Effects of the Water-Cement Ratio and the Molding Temperature on the Hydration Heat of Cement

The effects of the water-cement ratio and the molding temperature on the hydration heat of cement were investigated with semi-adiabatic calorimetry.The specimens were prepared with water-cement ratios of 0.31,0.38,and 0.45,and the molding temperature was specified at 10 and 20℃.The experimental results show that,as the water-binder ratio increases,the value of the second temperature peak on the temperature curve of the cement paste decreases,and the age at which the peak appears is delayed.The higher the water-cement ratio,the higher the hydration heat release in the early period of cement hydration,but this trend reverses in the late period.There are intersection points of the total hydration heat curve of the cement pastes under the influence of the water-cement ratio,and this law can be observed at both molding temperatures.With the increase in the molding temperature,the age of the second temperature peak on the temperature curve of the cement paste will advance,but the temperature peak will decrease.The higher the molding temperature,the earlier the acceleration period of the cement hydration began,and the larger the hydration heat of the cement in the early stage,but the smaller the total heat in the late period.A subsection function calculation model of the hydration heat,which was based on the existing models,was proposed in order to predict the heat of the hydration of the concrete.

Effects of Water-cement Ratio and Hydration Heat Regulating Materials on Hydration Process of Early-age Cementitious Materials

By means of low-field nuclear magnetic resonance(LF-NMR),the transverse relaxation time(T_(2))signals of physically bound water in cement paste were monitored to indicate water content change and characterize the early-age hydration process.With the curves of the T_(2)signals and hydration time obtained,the hydration process could be divided into four typical periods using the null points of the second derivative curve,and the influences of water-cement ratio(w/c)and hydration heat regulating materials(HHRM)on hydration process were analyzed.The experimental results showed that the hydration rate of pure cement paste in accelerated period presented a positive correlation with w/c.Compared to pure cement paste,the addition of HHRM extended all four periods,and led to a much faster hydration rate in initial period as well as a slower rate in accelerated period.Finally,according to the LFNMR test results,the early-age hydration model of cementitious materials was proposed considering w/c and HHRM content.

Hydration Heat Effect of Cement Pastes Modified with Hydroxypropyl Methyl Cellulose Ether and Expanded Perlite

Hydration heat effect of cement pastes and mechanism of hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose ether （HPMC） and expanded perlite in cement pastes were studied by means of hydration exothermic rate, hydration heat amount, FTIR and TG-DTG. The results show that HPMC can significantly delay the hydration induction period and acceleration period of cement pastes. As mixing amount increased, hydration induction period of cement pastes enlarged and accelerated period gradually went back. At the same time, the amount of hydration heat gradually decreased. Expanded perlite had worse delay effects and less change of hydration heat amount of cement pastes than HPMC. HPMC changed the structure of C-S-H during cement hydration. The more amount of HPMC, the more obvious effect. However, EXP had little influence on the structure of C-S-H. At the same age, the content of Ca （OH）2 in cement pastes gradually decreased as the mixing amount increase of HPMC and expanded perlite, and had better delay effect than that single-doped with HPMC or expanded perlite when HPMC and expanded nerlite were both dooed in cement pastes.

Temperature distributions in concrete box girders due to heat of concrete hydration

Based on heat transfer theory,a two-dimensional complex exponential function was used to compute heat of concrete hydration.A concrete box girder consisting of a single box with two cells used on Harbin Songpu Bridge was measured on site.The two coefficients in the complex exponential function were determined to best fit the field measured data.ABAQUS program was used to simulate the heat transfer and determine the temperature distribution in the concrete box girders during concrete setting.The calculated temperature distribution in the box girders were compared with the field measured data and good agreement was observed.The temperature distribution and gradient in the entire box section,webs and bottom slab were analyzed using the measured and calculated results during the course of concrete hydration.

