 338%and 175%,respectively.In addition,the addition of SF was observed to make the microstructure of UHPC more compact,and the compressive strength and flexural strength of 28 d were increased by 26.9%and 19.9%,respectively.

Long-term performance of recycled asphalt mixtures containing high RAP and RAS

The application of reclaimed asphalt pavement(RAP)and reclaimed asphalt shingles(RAS)on asphalt pavement can reduce the asphalt paving cost,conserve energy and protect the environment.However,the use of high contents of RAP and RAS in asphalt pavement may lead to durability issues,especially the fatigue cracking and thermal cracking.It is necessary to conduct a series of analyses on asphalt mixtures containing high RAP and RAS,and seek methods to enhance their long-term performance.This paper provides a comprehensive over-view of the long-term performance of recycled asphalt mixtures containing high contents of RAP and RAS.The findings in this research show that rutting resistance of high recycled asphalt mixtures is not a concern,whereas their resistance to fatigue and thermal cracking is not conclusive.Recycling agents can be used to improve the thermal cracking resistance of high recycled asphalt mixtures.An optimum decision on recycling agents will improve the durability properties of high recycled asphalt mixtures.It is recommended that to use a balanced mixture design approach with testing of the blended asphalt binders will provide better understanding of long-term performance of recycled asphalt mixtures containing high RAP and RAS.

Effects of Operating Conditions on the Catalytic Performance of HZSM-5 Zeolites in n-Pentane Cracking

In this work,n-pentane catalytic cracking over HZSM-5 zeolites was studied at 650°C under atmosphere pressure.A particular attention was paid to the measurement of n-pentane conversion,light olefins production,product distribution,coke deposit,etc.Several indexes were defined to evaluate the effects of operating conditions on the catalytic performance of HZSM-5 zeolites.It was found that decreasing the weight hourly space velocity,increasing the reactant partial pressure,and increasing the carrier gas flow rate could inhibit C-H bond breaking and enhance the C-C bond breaking and hydride transfer reactions,leading to reduced alkenes selectivity,which suppressed the formation of external coke and alleviated the deactivation of HZSM-5 zeolites.It was deduced that the catalytic stability of HZSM-5 zeolites was improved at the cost of alkenes selectivity.Compared with decreasing the weight hourly space velocity and increasing the reactant partial pressure,increasing the carrier gas flow rate could enhance the diffusion process and protect alkenes from being consumed in coke formation in order to improve the catalytic stability of HZSM-5 zeolites with less reduction of alkenes selectivity.

Distribution of nitrogen and oxygen compounds in shale oil distillates and their catalytic cracking performance

The positive-and negative-ion electrospray ionization(ESI)coupled with Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry(FT-ICR MS)was employed to identify the chemical composition of heteroatomic compounds in four distillates of Fushun shale oil,and their catalytic cracking performance was investigated.There are nine classes of basic nitrogen compounds(BNCs)and eleven classes of non-basic heteroatomic compounds(NBHCs)in the different distillates.The dominant BNCs are mainly basic N1 class species.The dominant NBHCs are mainly acidic O2 and O1 class species in the300-350℃,350-400℃,and 400-450℃distillates,while the neutral N1,N1 O1 and N2 compounds become relatively abundant in the>450℃fraction.The basic N1 compounds and acidic O1 and O2 compounds are separated into different distillates by the degree of alkylation(different carbon number)but not by aromaticity(different double-bond equivalent values).The basic N1 O1 and N2 class species and neutral N1 and N2 class species are separated into different distillates by the degrees of both alkylation and aromaticity.After the catalytic cracking of Fushun shale oil,the classes of BNCs in the liquid products remain unchanged,while the classes and relative abundances of NBHCs vary significantly.

