Carbonation of Pure Minerals in Portland Cement:Evolution in Products as a Function of Water-to-solid Ratio

Minerals in Portland cement including tricalcium silicate(C_(3)S),β-dicalcium silicate(β-C_(2)S),tricalcium aluminate(C_(3)A),and tetracalcium ferroaluminate(C_(4)AF),show a significantly different activity and product evolution for CO_(2)curing at various water-to-solid ratios.These pure minerals were synthesized and subject to CO_(2)curing in this study to make an in-depth understanding for the carbonation properties of cement-based materials.Results showed that the optimum water-to-solid ratios of C_(3)S,β-C_(2)S,C_(3)A and C_(4)AF were 0.25,0.15,0.30 and 0.40 for carbonation,corresponding to 2 h carbonation degree of 38.5%,38.5%,24.2%,and 21.9%,respectively.The produced calcite duringβ-C_(2)S carbonation decreased as the water-to-solid ratio increased,with an increase in content of metastable CaCO_(3)of vaterite and aragonite.The thermodynamic stability of CaCO_(3)produced during carbonation was C_(3)A>C_(4)AF>β-C_(2)S>C_(3)S.The carbonation degree of Portland cement was predicted based on the results of pure minerals and the composition of cement,and the error of predicted production of CaCO_(3)was only 1.1%,which provides a potential method to predict carbonation properties of systems with a complex mineral composition.

Effects of cement content, polypropylene fiber length and dosage on fluidity and mechanical properties of fiber-toughened cemented aeolian sand backfill

Using aeolian sand(AS)for goaf backfilling allows coordination of green mining and AS control.Cemented AS backfill(CASB)exhibits brittle fracture.Polypropylene(PP)fibers are good toughening materials.When the toughening effect of fibers is analyzed,their influence on the slurry conveying performance should also be considered.Additionally,cement affects the interactions among the hydration products,fibers,and aggregates.In this study,the effects of cement content(8wt%,9wt%,and 10wt%)and PP fiber length(6,9,and 12 mm)and dosage(0.05wt%,0.1wt%,0.15wt%,0.2wt%,and 0.25wt%)on fluidity and mechanical properties of the fibertoughened CASB(FCASB)were analyzed.The results indicated that with increases in the three aforementioned factors,the slump flow decreased,while the rheological parameters increased.Uniaxial compressive strength(UCS)increased with the increase of cement content and fiber length,and with an increase in fiber dosage,it first increased and then decreased.The strain increased with the increase of fiber dosage and length.The effect of PP fibers became more pronounced with the increase of cement content.Digital image correlation(DIC)test results showed that the addition of fibers can restrain the peeling of blocks and the expansion of fissure,and reduce the stress concentration of the FCASB.Scanning electron microscopy(SEM)test indicated that the functional mechanisms of fibers mainly involved the interactions of fibers with the hydration products and matrix and the spatial distribution of fibers.On the basis of single-factor analysis,the response surface method(RSM)was used to analyze the effects of the three aforementioned factors and their interaction terms on the UCS.The influence surface of the two-factor interaction terms and the three-dimensional scatter plot of the three-factor coupling were established.In conclusion,the response law of the FCASB properties under the effects of cement and PP fibers were obtained,which provides theoretical and engineering guidance for FCASB filling.

Microscopic Analysis of Cementitious Sand and Gravel Damming Materia

The mechanical properties of cementitious sand and gravel damming material have been experimentally determined by means of microscopic SEM(Scanning Electron Microscopy)image analysis.The results show that the combination of fly ash and water can fill the voids in cemented sand and gravel test blocks because of the presence of hydrated calcium silicate and other substances;thereby,the compactness and mechanical properties of these materials can be greatly improved.For every 10 kg/m^(3) increase in the amount of cementitious material,the density increases by about 2%,and the water content decreases by 0.2%.The amount of cementitious material used in the sand and gravel in these tests was 80-110 kg/m^(3),the water-binder ratio was 1-1.50.Moreover,the splitting tensile strength was 1/10 of the compressive strength,and the maximum strength was 7.42 MPa at 90 d.The optimal mix ratio has been found to be 50 kg of cement,60 kg of fly ash and 120 kg of water(C50F60W120).The related dry density was 2.6 g/cm^(3),the water content was 6%,and the water-binder ratio was 1.09.