Preparation and Mechanism Research of Hydrationheat-inhibiting Materials with Microcapsule Sustained-releasing Technology

Hydration-heat-inhibiting materials(HIM)with polysaccharide as core material was prepared using microcapsule sustained-releasing technology,through a centrifugal spray granulation process after melting together.The preparation process parameters of HIM were selected by the semi-adiabatic temperature rise test of cement paste.TAM air microcalorimeter was used to investigate the regulation performance of HIM on the hydration of cement.The influence of HIM on the microstructure of cement was investigated by XRD,SEM,and TG-DSC.The results showed that the most suitable wall material for HIM was polyethylene wax,the optimum polyethylene wax/polysaccharide mass ratio was 1,and the most effective particle size was 0.16-0.30 mm.Polysaccharide coated by polyethylene wax released slowly,and the peak heat release rate of cement could be reduced by 55.2%after continuous regulaion.The regulation period continued to 120 h.HIM mainly decreased the C3S reaction rate,which resulted in a 39.2%peak value reduction of hydration heat release rate.However,HIM had little regulation on C3A.The hydration heat release process of cement-based materials can be designed by adjusting the dosage of HIM.

On the Preparation of Low-Temperature-Rise and Low-Shrinkage Concrete Based on Phosphorus Slag

The effects of different contents of a MgO expansive agent and phosphorus slag on the mechanical properties,shrinkage behavior,and the heat of hydration of concrete were studied.The slump flow,setting time,dry shrinkage,and hydration heat were used as sensitive parameters to assess the response of the considered specimens.As shown by the results,in general,with an increase in the phosphorus slag content,the hydration heat of concrete decreases for all ages,but the early strength displays a downward trend and the dry shrinkage rate increases.The 90-d strength and dry shrinkage of concrete could be improved with a phosphorus residue content between 0%-20%,with the best performances in terms of mechanical properties and shrinkage characteristics being achieved for a content of 20 kg/m^(3).On the basis of these results,it can be concluded that appropriate amounts of phosphorus slag and MgO expansive agent can be used to improve the compressive strength of concrete in the later stage by reducing the hydration heat and dry shrinkage rate,respectively.

Effects of Citric Acid on Hydration Process and Mechanical Properties of Thermal Decomposed Magnesium Oxychloride Cement

In order to make full use of salt lake magnesium resources and improve the strength of the thermal decomposed magnesium oxychloride cement （TDMOC）, the effects of citric acid on the hydration process and mechanical properties of TDMOC was studied. The hydration heat release at initial 24 h and strengths at 3, 7, and 28 days of TDMOC specimens were conducted. The hydration products and paste microstructure were analyzed by XRD, FT-IR and SEM, respectively. The results showed that citric acid can not only reduce the 24 h hydration heat release and delay the occurring time of second peak of TDMOC, but also produce more 5Mg（OH）z.MgC12.SH20 and less Mg（OH）2 in hydration process of TDMOC. More perfect and slender crystals were observed in the microstructure of the TDMOC pastes with citric acid. The results demonstrated that citric acid as an additive of TDMOC can decrease the hydration heat release and increase the compressive strength and flexural strength of TDMOC. The possible mechanism for the strength enhancement was discussed.

Performances of the High Strength Low Heat Pump Concrete (HLPC)

The effects of mineral admixtures on fluidity,mechanical and hydrational exothermic behavior were studied.The results show that,double adding ways,i e,fly ash and slag were added at the same time,not only improves the fluidity of fresh concrete with low W/B and compensates the lower early compressive strength of harden concrete caused by high adding amount of fly ash, but also greatly reduces the highest temperature rise, exothermic rate and total heat liberation of 3 day of binder pastes in HLPC, and postponed the arrival time of the highest temperature rise. HLPC was prepared and applied to project practice successfully.