Assessment of early-age cracking of high-performance concrete in restrained ring specimens

High-performance concrete （HPC） is stronger and more durable than conventional concrete. However, shrinkage and shrinkage cracking are common phenomena in HPC, especially early-age cracking. This study assessed early-age cracking of HPC for two mixtures using restrained ring tests. The two mixtures were produced with water/binder mass ratio （mw/mB） of 0.22 and 0.40, respectively. The results show that, with greater steel thickness, the higher degree of restraint resulted in a higher interface pressure and earlier cracking. With steel thickness of 6 mm, 19 mm, and 30 mm, the age of cracking were, respectively, 12 days, 8 days, and 5.4 days with the mw/mB = 0.22 mixture; and 22.5 days, 12.6 days, and 7.1 days with the mw/mB= 0.40 mixture. Cases of the same steel thickness show that the ring specimens with a thicker concrete wall crack later. With the mw/mB = 0.22 mixture, concrete walls with thicknesses of 37.5 mm, 75 mm, and 112.5 mm cracked at 3.4 days, 8.0 days, and 9.8 days, respectively; with the mw/mB = 0.40 mixture, the ages of cracking were 7.1 days, 12.6 days, and 16.0 days, respectively.

The Influential Factors of Semi-Flexible Pavement Cracking Performance

The cracking performance of semi-flexible pavement(SFP) was investigated by using the semi-circular bending(SCB) test in this paper. Thirteen grouting slurries were prepared. The compressive strength of these materials ranges from 3 to 100 MPa. The relationship between the compressive strength of the grouting slurry and the cracking property of SFP was obtained at different loading rates and different temperatures. The peak load, fracture energy(E), flexible index(FI), and cracking resistance index(CRI) were calculated to determine the material performance. The results show that the compressive strength of the grout influences the cracking behavior. With a higher comprehensive strength grouting slurry, the FI value of SFP decreased initially and then increased slightly at 25 ℃ in 50 mm/min. The CRI value decreased at the same time. E values changed just according to the test temperature and loading rate. The damage paths of SFP are different. The damage path of the SFP sample appears as diffuse damage at 1 mm/min at 60 ℃ or clean damage at 50 mm/min at 25 ℃. These findings indicate that there is a correlation between the compressive strength of grouting slurry and SFP cracking behavior. The cracking form is influenced by loading rate and temperature.

Energy Performance Contracting—Business opportunities would be infinite if the “two obstacles” were cracked

Energy Performance Contracting was introduced into China in the mid 1990s. Since western energy service companies came to China, their management pattern has undergone major changes. Why did such changes occur? Mainly because these companies encountered two difficulties in China: tax and financing.

The Performance of SUF High Effective Concrete Crack-patching Material

The physical properties and microstructure of SUF are investigated to develop a highly effective cement matrix crack-patching material for concrete cracks. The SEM and XRD determination of hardened SUF shows that the microstructure of SUF is dense and compact with a lot of C-S-H gels and ettringite. Also, the mechanism of shrinkage compensating is discussed.

Characteristics of Crack Growth in High Performance Concrete Subjected to Fire

An experimental investigation was conducted to identify the characteristics of crack growth in high performance concrete (HPC) subjected to fire, including two parts of work, i.e. crack growth resistance determinations and cracking observations, using concrete of three strength grades 40 MPa, 70 MPa, and 110 MPa. The crack growth resistance curves (R-curves ) of HPC subjected to high temperatures were determined using notched three-point bend beam specimens of 100 mm×100 mm×300mm. The R-curve (crack growth resistance curve) flattening shows that the crack growth resistance has been significantly reduced by elevated temperature. Concrete with a higher strength grade has a steeper R-curve, with a higher fracture toughness but a shorter critical crack growth. The shorter critical crack growth means that concrete of a higher strength grade has a more brittle behavior. The concrete cracking observations reveal that the consequences of rapid heating are quite different from those of slow heating. For slow heating at a rate of 0.5℃/min, HPC suffered no obvious cracking below 600℃ even if it had a high moisture content. Explosive spalling is an extreme case of the internal cracking driven mainly by vapor pressure. All these results confirmed the vapor pressure mechanism for spading behavior which should be more significant for denser concrete. The crack growth ranges obtained from the R-curve determination results are in good agreement with those measured in the concrete cracking observations.

