Effect of Modification Treatment on Chloride Ions Permeability and Microstructure of Recycled Brick-mixed Aggregate Concrete

The modification methods of pozzolan slurry combined with sodium silicate and silicon-based additive were respectively adopted to treat recycled coarse brick-mixed aggregate(RCBA)in this study.The compressive strength and chloride permeability resistance of recycled aggregate concrete(RAC)before and after modification treatment were tested,and the microstructure of RAC was analyzed by mercury intrusion porosimetry(MIP)and scanning electron microscopy(SEM).The results show that the physical properties of RCBA strengthened by modification treatment are improved,and the compressive strength and chloride permeability resistance of treated RAC are also significantly improved.The modification treatment optimizes the pore size distribution of RAC,which increases the number of gel pores and transition pores,and decreases the number of capillary pores and macro pores.The surface fractal dimension shows a significant correlation with chloride diffusion coefficient,indicating that the variation of chloride permeability of treated RAC is consistent with the microstructure evolution.

Influence Mechanism of Curing Regimes on Interfacial Transition Zone of Lightweight Ultra-High Performance Concrete

This study aims to clarify the effects of curing regimes and lightweight aggregate(LWA)on the morphology, width and mechanical properties of the interfacial transition zone(ITZ) of ultra-high performance concrete(UHPC), and provide reference for the selection of lightweight ultra-high performance concrete(L-UHPC) curing regimes and the pre-wetting degree LWA. The results show that, under the three curing regimes(standard curing, steam curing and autoclaved curing), LWA is tightly bound to the matrix without obvious boundaries. ITZ width increases with the water absorption of LWA and decreases with increasing curing temperature. The ITZ microhardness is the highest when water absorption is 3%, and the microhardness value is more stable with the distance from LWA. Steam and autoclaved curing increase ITZ microhardness compared to standard curing. As LWA pre-wetting and curing temperatures increase, the degree of hydration at the ITZ increases, generating high-density CSH(HD CSH) and ultra-high-density CSH(UHD CSH), and reducing unhydrated particles in ITZ. ITZ micro-mechanical properties are optimized due to hydration products being denser.

Mesoscale Mechanical Properties and Influencing Factors of Concrete under Uniaxial Tension

Monte Carlo simulations were carried out to generate a mesoscale model of concrete with randomly packed aggregates with different shapes and sizes.The mechanical properties of concrete specimens under uniaxial tensile loads were studied using statistical results.The results indicated that the entire process of damage and failure of specimens exhibited mainly two failure types:fracture patternsⅠandⅡ.Furthermore,the influences of the aggregate content ratio,aggregate shape,aggregate size,interfacial transition zone(ITZ)strength,and porosity ratio on the concrete specimens were analyzed.The numerical simulation results showed that the elastic modulus of the concrete specimens increased approximately linearly with the aggregate volume ratio but decreased linearly with the porosity and was not affected by the ITZ strength.The tensile strength decreased with the increases in the aggregate content and porosity of the sample,but increased linearly with the ITZ strength.In addition,the aggregate shape led to a difference in the tensile strength of the concrete.

Analysis of Concrete Crack Treatment Technologies in Buildings

With the continuous development of civil engineering,concrete crack treatment technology has become an important research field.This paper proposes treatment techniques for different types of cracks,including the prevention and repair of surface cracks,the reinforcement and grouting of structural cracks,and the design and construction of controlled cracks through the analysis of the causes and classification of concrete cracks.The methods and suggestions proposed in this paper are practical and can improve the quality and safety of buildings.