Effect of Phosphorus and Fluorine on Hydration Process of Tricalcium Silicate and Tricalcium Aluminate

By means of hydration heat, XRD and SEM, effect of phosphorus and fluorine （P205 and F-） in phosphorous slag on hydration process of tricalcium silicate （C3S） and tricalcium aluminate （C3A） was explored. The results indicated that the early hydration exothermic rate of C3S and C3A was obviously lowered by P205 and F- in phosphorous slag, the second peak occurring time of C3A was delayed by 0.9 h, the exothermal output of C3S was reduced by 25.04% and the time of accelerating stage was postponed by 0.86 h. The early hydration degree of C3S and C3A was also decreased. Due to the influence of P205 and F, more pores and thinner crystals can be observed in the microstructure of hardened paste and the chance of cracks was reduced.

Numerical simulation investigation on hydration heat temperature and early cracking risk of concrete box girder in cold regions

The temperature change caused by hydration leads to early-age cracking in concrete box girder.The early-age cracking risk is further improved with low air temperature and large daily temperature difference,especially in Northwest China.To fill this gap,a temperature experiment and numerical simulation were performed on an actual concrete box girder segment in Northwest China.The temperature field,thermal stress and cracking risk were analyzed using evolution curves,distribution curves and contours.The key parameters that influence the hydration heat temperature,including the cement hydration heat release,cement content,height-width ratio of web,initial temperature,convective coefficient of top plate surface,were analyzed.An anti-cracking case based on parameters analysis was put forward.The results indicated that the temperature evolution can be divided into three stages:warming,cooling and environment significantly impacting.Along the thickness of each plate,temperature distributed is single peak in the center.Along the width or height,temperature distributed is double peaks at axillary position for the top and bottom plates,and single peak in center for the web.The axillary position and web have high thermal stress and significant cracking risks.The temperature difference of each plate,and the early-age cracking risk can be reduced by effectively adjusting the key parameters.Among these,the former two parameters are the most significant factors.The maximum cracking risk can be decreased by 15.7%for every 50 kJ/kg hydration heat reduction.The maximum cracking risk can be decreased by 13.1%for every 50 kg/m^(3)cement content reduction.

Refreezing of cast-in-place piles under various engineering conditions

In the construction of the Qinghai-Tibet Power Transmission Line （QTPTL）, cast-in-place piles （CIPPs） are widely applied in areas with unfavorable geological conditions. The thermal regime around piles in permafrost regions greatly affects the stability of the towers as well as the operation of the QTPTL. The casting of piles will markedly affect the thermal regime of the surrounding permafrost because of the casting temperature and the hydration heat of cement. Based on the typical geological and engineering conditions along the QTPTL, thermal disturbance ofa CIPP to surrounding permafrost under different casting seasons, pile depths, and casting temperatures were simulated. The results show that the casting season （summer versus winter） can influence the refreezing process of CIPPs, within the first 6 m of pile depth. Sixty days after being cast, CIPPs greater than 6 m in depth can be frozen regardless of which season they were cast, and the foundation could be reffozen after a cold season. Comparing the refreezing characteristics of CIPPs cast in different seasons also showed that, without considering the ground surface conditions, warm seasons are more suitable for casting piles. With the increase of pile depth, the thermal effect of a CIPP on the surrounding soil mainly expands vertically, while the lateral heat disturbance changes little. Deeper, longer CIPPs have better stability. The casting temperature clearly affects the thermal disturbance, and the radius of the melting circle increases with rising casting temperature. The optimal casting temperature is between 2 ℃ and 9 ℃.

Preparation of New Cementitious System using Fly Ash and Dehydrated Autoclaved Aerated Concrete

We experimentally studied the interaction between pozzolanic material（fly ash） and dehydrated autoclaved aerated concrete（DAAC）. The DAAC powder was obtained by grinding aerated concrete waste to particles fi ner than 75μm and was then heated to temperatures up to 900 ℃. New cementitious material was prepared by proportioning fly ash and DAAC, named as AF. X-ray diffraction（XRD） was employed to identify the crystalline phases of DAAC before and after rehydration. The hydration process of AF was analyzed by the heat of hydration and non-evaporable water content（Wn）. The experimental results show that the highest reactivity of DAAC can be obtained by calcining the powder at 700 ℃ and the dehydrated products are mainly β-C2 S and CaO. The cumulative heat of hydration and Wn was found to be strongly dependent on the replacement level of fl y ash, increasing the replacement level of fl y ash lowered them in AF. The strength contribution rates on pozzolanic effect of fl y ash in AF are always negative, showing a contrary tendency of that of cement-fl y ash system.