Automatic detection and assessment of crack development in ultra-high performance concrete in the spatial and Fourier domains

Automatic detection and assessment of surface cracks are beneficial for understanding the mechanical performance of ultra-high performance concrete(UHPC).This study detects crack evolution using a novel dynamic mode decomposition(DMD)method.In this method,the sparse matrix‘determined’from images is used to reconstruct the foreground that contains cracks,and the global threshold method is adopted to extract the crack patterns.The application of the DMD method to the three-point bending test demonstrates the efficiency in inspecting cracks with high accuracy.Accordingly,the geometric features,including the area and its projection in two major directions,are evaluated over time.The relationship between the geometric properties of cracks and load-displacement curves of UHPC is discussed.Due to the irregular shape of cracks in the spatial domain,the cracks are then transformed into the Fourier domain to assess their development.Results indicate that crack patterns in the Fourier domain exhibit a distinct concentration around a central position.Moreover,the power spectral density of cracks exhibits an increasing trend over time.The investigation into crack evolution in both the spatial and Fourier domains contributes significantly to elucidating the mechanical behavior of UHPC.

Influence of Design Margin on Operation Optimization and Control Performance of Chemical Processes

Operation optimization is an effective method to explore potential economic benefits for existing plants. The m.aximum potential benefit from operationoptimization is determined by the distances between current operating point and process constraints, which is related to the margins of design variables. Because of various ciisturbances in chemical processes, some distances must be reserved for fluctuations of process variables and the optimum operating point is not on some process constraints. Thus the benefit of steady-state optimization can not be fully achied（ed while that of dynamic optimization can be really achieved. In this study, the steady-state optimizationand dynamic optimization are used, and the potential benefit-is divided into achievable benefit for profit and unachievable benefit for control. The fluid catalytic cracking unit （FCCU） is used for case study. With the analysis on how the margins of design variables influence the economic benefit and control performance, the bottlenecks of process design are found and appropriate control structure can be selected.

Effect of Si content on laser welding performance of Al-Mn-Mg alloy

The correlation between Si content （0.1%-0.5%, mass fraction） and pulse laser welding performance of AI-Mn-Mg aluminum alloy sheets was studied. The sheets were fabricated in the laboratory, with gauge of 0.45 mm, H16 temper by pulse laser welding. It was found that no cracking existed in the welding pool as Si content was below 0.34%. However, when the Si content increased to 0.47%, cracking formed in the welding pool. Microstructure observations indicated that residual eutectic phases distributed at the grain boundaries were discontinuous and appeared to be small particles in lower Si content alloys; the residual eutectic phases distributed at the grain boundaries were partially continuous and appeared to be films in higher Si content alloys. These phenomena could explain why Si content adversely affected the laser welding performance.

Wedge Splitting Test and Inverse Analysis on Fracture Behaviour of Fiber Reinforced and Regular High Performance Concretes

The fracture behaviour of three fiber reinforced and regular HPC （high performance concretes） is presented in this paper. Two mixes are based on optimization of HPC whereas the third mix was a commercial mix developed by CONTEC ApS （Denmark）. The wedge splitting test setup with 48 cubical specimens was used experimentally and the cracked non-linear hinge model based on the fictitious crack model was applied for the interpretation of the results. The stress-crack opening relationships were extracted by using inverse analysis algorithm for various multi-linear softening curves. This showed that the refinement of the softening curves reflects in improved accuracy of the WST （wedge splitting test） simulation in comparison with bi-linear softening curves with acceptable increase of computational time. Furthermore, the fracture mechanics parameters such as COD （crack opening displacement）, fracture energy and characteristic length were experimentally determined. Experiments were performed at 1, 3, 7 and 28 days. Fracture energy, Gf, was found to increase with age, while the characteristic length, Lch, was found to decrease.