Quantitative Analysis and Affecting Factors of the Overlapping Degree of Interfacial Transition Zone between Neighboring Aggregates in Concrete

Based on the nearest surface function formula, a quantitative formula to measure the overlapping degree between the interfacial transition zone （ITZ） of neighboring aggregate particles was put forward. The formula was further deduced to quantitatively analyze the influence of the volume fraction of aggregate, ITZ thickness and the maximum aggregate diameter on the overlapping degree between neighboring ITZ. The volume of ITZ was quantitatively calculated in actual concrete by comparing the nearest surface function formula with an approximate method, that is the surface area of the aggregates multiplied by the uniform thickness of the ITZ layers. The results showed that the influencing order of these three factors on the overlapping degree between neighboring ITZ in turn was the interface thickness, aggregate volume fraction and the maximum aggregate diameter; As long as the interface thickness 50 μm and the aggregate volume fraction 50%, the calculated error between two methods mentioned above is about 10 %.

Effect of Interfacial Strength on Bending Properties of Reinforced Concrete Beams

By taking into consideration of meso-scopic level, four-point bending numerical model of different interfaces was established to analyze the effect of interracial strength on the bending properties of reinforced concrete beams with the diagrams of crack pattern, the load- step curve and the cumulative AE- loading step curve. The experimental result shows that the peak load, the cracking load and the stiffness before cracking increase with the interfacial strength. Furthermore, the specimen with strong interface presents high brittleness during the failure process, while both bearing capability and ductility could be found in the specimen with moderate interfacial strength.

Quantitative Characterization and Elastic Properties of Interfacial Transition Zone around Coarse Aggregate in Concrete

Backscattered electron images（BSE） obtained by scanning electron microscope was used to quantitatively characterize the microstructure of interfacial transition zone（ITZ） in concrete. Influences of aggregate size（5, 10, 20, and 30 mm）, water to cement ratio（0.23, 0.35 and 0.53） and curing time（from 3d to 90d） on the microstructure of interfacial transition zone between coarse aggregate and bulk cement matrix were investigated. The volume percentage of detectable porosity and unhydrated cement in ITZ was quantitatively analyzed and compared with that in the matrix of various concretes. Nanoindentation technology was applied to obtain the elastic properties of ITZ and matrix, and the elastic modulus of concrete was then calculated based on the Lu ＆ Torquato model and self-consistence scheme by using the ITZ thickness and elastic modulus obtained from this investigation. The experimental results demonstrated that the microstructure and thickness of ITZ in concrete vary with a variety of factors, like aggregate size, water to cement ratio and curing time. The relative low elastic properties of ITZ should be paid attention to, especially for early age concrete.

Nanomechanical Characteristics of Interfacial Transition Zone in Nano-Engineered Concrete

This study investigates the effects of nanofillers on the interfacial transition zone(ITZ)between aggregate and cement paste by using nanoindentation and statistical nanoindentation techniques.Moreover,the underlying mechanisms are revealed through micromechanical modeling.The nanoindentation results indicate that incorporating nanofillers increases the degree of hydration in the ITZ,reduces the content of micropores and low-density calcium silicate hydrate(LD C-S-H),and increases the content of highdensity C-S-H(HD C-S-H)and ultra high-density C-S-H(UHD C-S-H).In particular,a new phase,namely nano-core-induced low-density C-S-H(NCILD C-S-H),with a superior hardness of 2.50 GPa and an indentation modulus similar to those of HD C-S-H or UHD C-S-H was identified in this study.The modeling results revealed that the presence of nanofillers increased the packing density of LD CS-H and significantly enhanced the interaction(adhesion and friction)among the basic building blocks of C-S-H gels owing to the formation of nano-core-shell elements,thereby facilitating the formation of NCILD C-S-H and further improving the performance of the ITZ.This study provides insight into the effects of nano fillers on the ITZ in concrete at the nanoscale.