Fatigue reliability quantitative analysis of cement concrete for highway pavement under high stress ratio

In order to obtain the change law of the fatigue reliability of cement concrete for highway pavement under high stress ratios, first, the probability densities of monotonic random variables including concrete fatigue life are deduced. And then, the fatigue damage probability densities of the Miner and Chaboche-Zhao models are deduced. By virtue of laboratory fatigue test results, the fatigue damage probability density functions of the two models can be obtained, considering different stress ratios. Finally, substituting load cycles into them, the change law of cement concrete fatigue reliability about load cycles can be acquired. The results show that under the same stress ratio, with the increase in the load cycle, the fatigue reliability declines from almost 100% to 0% gradually. No matter under what stress ratio, during the initial stage of the load action, there is always a relatively stable phase for fatigue reliability. With the increase in the stress ratio, the stable phase gradually shortens and the load cycle corresponding to the reliability of 0% also decreases. In the descent phase of reliability, the higher the stress ratio is, the lower the concrete reliability is for the same load cycle. Besides, compared with the Chaboche-Zhao fatigue damage model, the Miner fatigue damage model is safer.

Influence of MgO/MgCl_2 Molar Ratio on Phase Stability of Magnesium Oxychloride Cement

Formation, solution and phase change of hydration products in MgO-MgCl2-H2O system was studied with thermodynamics method, and resistance to water immersion and phase change of magnesium oxychloride cement with different MgO/MgCl2 molar ratio was experimented. The results show that pH value of immersion solution of cement paste has a remarkable influence on phase stability of hydration products. A higher pH value leads to a lower solubility and a better phase stability of hydration products. When the solution pH value is higher than 10.37, the precipitation of much Mg（OH）2 crystal induces a worse phase stability of hydration products. With the increasing MgO/MgCl2 molar ratio （lower than 6）, the more amount of MgO in the hydration products enhances the alkalinity of solution and the phase stability is improved. However, when the MgO/MgCl2 molar ratio is higher than 6 and the excessive MgO exsits in the hydration products, the cement paste may be damaged by the excessive crystallization stress of a great deal of Mg（OH）2 formation.

Constitutive model for monotonic and cyclic responses of loosely cemented sand formations

This paper presents a model to simulate the monotonic and cyclic behaviours of weakly cemented sands.An elastoplastic constitutive model within the framework of bounding surface plasticity theory is adopted to predict the mechanical behaviour of soft sandstone under monotonic and cyclic loadings. In this model, the loading surface always passes through the current stress state regardless of the type of loading. Destruction of the cementation bonds by plastic deformation in the model is considered as the primary mechanism responsible for the mechanical degradation of loosely cemented sands/weak rock.To model cyclic response, the unloading plastic and elastic moduli are formulated based on the loading/reloading plastic and elastic moduli. The proposed model was implemented in FLAC2D and evaluated against laboratory triaxial tests under monotonic and cyclic loadings, and the model results agreed well with the experimental observations. For cyclic tests, hysteresis loops are captured with reasonable accuracy.

A constitutive model for evaluation of mechanical behavior of fiber-reinforced cemented sand

The aim of this study is to present a constitutive model for prediction of the mechanical behavior of fiberreinforced cemented sand. For this purpose, a generalized plasticity constitutive model of sandy soil is selected and the parameters of the model are determined for three types of sandy soils using the results of triaxial tests. Next, the proposed model is developed using the existing models based on the physicomechanical characteristics of fiber-reinforced cemented sand. The elastic parameters, flow rule and hardening law of the base model are modified for fiber-reinforced cemented sand. To verify the proposed model, the predicted results are compared with those of triaxial tests performed on fiber-reinforced cemented sand. Finally, the efficiency of the proposed model is studied at different confining pressures, and cement and fiber contents.

Behavior of zeolite-cement grouted sand under triaxial compression test

Permeation grouting with cement agent is one of the most widely used methods in various geotechnical projects,such as increasing bearing capacity,controlling deformation,and reducing permeability of soils.Due to air pollution induced during cement production as well as its high energy consumption,the use of supplementary materials to replace in part cement can be attractive.Natural zeolite(NZ),as an environmentally friendly material,is an alternative to reduce cement consumption.In the present study,a series of consolidated undrained(CU)triaxial tests on loose sandy soil(with relative density Dr=30%)grouted with cementitious materials(zeolite and cement)having cement replacement with zeolite content(Z)of 0%,10%,30%,50%,70%and 90%,and water to cementitious material ratios(W/CM)of 3,5 and 7 has been conducted.The results indicated that the peak deviatoric stress(qmax)of the grouted specimens increased with Z up to 50%(Z50)and then decreased.The strength of the grouted specimens reduced with increasing W/CM of the grouts from 3 to 7.In addition,by increasing the stress applied on the grouted specimens from yield stress(qy)to the maximum stress(qmax),due to the bond breakage,the effect of cohesion(c’)on the shear strength reduced gradually,while the effect of friction angle(φ’)increased.Furthermore,in some grouted specimens,high confining pressure caused breakage of the cemented bonds and reduced their expected strength.