Cracking and Mechanical Properties of Airport Concrete Pavement with Fiber and Expansive Agent

Polypropylene fiber and expansive agent are used in airport concrete to improve its shrinkage cracking resistance and mechanical properties.The concrete specimens with amount content of polypropylene fiber or expansive agent or both of them are prepared.The morphology of specimens is observed by scanning electron microscope,the time when the first crack occurred is recorded through slap test,and the mechanical properties such as compressive strength and impact energies of concrete are measured.The results show that polypropylene fiber in concrete can reduce the shrinkage and delay the first crack,improve the impact resistance obviously,and improve the compressive strength slightly.Expansive agent can compensate the shrinkage and reduce cracks of concrete pavement markedly,and improve the mechanical properties of concrete pavement slightly.The study provides recommendations for cracking control of airport concrete pavement in the future.

Multi-powder dam concrete with high performance and low adiabatic temperature rise

Based on the fluidity, strength, heat of hydration and loop crack resistance experiment of multi-powder paste, the components and proportion of multi-powder were optimized and the concrete properties were studied. The multi-powder consists of limestone powder, slag, fly ash and moderate heat Portland cement (PMH cement). The results show that the compressive strength of the multi-powder paste and mortar is close to those of PMH cement, fly ash paste and mortar currently used in dam concrete, yet the flexural strength is relatively higher. The multi-powder paste is featured by larger fluidity, lower heat of hydration and delayed cracking time. In comparison, less unit water consumption and cement is used in multi-powder concrete, and under premise of equal mechanical performance, deformation, thermal performance and durability, the adiabatic temperature rise at 28 d is reduced by 2 ℃. In this way, the crack resistance is improved and it is feasible both technically and economically to produce HPC for dam concrete.

A review on evaluation of crack resistance of asphalt mixture by semi-circular bending test

Although there are many kinds of fracture tests to choose from in evaluating the crack resistance of asphalt mixture,the semi-circular bending(SCB)test has attracted a lot of attention in the academic road engineering community because of its simplicity,stability,and flexibility in testing and evaluation.The SCB test has become a common method to study the cracking resistance of asphalt mixture in recent years.This paper mainly summarizes the overview of the SCB test,summarizes some research results and common characterization parameters of the SCB test method in monotone test and fatigue test in recent years,and predicts and suggests the research direction of the SCB test in the future.It is found that the research on the monotonic SCB test is more comprehensive,and the research on the SCB fatigue test needs to be further improved in the aspects of loading mode,characterization parameter selection,and so on.Researchers can flexibly adjust the geometric dimensions and the test parameters of semi-cylindrical specimens,and conduct comprehensive analysis combined with the results of numerical simulation.The crack resistance of asphalt mixture can be comprehensively evaluated by fracture energy,fracture toughness,stiffness,flexibility index and other fracture indicators,combined with the crack propagation of the specimen.The analysis of numerical simulation can confirm the test results.In order to standardize the setting of fatigue parameters for future application,it is necessary to standardize the setting of bending performance.

基于综合性能试验的混凝土早期开裂行为研究

为提高混凝土的早期抗裂性能,突破单因素改善其早期稳定性,进行了多因素补偿混凝土各性能缺陷方面的研究.基于调控混凝土配合比开展了胶凝材料水化热、混凝土早期收缩试验和大板加速开裂试验.通过相关收缩机理分析了不同混凝土拌和物的开裂行为;运用双参数Weibull分布分析试验结果,得出了混凝土大板裂缝经时开裂规律.试验结果表明:采用高效稳定型聚羧酸减水剂可以增加浆体的和易性,结合66.7%矿物掺合料(粉煤灰和矿渣粉与水泥质量比)、较好级配碎石和0.29的水胶比有利于延长混凝土的初裂时间和控制裂缝宽度,即提高混凝土的早期抗裂性能.同时,该调控手段也可以降低浆体的水化热,提高混凝土的抗压强度.此外,混凝土裂缝宽度的经时变化规律很好地服从双参数Weibull分布.

