A Binder of Phosphogypsum-Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag-Ordinary Portland Cement

A new hydraulic cementitious binder was developed by mainly utilizing industrial byproducts phosphogypsum（PG）and ground granulated blast furnace slag（GGBFS）with small addition of ordinary portland cement（OPC）.The hydration process and microstructure were studied by X-ray diffraction（XRD） and scanning electronic microscopy（SEM）.OPC hydrated first at early age to form primarily C-S-H gel,ettringite and calcium hydroxide（CH）.GGBFS activated by CH and sulfate ions hydrated continuously at later age,producing more and more hydration products,C-S-H gel and ettringite.Thus the paste developed a denser microstructure and its strength increased.The 28 d compressive strength of the mixture of 50%PG,46% GGBFS and 4%OPC exceeded 45 MPa.The setting time was faster and 3 d and 7 d strength were higher when the proportion of OPC increased.But the 28 d strength decreased when OPC exceeded 4%due to large amount of ettringite formed at late hydration age which damaged the microstructure.

Clayey soil stabilization using alkali-activated volcanic ash and slag

Lime and Portland cement are the most widely used binders in soil stabilization projects.However,due to the high carbon emission in cement production,research on soil stabilization by the use of more environmentally-friendly binders with lower carbon footprint has attracted much attention in recent years.This research investigated the potential of using alkali-activated ground granulated blast furnace slag(GGBS)and volcanic ash(VA)as green binders in clayey soil stabilization projects,which has not been studied before.The effects of different combinations of VA with GGBS,various liquid/solid ratios,different curing conditions,and different curing periods(i.e.7 d,28 d and 90 d)were investigated.Compressive strength and durability of specimens against wet-dry and freeze-thaw cycles were then studied through the use of mechanical and microstructural tests.The results demonstrated that the coexistence of GGBS and VA in geopolymerization process was more effective due to the synergic formation of N-A-S-H and C-(A)-S-H gels.Moreover,although VA needs heat curing to become activated and develop strength,its partial replacement with GGBS made the binder suitable for application at ambient temperature and resulted in a remarkably superior resistance against wet-dry and freeze-thaw cycles.The carbon embodied of the mixtures was also evaluated,and the results confirmed the low carbon footprints of the alkali-activated mixtures.Finally,it was concluded that the alkali-activated GGBS/VA could be promisingly used in clayey soil stabilization projects instead of conventional binders.

Properties and Mechanism on Flexural Fatigue of Polypropylene Fiber Reinforced Concrete Containing Slag

Properties and mechanism were investigated on flexural fatigue of concrete containing polypropylene fibers and ground granulated blast furnace slag（GGBFS）.Four polypropylene fibers’volume fractions and five slag proportions were considered.An experiment was conducted to obtain the fatigue lives at three stress levels in 20 Hz frequency and at a constant stress level of 0.59 in four frequency respectively.Mechanism and evaluation were investigated based on the experimental data.Fatigue life span models were established.The results show that the addition of polypropylene fibers improves the flexural fatigue cumulative strength and fatigue life span.It is proposed that the slag particles and hydrated products improve Interfacial Transition Zone（ITZ）structure and benefit flexural fatigue performance.A composite reinforce effect is found with the incorporation of slag and polypropylene fibers.The optimum mixture contents 55%slag with 0.6%polypropylene fiber for the cumulative fatigue stress.Fatigue properties are decreased as the stress level increasing,the higher frequency reduces the fatigue strength more than lower frequency at a constant stress level.

Effects of Steel Slag Powder on Workability and Durability of Concrete

The workability and durability of a type of sustainable concrete made with steel slag powder were investigated. The hydrated products of cement paste with ground granulated blast furnace slag（GGBFS） alone or with a combined admixture of GGBFS-steel slag powder were investigated by X-ray diffraction（XRD）. Furthermore, the mechanism of chemically activated steel slag powder was also studied. The experimental results showed that when steel slag powder was added to concrete, the slumps through the same time were lower. The initial and fi nal setting times were slightly retarded. The dry shrinkages were lower, and the abrasion resistance was better. The chemically activated steel slag powder could improve compressive strengths, resistance to chloride permeation and water permeation, as well as carbonization resistance. XRD patterns indicated that the activators enhanced the formation of calcium silicate hydrate（C-S-H） gel and ettringite（AFt）. This research contributes to sustainable disposal of wastes and has the potential to provide several important environmental benefi ts.