Quality Improvement of Recycled Concrete Aggregate by Accelerated Carbonation under Different Pressure

Due to the presence of old mortar (OM) and interfacial transition zone (ITZ),recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) is inferior to natural aggregate (NA).The purpose of this paper was to study the effect of accelerated carbonation on the macro-properties and micro-properties of RCA under different pressure(0.05,0.15,0.30 MPa).The macro-property tests included colour change,apparent density,water absorption,and crushing value of RCA.The micro-property tests included scanning electron microscopy (SEM),X-ray diffraction (XRD),thermogravimetry-differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC),and Vickers micro-hardness(VMH).The results showed that the change trends of apparent density,water absorption,and crushing value of RCA displayed exponential relationships as pressure increasing,with the optimum pressure of 0.30 MPa.SEM images indicated that the calcite caused by the hydration products in RCA and the Ca(OH)_(2) derived from saturated lime water improved the properties of RCA;as the apparent density increased,the water absorption and crushing value decreased.The results of XRD and TG-DSC indicated that,as the pressure increased,the masses of Ca(OH)_(2) in carbonated RCA gradually decreased,while those of CaCO_(3) gradually increased,which demonstrated that the carbonation degree gradually increased.Besides,ITZ-2 was the weakest phase in RCA,but its improvement degree of VMH by accelerated carbonation was higher than that of OM.However,RCA was not completely carbonated,but only carbonated in a certain depth after 24 h accelerated carbonation.

Treatment Methods for the Quality Improvement of Recycled Concrete Aggregate (RCA)–A Review

For the purpose of providing references for further research and practical application about the quality improvement of RCA,in this paper,various treatment methods were firstly classified into four categories:removing old mortar (OM),strengthening OM,multi-stage mixing methods,and combination methods.Thereafter,the improvement mechanisms and important conclusions of various treatment methods were elucidated and summarised respectively.In the section of discussion,the improved effects as well as advantages and disadvantages of various treatment methods were compared and discussed respectively,and recommendations for the selection of treatment methods were proposed.Finally,the further research directions were pointed out,and an integrative programme on the quality improvement of RCA was recommended.

Influence of Rolling Treatment on Interfacial Shear Strength of Steel-mushy Al-7graphite Bonding Plate

At room temperature, the rolling treatment of steel-mushy Al-7graphite bonding plate was carried out under different relative reduction. The influence of rolling on interfacial mechanical property of this bonding plate was studied. The results show that, for steel-mushy Al-7graphite bonding plate which is made up of 1.2 mm in thickness 08AI steel plate and 2.0 mm in thickness Al-7graphite layer, there is a nonlinear relationship between interfacial shear strength of bonding plate and relative reduction of rolling. When relative reduction of rolling is smaller than 2.59%, with the increasing of relative reduction, interfacial shear strength of bonding plate increases gradually. When relative reduction of rolling is bigger than 2.59%, with the increasing of relative reduction, interfacial shear strength of bonding plate decreases continuously. When relative reduction of rolling is 2.59%, the largest interfacial shear strength 77.0 MPa can be obtained.

Causes and Treatment Measures of Rural Highway Concrete Pavement Damages in Mountainous Area

Combined with the practical experience in constructing and maintenance managing the concrete pavement damage repair of Gaotang-Nenghuashan forest highway of Jiangle County,the common damage types and causes of rural highway concrete pavement in the northwestern mountainous area of Western Fujian Province were analyzed,and corresponding treatment measures to various damage were put forward.

Effect of heat treatment on the microstructure,mechanical properties and fracture behaviors of ultra-high-strength SiC/Al-Zn-Mg-Cu composites

A high-zinc composite,12vol%SiC/Al-13.3 Zn-3.27 Mg-1.07Cu(wt%),with an ultra-high-strength of 781 MPa was success-fully fabricated through a powder metallurgy method,followed by an extrusion process.The effects of solid-solution and aging heat treat-ments on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the composite were extensively investigated.Compared with a single-stage sol-id-solution treatment,a two-stage solid-solution treatment(470℃/1 h+480℃/1 h)exhibited a more effective solid-solution strengthen-ing owing to the higher degree of solid-solution and a more uniform microstructure.According to the aging hardness curves of the com-posite,the optimized aging parameter(100℃/22 h)was determined.Reducing the aging temperature and time resulted in finer and more uniform nanoscale precipitates but only yielded a marginal increase in tensile strength.The fractography analysis revealed that intergranu-lar cracking and interface debonding were the main fracture mechanisms in the ultra-high-strength SiC/Al-Zn-Mg-Cu composites.Weak regions,such as the SiC/Al interface containing numerous compounds and the precipitate-free zones at the high-angle grain boundaries,were identified as significant factors limiting the strength enhancement of the composite.Interfacial compounds,including MgO,MgZn2,and Cu5Zn8,reduced the interfacial bonding strength,leading to interfacial debonding.