Effects of temperature and age on physico-mechanical properties of cemented gravel sand backfills

Cemented backfill used in deep mines would inevitably be exposed to the ambient temperature of 20−60℃in the next few decades.In this paper,two types of cemented gravel sand backfills,cemented rod-mill sand backfill(CRB)and cemented gobi sand backfill(CGB),were prepared and cured at various temperatures(20,40,60℃)and ages(3,7,28 d),and the effects of temperature and age on the physico-mechanical properties of CRB and CGB were investigated based on laboratory tests.Results show that:1)the effects of temperature and age on the physico-mechanical properties of backfills mainly depend on the amount of hydration products and the refinement of cementation structures.The temperature has a more significant effect on thermal expansibility and ultrasonic performance at early ages.2)The facilitating effect of temperature and age on the compressive strength of CGB is higher than that on CRB.With the increase of temperature,the compressive failure modes changed from X-conjugate shear failure to tensile failure,and the integrity of specimens was significantly improved.3)Similarly,the shear performance of CGB is generally better than that of CRB.The temperature has a weaker effect on shear strength than age,but the shear deformation and shear plane morphology are closely related to temperature.

Influence of repeated freeze-thaw on dynamic modulus and damping ratio properties of silty sand

Under repeated freezing and thawing in deep seasonal frozen regions, the stability and strength of the soil are imposed in the form of large uneven settlement, instability and strength reduction, which affect the normal operation of railway lines. This study is to obtain the influencing rules of freeze-thaw on the dynamic properties （dynamic strain, confining pressure and compactness） of silty sand. Based on an amount of inner tests, the dynamic modulus and damping ratio properties of silty soil subjected to repeated freeze-thaw cycles were deeply researched and analyzed. The results are as follows： At the same dynamic strain, the relationship of dynamic stress and freeze-thaw cycles presents negative cor- relation, and the relationship of dynamic stress, confining pressure and compactness present positive correlation. The dynamic modulus double decreases while the damping ratio double increases with incremental increase in dynamic strain. The dynamic modulus sharply decreases while the damping ratio increases with incremental increase in freeze-thaw cycles, and then the changes level off after six freeze-thaw cycles. The dynamic modulus increases while the damping ratio decreases as the confining pressure and compactness increase at the same strain level.

Eff ect of Cementation on Calcium Carbonate Precipitation of Loose Sand Resulting from Microbial Treatment

Microbe-induced calcite precipitation is a sustainable improvement technique for sandy soil, which can alter the properties of sand via microbial activity. In this study, we investigated the loose-sand-consolidation effect by controlling the injection velocity, bacterial and cementing-solution concentrations, and hold times. The results demonstrate that, as the cyclic batch increases, the utilization rate of the bacterial fluid increases and both the optical density (OD600) of the bacteria and urease activity decrease. Moreover, it was determined that a 3-h hold time for a 0.5 mol/L cementing solution with a cementing fluid velocity of 2 mL/min has the greatest bonding effect. The final strength of the loose sand with an increase in calcium carbonate content was further discussed. © 2017 Tianjin University and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany

Effect of consolidation ratios on maximum dynamic shear modulus of sands

The dynamic shear modulus (DSM) is the most basic soil parameter in earthquake or other dynamic loading conditions and can be obtained through testing in the field or in the laboratory. The effect of consolidation ratios on the maximum DSM for two types of sand is investigated by using resonant column tests. And, an increment formula to obtain the maximum DSM for cases of consolidation ratio κc>1 is presented. The results indicate that the maximum DSM rises rapidly when κc is near 1 and then slows down, which means that the power function of the consolidation ratio increment κc-1 can be used to describe the variation of the maximum DSM due to κc>1. The results also indicate that the increase in the maximum DSM due to κc>1 is significantly larger than that predicted by Hardin and Black's formula.