Evaluating Simultaneous Impact of Slag and Tire Rubber Powder on Mechanical Characteristics and Durability of Concrete

In this experimental study,the impact of Portland cement replacement by ground granulated blast furnace slag(GGBFS)and micronized rubber powder(MRP)on the compressive,flexural,tensile strengths,and rapid chloride migration test(RCMT)of concrete were assessed.In this study,samples with different binder content and water to binder ratios,including the MRP with the substitution levels of 0%,2.5%and 5%,and the GGBFS with the substitution ratios of 0%,20%and 40%by weight of Portland cement were made.According to the results,in the samples containing slag and rubber powder in the early ages,on average,a 12.2%decrease in the mechanical characteristics of concrete was observed,nonetheless with raising the age of the samples,the impact of slag on reducing the porosity of concrete lowered the negative impact of rubber powder.Regarding durability characteristics,the RCMT results of the samples were enhanced by using rubber powder because of its insulation impact.Moreover,adding slag into the MRP-included mixtures results in a 23%reduction in the migration rate of the chloride ion averagely.At last,four mathematical statements were derived for the mechanical and durability of concrete containing the MRP and GGBFS utilizing the genetic programming method.

Incorporation of a nanotechnology-based additive in cementitious products for clay stabilisation

The mechanical performances and water retention characteristics of clays,stabilised by partial substitution of cement with by-products and inclusion of a nanotechnology-based additive called RoadCem(RC),are studied in this research.The unconfined compression tests and one-dimensional oedometer swelling were performed after 7 d of curing to understand the influence of addition of 1%of RC material in the stabilised soils with the cement partially replaced by 49%,59%and 69%of ground granulated blast furnace slag(GBBS)or pulverised fuel ash(PFA).The moisture retention capacity of the stabilised clays was also explored using the soil-water retention curve(SWRC)from the measured suctions.Results confirmed an obvious effect of the use of RC with the obtained strength and swell properties of the stabilised clays suitable for road application at 50%replacement of cement.This outcome is associated with the in-depth and penetrating hydration of the cementitious materials by the RC and water which results in the production of needle-like matrix with interlocking filaments e a phenomenon referred to as the‘wrapping’effect.On the other hand,the SWRC used to describe the water holding capacity and corresponding swell mechanism of clays stabilised by a proportion of RC showed a satisfactory response.The moisture retention of the RC-modified clays was initially higher but reduced subsequently as the saturation level increased with decreasing suction.This phenomenon confirmed that clays stabilised by including the RC are water-proof in nature,thus ensuring reduced porosity and suction even at reduced water content.Overall,the stabilised clays with the combination of cement,GGBS and RC showed a better performance compared to those with the PFA included.

Effect of Content and Fineness of GGBS on Pore Structure of Cement Paste

The effect of the content and specific surface area of the ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) on the pore structure of the cement paste was determined through the low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR).The Pearson correlation analysis method was used to calculate the correlation coefficient between the porosity and age of cement paste,the specific surface area of GGBS and the content of GGBS.The test results exhibited that the porosity of the cement paste with different ageing durations gradually decreased on increasing the content and specific surface area of GGBS.The content and specific surface area of GGBS had a negligible effect on the 1-10 nm size gel pores in the cement paste,whereas,had a significant effect on the 10-100 nm size capillary pores.In addition,these parameters did not affect the final most probable pore size of the cement paste.The correlation between age and porosity was the largest,and the correlation between GGBS content and porosity was greater than that between GGBS specific surface area and porosity.Moreover,a modified pore structure model was successfully developed to effectively predict the pore structure of the GGBS based cement paste.

Effect of mineral admixtures and repeated loading on chloride migration through concrete

The effect of fly ash (FA) and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) on chloride migration through concrete subjected to repeated loading was examined. Portland cement was replaced by three percentages (20%, 30%, and 40%) of mineral admixtures. Five repeated loadings were applied to concrete specimens using a WHY series fully automatic testing machine. The maximum loadings were 40% and 80% of the axial cylinder compressive strength (f′c). Chloride migration through concretes was evaluated using the rapid chloride migration test and the chloride concentration in the anode chamber was measured. The results showed that the replacement percentages of mineral admixtures, the curing time and repeated loading had a significant effect on chloride migration through concrete. The transport number of chloride through concrete cured for 28 d increased with increasing FA replacement and markedly decreased with extension of the curing time. 20% and 30% GGBFS replacement decreased the transport number of chloride through concrete, but 40% GGBFS replacement increased the transport number. Five repeated loadings at 40% or 80% f′c increased the transport number of chloride for all mixes.