不同纤维增韧环氧沥青混合料性能

为探究不同种类纤维(玄武岩纤维、玻璃纤维和聚酯纤维)对环氧沥青混合料抗开裂和耐疲劳性能的提升效果,在混合料配比设计的基础上,采用车辙试验、低温小梁试验、浸水马歇尔试验以及冻融劈裂试验等对其进行路用性能测试。通过冲击试验,探究纤维对环氧沥青混合料的三种增韧效果:在环氧沥青混合料中添加纤维可以不同程度提高其路用性能;低温性能再加入纤维后,提升效果较为明显;添加玄武岩纤维路用性能优于玻璃纤维和聚酯纤维。

服役损伤对制动盘疲劳裂纹扩展行为的影响

制动盘是高速列车制动系统的重要元件,其复杂的服役工况会使制动盘出现多种形式的服役损伤,影响制动盘后续的可维修性和服役安全性。选取未服役制动盘和产生翘曲变形且摩擦面出现疲劳裂纹的服役后制动盘为研究对象,通过测试服役前后制动盘材料在不同温度下的拉伸力学性能,构建了受摩擦面深度和温度双参数影响的力学性能衰退模型来表征制动盘的材料损伤。通过构建不同制动工况下制动盘三维瞬态仿真模型,得到了服役后制动盘的结构变形和残余应力状态来表征制动盘的结构损伤。基于Paris理论进行制动盘疲劳裂纹扩展寿命分析,评估了服役损伤对制动盘疲劳裂纹扩展能力的影响。结果表明:长期服役后制动盘本体材料力学性能会发生衰退,从摩擦面表层至心部呈现梯度分布,近表层材料强度下降约20%,制动盘残余应力释放后会使盘体产生碟形翘曲变形。服役后制动盘的力学性能衰退使裂纹前缘的应力强度因子水平显著高于服役前制动盘,摩擦面中部裂纹沿制动盘径向的扩展速率大于沿深度方向,使裂纹深长比不断减小。与服役前制动盘相比,服役后制动盘摩擦面中部裂纹从0.5 mm扩展至70 mm的扩展寿命降低了48%。螺栓孔处疲劳裂纹扩展初期主要沿深度方向扩展,随着裂纹尺寸增加沿制动盘径向与深度扩展速率逐渐一致,服役后制动盘螺栓孔裂纹从0.5 mm扩展至50 mm的扩展寿命与服役前相比降低了29%。本文的研究方法可用于不同损伤程度的制动盘本体性能表征与失效分析,对服役后制动盘的检修维护、保障制动盘的安全运用具有工程参考价值。

桉木单板背面裂隙率对胶合板性能的影响

为给胶合板生产过程的组坯工艺优化提供理论依据,采用图像处理技术与宏观力学性能试验相结合,分析桉木单板背面裂隙率对胶合板性能的影响,探讨桉木单板背面裂隙率与胶合板性能的相关性。结果表明,不同单板背面裂隙率下,干状、冷水浸泡24 h和热水浸泡3 h胶合板的胶合强度及顺纹静曲强度均差异极显著,横纹静曲强度、横纹弹性模量和顺纹弹性模量均差异不显著。随单板背面裂隙率增大,胶合板在3种条件下的胶合强度、顺纹静曲强度和顺纹弹性模量均呈下降趋势。相关性分析表明,单板背面裂隙率与干状胶合强度、冷水浸泡24 h胶合强度和顺纹静曲强度均呈极显著负相关,与顺纹弹性模量呈显著负相关。单板背面裂隙率对胶合板性能的影响表现为冷水浸泡24 h胶合强度>干状胶合强度>顺纹静曲强度>顺纹弹性模量>热水浸泡3 h胶合强度>横纹弹性模量>横纹静曲强度。