Study of interfacial transition zones between magnesium phosphate cement and Portland cement concrete pavement

The Portland cement concrete pavement(PCCP)often suffers from different environmental distresses and vehicle load failure,resulting in slab corner fractures,potholes,and other diseases.Rapid repair has become one of the effective ways to open traffic rapidly.In this study,a novel type of rapid repair material,basalt fiber reinforced polymer modified magnesium phosphate cement(BFPMPC),is used to rapidly repair PCCP.Notably,the mechanical properties and characteristics of the repair interfaces which are named interfacial transition zones(ITZs)formed by BFPMPC and cement concrete are focused on as a decisive factor for the performance of the rapid repair.The changing trend of the elastic moduli was studied by nanoindentation experiments in the ITZs with the deconvolution analysis that the elastic moduli of certain kinds of substances can be determined.The experimental results show that the elastic modulus of ITZ-1 with a width of about20μm can be regarded as 0.098 times of the aggregate,and 0.51 times of the ordinary Portland cement(OPC)mortar.The BFPMPC-OPC mortar ITZ has roughly the same mechanical properties as the ITZ between aggregate and BFPMPC.A multi-scale representative two-dimensional model was established by random aggregate and a two-dimensional extended finite element method(XFEM)to study the mechanical properties of the repair interface.The simulation results show that the ITZ formed by the interface of BFPMPC and OPC mortar and basalt aggregate is the most vulnerable to failure,which is consistent with the nano-indentation experimental results.

Improving the interfacial contact between CH_3NH_3PbI_(3–x)Cl_x and Au by LiTFSI solution treatment for efficient photoelectric devices

Organic lead halide compounds with perovskite structure become a promising photovoltaic material for low- cost thin film solar cells in recent years. The property of perovskite/metal interface is a fundamental topic for the effective charge transfer at metal electrodes. In this work, we develop an interface modification method of lithium bis（trifluoromethane sulfonimide） （LiTFSI） solution treatment, which can effectively decrease the charge transfer resistance at the CH3NHaPbI3_xClx/Au interface. After the solution treatment, uniform nan- odots are formed at the surface of CHaNH3PbI3_xCIx films, and the barrier height at CH3NH3PbI3_xCIx/Au interface reduces from 0.51 V to 0.08 V. As a consequence, the efficiency of hole conductor free solar cells with CH3NHaPbI3-xCIx harvester increase from 4.0% to 7.6% under one sun condition. It is also found that the hole conductor free perovskite solar cell can work in a photodetector mode, which has the same output prop- erties with phototransistors. After the LiTFSI solution treatment, the sensitivity of this photodetector can be improved for about one time.

Mechanical Properties and Microstructure of Portland Cement Concrete Prepared with Coral Reef Sand

The feasibility of using coral reef sand（CRS） in Portland cement concrete is investigated by testing the mechanical property and microstructure of concrete. The composition, structure and properties of the CRS are analyzed. Mechanical properties and microstructure of concrete with CRS are studied and compared to concrete with natural river sand. The relationship between the microstructure and performance of CRS concrete is established. The CRS has a porous surface with high water intake capacity, which contributes to the mechanical properties of concrete. The interfacial transition zone between the cement paste and CRS is densified compared to normal concrete with river sand. Hydration products form in the pore space of CRS and interlock with the matrix of cement paste, which increases the strength. The total porosity of concrete prepared with CRS is higher than that with natural sand. The main difference in pore size distribution is the fraction of fine pores in the range of 100 nm.