Single-factor analysis and interaction terms on the mechanical and microscopic properties of cemented aeolian sand backfill

The use of aeolian sand(AS)as an aggregate to prepare coal mine cemented filling materials can resolve the problems of gangue shortage and excessive AS deposits.Owing to the lack of research on the mechanism of cemented AS backfill(CASB),the response surface method(RSM)was adopted in this study to analyze the influence of ordinary Portland cement(PO)content(x_(1)),fly ash(FA)-AS(FA-AS)ratio(x_(2)),and concentration(x_(3))on the mechanical and microscopic properties of the CASB.The hydration characteristics and internal pore structure of the backfill were assessed through thermogravimetric/derivative thermogravimetric analysis,mercury intrusion porosimetry,and scanning electron microscopy.The RSM results show that the influence of each factor and interaction term on the response values is extremely significant(except x_(1)x_(3),which had no obvious effect on the 28 d strength).The uniaxial compressive strength(UCS)increased with the PO content,FA-AS ratio,and concentration.The interaction effects of x_(1)x_(2),x_(1)x_(3),and x_(2)x_(3) on the UCS at 3,7,and 28 d were analyzed.In terms of the influence of interaction items,an improvement in one factor promoted the strengthening effect of another factor.The enhancement mechanism of the curing time,PO content,and FA-AS ratio on the backfill was reflected in the increase in hydration products and pore structure optimization.By contrast,the enhancement mechanism of the concentration was mainly the pore structure optimization.The UCS was positively correlated with weight loss and micropore content but negatively correlated with the total porosity.The R^(2) value of the fitting function of the strength and weight loss,micropore content,and total porosity exceeded 0.9,which improved the characterization of the enhancement mechanism of the UCS based on the thermogravimetric analysis and pore structure.This work obtained that the influence rules and mechanisms of the PO,FA-AS,concentration,and interaction terms on the mechanical properties of the CASB provided a certain theoretical and engineering guidance for CASB filling.

The Hydration of Blended Cement at Low W/B Ratio

The hydration process,hydration product and hydration heat of blended cement paste mixed with mineral admixture and expansive agent at low W/B ratio are studied by XRD,thermo analysis,and calorimetry instrument,and they were compared with those of pure cement paste.The results show that pure cement and blended cement at low W/B ratio have the same types of hydration products,but their respective amounts of hydration products of various blended cements at same ages and the variation law of the amount of same hydration products with ages are different;The joint effect of tumefaction of gel-ettringite due to water absorption and the expansive pressure on the pore and rift caused by the crystalloid ettringite is the impetus of the volume expansion of cement paste,and the former effect is much greater than the latter one.

A note on influence of stress anisotropy on the Poisson's ratio of dry sand

In this study, extender and bender element tests were conducted investigating the small-strain Poisson’s ratio of variable sands, with a focus on the effect of stress anisotropy in order to quantify the sensitivity of Poisson’s ratio to the applied deviatoric stress. Four different uniform sands were tested, including a biogenic sand, a crushed rock and two natural sands, covering a wide range of particle shapes. From these sands, eleven samples were prepared in the laboratory and were tested under variable stress paths,maintaining a constant mean effective pressure while increasing the deviatoric compressive load. Under the application of these given stress paths, the data analysis indicated that the sensitivity of Poisson’s ratio to the stress ratio was more pronounced for sands with irregularly shaped particles in comparison to sands with fairly rounded and spherical grains. For sands with very irregularly shaped particles, the increase of Poisson’s ratio from the isotropic to the anisotropic stress state reached 50%, while this increase for natural sands with fairly rounded particles was in the order of 20%.

Influence of zeolite and cement additions on mechanical behavior of sandy soil

It is well known that the cemented sand is one of economic and environmental topics in soil stabilization. In this instance, a blend of sand, cement and other materials such as fiber, glass, nanoparticle and zeolite can be commercially available and effectively used in soil stabilization in road construction. However, the influence and effectiveness of zeolite on the properties of cemented sand systems have not been completely explored. In this study, based on an experimental program, the effects of zeolite on the characteristics of cemented sands are investigated. Stabilizing agent includes Portland cement of type II and zeolite. Results show the improvements of unconfined compressive strength （UCS） and failure properties of cemented sand when the cement is replaced by zeolite at an optimum proportion of 30% after 28 days. The rate of strength improvement is approximately between 20% and 78%. The efficiency of using zeolite increases with the increases in cement amount and porosity. Finally, a power function of void-cement ratio and zeolite content is demonstrated to be an appropriate method to assess UCS of zeolite-cemented mixtures.