Geothermal investigation of the thickness of gas hydrate stability zone in the north continental margin of the South China Sea

The exploration of unconventional and/or new energy resources has become the focus of energy research worldwide,given the shortage of fossil fuels.As a potential energy resource,gas hydrate exists only in the environment of high pressure and low temperature,mainly distributing in the sediments of the seafloor in the continental margins and the permafrost zones in land.The accurate determination of the thickness of gas hydrate stability zone is essential yet challenging in the assessment of the exploitation potential.The majority of previous studies obtain this thickness by detecting the bottom simulating reflectors（BSRs） layer on the seismic profiles.The phase equilibrium between gas hydrate stable state with its temperature and pressure provides an opportunity to derive the thickness with the geothermal method.Based on the latest geothermal dataset,we calculated the thickness of the gas hydrate stability zone（GHSZ） in the north continental margin of the South China Sea.Our results indicate that the thicknesses of gas hydrate stability zone vary greatly in different areas of the northern margin of the South China Sea.The thickness mainly concentrates on 200–300 m and distributes in the southwestern and eastern areas with belt-like shape.We further confirmed a certain relationship between the GHSZ thickness and factors such as heat flow and water depth.The thickness of gas hydrate stability zone is found to be large where the heat flow is relatively low.The GHSZ thickness increases with the increase of the water depth,but it tends to stay steady when the water depth deeper than 3 000 m.The findings would improve the assessment of gas hydrate resource potential in the South China Sea.

Preparation for Retarding and High Early Strength Concrete

The primary objective of this research was to determine optimum dosage of mixing concrete containing plasticizers and fly ash, consistent with desirable structural grade concrete properties. Factorial tests were also conducted to investigate the four main factors： water-cementing materials ratio, water content, content of superplasticizers （SP） and fly ash content. It was found that the requirement for setting time played the dominant role in shrinkage and anti-cracking, and fly ash played a critical role in workability and reducing heat of hydration but showed insignificant effects on slump, early strength and initial setting time of concrete.

Simulation of Temperature Field in Original Segment of Concrete Box-Girder Bridge

Temperature field and its variation with time are necessary for analyzing the thermo-mechanical performance of mass concrete structures at their early ages. This paper carries out a temperature field simulation analysis for an original segment of a real box girder bridge with the finite element software ANSYS. Two representative exothermic rate models are used to describe the heat- releasing process caused by the cement hydration in concrete. The exothermic rate model that conforms to reality more closely is recognized by comparing the simulation results with the data gathered from the optical fiber temperature sensors pre-embedded in the original segment. The air temperature and wind velocity that constitute thermal boundary conditions are determined in the light of the local meteorological department and correlative research achievements of recent years. Moreover, the consideration for the steel formwork acting as a barrier to heat loss is also proved to be beneficial to improve the simulation effect.

Hydration, microstructure and autogenous shrinkage behaviors of cement mortars by addition of superabsorbent polymers

Superabsorbent Polymer(SAP)has emerged as a topic of considerable interest in recent years.The present study systematically and quantitively investigated the effect of SAP on hydration,autogenous shrinkage,mechanical properties,and microstructure of cement mortars.Influences of SAP on hydration heat and autogenous shrinkage were studied by utilizing TAM AIR technology and a non-contact autogenous shrinkage test method.Scanning Electron Microscope(SEM)was employed to assess the microstructure evolution.Although SAP decreased the peak rate of hydration heat and retarded the hydration,it significantly increased the cumulative heat,indicating SAP helps promote the hydration.Hydration promotion caused by SAP mainly occurred in the deceleration period and attenuation period.SAP can significantly mitigate the autogenous shrinkage when the content ranged from 0 to 0.5%.Microstructure characteristics showed that pores and gaps were introduced when SAP was added.The microstructure difference caused by SAP contributed to the inferior mechanical behaviors of cement mortars treated by SAP.