Corrosion behavior of tempered dual-phase steel embedded in concrete

Dual-phase （DP） steels with different martensite contents were obtained by appropriate heat treatment of an SAE1010 structural carbon steel, which was cheap and widely used in the construction industry. The corrosion behavior of DP steels in concrete was investigated under various tempering conditions. Intercritical annealing heat treatment was applied to the reinforcing steel to obtain DP steels with different contents of martensite. These DP steels were tempered at 200, 300, and 400℃ for 45 min and then cooled to room temperature. Corrosion experiments were conducted in two stages. In the first stage, the corrosion potential of DP steels embedded in concrete was measured every day for a period of 30 d based on the ASTM C 876 standard. In the second stage, the anodic and cathodic polarization values of these steels were obtained and subsequently the corrosion currents were determined with the aid of cathodic polarization curves. It was observed that the amount of second phase had a definite effect on the corrosion behavior of the DP steel embedded in concrete. As a result of this study, it is found that the corrosion rate of the DP steel increases with an increase in the amount of martensite.

Mechanical Properties and ITZ Microstructure of Recycled Aggregate Concrete Using Carbonated Recycled Coarse Aggregate

The effect of carbonation treatment and mixing method on the mechanical properties and interfacial transition zone（ITZ） properties of recycled aggregate concrete（RAC） was investigated. Properties of recycled concrete aggregate（RCA） were tested firstly. Then, five types of concretes were made and slump of fresh concrete was measured immediately after mixing. Compressive strength and splitting tensile strength of hardened concrete were measured at 28 d. Meanwhile, the microstructure of RAC was analyzed by backscattered electron（BSE） image. It was found that the water absorption ratio of carbonated recycled concrete aggregate（CRCA） was much lower when compared to the untreated RCA. Comparatively, the apparent density of CRCA was not significantly modified. The concrete strength results indicate that the mix CRAC-2 prepared with CRCA by adopting two-stage mixing approach shows the highest compressive strength value compared to the other mixes. The microstructural analysis demonstrate that the mix CRAC-2 has a much denser old ITZ than the untreated RAC because of the chemical reaction between CO2 and the hydration products of RCA. This study confirms that the ITZ microstructure of RAC can be efficiently modified by carbonation treatment of RCA and encourages broadening the application of construction and demolition wastes.

Mesoscopic Modeling Approach and Application for Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete under Dynamic Loading:A Review

Steel fiber reinforced concrete(SFRC)has drawn extensive attention in recent years for its superior mechanical response to dynamic and impact loadings.Based on the existing test results,the highstrength steel fibers embedded in a concrete matrix usually play a strong bridging effect to enhance the bonding force between fiber and the matrix,and directly contribute to the improvement of the post-cracking behavior and residual strength of SFRC.To gain a better understanding of the action behavior of steel fibers in matrix and further capture the failure mechanism of SFRC under dynamic loads,the mesoscopic modeling approach that assumes SFRC to be composed of different mesoscale phases(i.e.,steel fibers,coarse aggregates,mortar matrix,and interfacial transition zone(ITZ))has been widely employed to simulate the dynamic responses of SFRC material and structural members.This paper presents a comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art mesoscopic models and simulations for SFRC under dynamic loading.Generation approaches for the SFRC mesoscale model in the simulation works,including steel fiber,coarse aggregate,and the ITZ between them,are reviewed and compared systematically.The material models for different phases and the interaction relationship between fiber and concrete matrix are summarized comprehensively.Additionally,some example applications for SFRC under dynamic loads(i.e.,compression,tension,and contact blast)simulated using the general mesoscale models are given.Finally,some critical analysis on the current shortcomings of the mesoscale modeling of SFRC is highlighted,which is of great significance for the future investigation and development of SFRC.