Study on Triaxial Mechanical Properties and Micro Mechanism of Fly Ash Reinforced Cement Calcareous Sand

In order to study the mechanical properties and micro-mechanism of industrial waste fly ash-reinforced cement calcareous sand(FCS),the triaxial unconsolidated undrained(UU)test and scanning electron microscope tests(SEM)were carried out on it.The results of UU test show that the peak stress and energy dissipation of the FCS sample first increase and then decrease with the increase in fly ash content.Fly ash enhances the cement calcareous sand by increasing both the cohesion and internal friction angle,and adding 10%content of fly ash gives the largest values.The SEM test results shows that the hydration products of cement and fly ash filled the pores and cracks on the surface of the calcareous sand,which increased the compactness and structure of the FCS samples.The porosity of cement calcareous sand can be reduced from 27.6%to 12.8%by adding 10%fly ash.A brittleness evaluation index based on energy dissipation is proposed to quantitatively characterize the brittleness of FCS samples.The results show that when the content of fly ash is 5%,the brittleness of FCS samples is the lowest.This study shows that the mechanical properties of cement calcareous sand can be effectively enhanced by adding the appropriate amount of fly ash.

A Simple Cement Hydration Model Considering the Influences ofWater-to-Cement Ratio and Mineral Composition

A simple hydration model is used here by taking the composition of the cement and the initial water: cementratio (w/c) into account explicitly. Its conceptual basis is a combination of the Avrami equation and Bentz’s modelbased on simple spatial considerations. In this model, the Avrami equation determines the initial reaction, andBentz’s model describes the following hydration stage. The model favors engineers for it relies on one experimentalparameter and has a reliable approximation in the practice.

Effect of fiber-reinforcement on the mechanical behavior of sand approaching the critical state

Several types of ground improvement methods that employ fiber-reinforcement have been developed in recent years.A series of consolidated drained triaxial compression tests has been conducted here to examine the effect of short fibers on the mechanical properties of Toyoura sand.Sand with 0%,0.2%,0.4%,and 1%fiber contents,prepared to yield random distribution,was sheared under several confining pressures and controlled via their initial relative densities.The test results showed that the maximum and residual deviatoric stresses increased,whereas the volumetric expansion decreased with an increase in fiber content.Although the stress ratio h(=q/p′)and specific volume changed depending on the fiber content and confining pressure with shear progression,they each reached the same values for a definite fiber content at the end of shearing,independent of initial relative density.In other words,the unique critical state line can be found for a definite fiber content.Moreover,the greater the fiber content,the larger the slope of the critical state line at the end of shearing.Additionally,as the length of fibers shortened with the same percentage of fiber inclusions in sand,the deviatoric stress and the stress ratio decreased,approaching the shear-strain-volumetric response of unreinforced sand.

The Effects of Different Ratios of Feldspathic Sandstone and Sand Compound Soil on Water-stable Aggregates in 4 Years Crop Planting

To study the formation process of feldspathic sandstone and sand compound soil in the Mu Us Desert,1∶ 1,1∶ 2 and 1∶ 5 ratios of feldspathic sandstone and sand were mixed to obtain compound soil to plant crops,and analyze the rules of changes in water-stable aggregates of the compound soil among the 4 years crops growing process. The results showed,before crop planting,the order of mass percent of> 0. 25 mm and 0. 25-2. 00 mm water-stable aggregates in three kinds of compound soil was 1∶ 1 > 1∶ 2 > 1∶ 5,showing that the overall content was low; the mass percent of > 0. 25 mm water-stable aggregates remained at 18. 38%-28. 22%; the mass percent of 0. 25-0. 50 mm,0. 50-2. 00 mm,2. 00-5. 00 mm,and > 5. 00 mm water-stable aggregates was close with each other in each kind of compound soil. After4 years of planting,the mass percent of > 0. 25 mm water-stable aggregates in 1∶ 2 compound soil increased significantly and exceeded other2 kinds of compound soil,reached 32. 34%; the main components of > 0. 25 mm water stable aggregates in 1∶ 1,1∶ 2,and 1∶ 5 compound soil were 0. 25-0. 50 mm( 53. 54%),0. 25-0. 50 mm( 59. 43%),0. 05-2. 00 mm( 52. 16%),aggregates; 0. 25-2. 00 mm aggregates increased significantly in all three kinds of compound soil,with the highest increase in 1∶ 2 compound soil; the organic matters of 1∶ 2 compound soil were significantly correlated with 0. 25-0. 50 mm and 0. 25-2. 00 mm water-stable aggregates. The results showed that the ratio of 0. 25-2. 00 mm aggregates in the three kinds of compound soil was increased after 4 years of crop planting and 1∶ 2 compound soil was most favorable for the formation of aggregates.