Influence of Fly Ash Addition on the Hydration of Portland Cement

Influence of fly ash addition on the hydrationof Portland cement clinker,particularly at the initial stage,has been studied on the basis of measured data obtained. Fly ash,considering its active components,was added as a partial replacement of Portland cement at different water/cementitious ratios. The hydration heat was measured in a controlled environmental room of 20 ℃. Both non-evaporable water content and mineral phase were investigated. Data indicate that the amount of fly ash involved in hydration reaction is little at initial stage while it becomes more after 7 d hydration. As hydration reaction is a continuous process,chemical stress results in the disruption of stable structure on the surface of fly ash consisting of Ca,O,Si,Al,C,etc. Additionally,surface of glass beads begins to lose smooth and reacts to blend in with the paste.

Effects of Rice Straw Fibres on the Mechanical Properties and Hydration of Cements

The purpose of this research is to study the effects of rice straw fibres (RSF) on the setting time,heat of hydration,hydration products (XRD),mechanical properties for cements. Three types of the cements (P.I.52.5,P.O.42.5,sulphate aluminium) are used in this test. Results show that with the addition of RSF,the setting times for these three kinds of cements are delayed. According to P.O.42.5 cement,The max temperatures of exothermic peak (Tmax) decrease,exothermic peak times (tmax) are delayed and the mechanical strengths generally drop as RSF concentration is increased. XRD test shows that the RSF hinder the formation of Ca(OH)2 phase and hydration of cement (C3S,C2S,C4AF),which resulted in the delay of setting time and hydration reaction.

The effect of SiO2 nanoparticles derived from hydrothermal solutions on the performance of portland cement based materials

The nanoparticles of SiO2 were used in cement systems to modify the rheological behavior, to enhance the reactivity of supplementary cementitious materials, and also to improve the strength and durability. In this research, low-cost nano-SiO2 particles from natural hydrothermal solutions obtained by membrane ultrafiltration and, optionally, by cryochemical vacuum sublimation drying, were evaluated in portland cement based systems. The SiO2-rich solutions were obtained from the wells of Mutnovsky geothermal power station （Far East of Russia）. The constant nano-SiO2 dosage of 0.25% （as a solid material by weight of cementitious materials） was used to compare the cement systems with different nanoparticles against a reference mortar and a commercially available nano-SiO2. Nanoparticles were characterized by X-Ray Diffraction （XRD）, BET Surface Area, Scanning Electron Microscope （SEM） and Fourier Transform Infrared （FTIR） spectroscopy techniques. It was demonstrated that the addition of polycarboxylate ether superplasticizer and the dispersion treatment using an ultrasound processor can be used to facilitate the distribution ofnano-SiOz particles in the mixing water. The effect ofnano-SiO2 particles in portland cement mortars was investigated by evaluating the flow, heat of hydration and compressive strength development. It was demonstrated that the use ofnano- SiO2 particles can reduce the segregation and improve strength properties.

Field test on temperature field and thermal stress for prestressed concrete box-girder bridge

A field test was conducted to investigate the distribution of temperature field and the variation of thermal stress for a prestressed concrete(PC)box-girder bridge.The change of hydration heat temperature consists of four periods:temperature rising period,constant temperature period,rapid temperature fall period and stow temperature fall period.The peak value of hydration heat temperature increases with the increasing casting temperature of concrete;the relation between them is approximately linear.According to field tests,the thermal stress incurred by hydration heat may induce temperature cracks on the PC box-girder.Furthermore,the nonlinear distribution of temperature gradient and the fluctuation of thermal stress induced by exposure to sunlight were also obtained based on continuous in-situ monitoring.Such results show that the prevailing Chinese Code(2004)is insufficient since it does not take into account the temperature gradient of the bottom slab.Finally,some preventive measures against temperature cracks were proposed based on related studies.The conclusions can provide valuable reference for the design and construction of PC box-girder bridges.