Carbonation Resistance of Sulphoaluminate Cement-based High Performance Concrete

The influences of water/cement ratio and admixtures on carbonation resistance of sulphoaluminate cement-based high performance concrete （HPC） were investigated. The experimental results show that with the decreasing water/cement ratio, the carbonation depth of sulphoaluminate cement-based HPC is decreased remarkably, and the carbonation resistance capability is also improved with the adding admixtures. The morphologies and structure characteristics of sulphoaluminate cement hydration products before and after carbonation were analyzed using SEM and XRD. The analysis results reveal that the main hydration product of sulphoaluminate cement, that is ettringite （AFt）, decomposes after carbonation.

Effect of SAP on Properties of High Performance Concrete under Marine Wetting and Drying Cycles

The internal curing effect of superabsorbent polymer(SAP) on the properties of high performance concrete(HPC) under marine wetting and drying cycles(WD cycles) was investigated. Compressive strength, hydration and chloride migration were experimentally investigated and the results were evaluated by compasison with those under fresh water curing(FW). Water absorption and porosity were also evaluated only under WD cycles. The results showed the important influence of wetting and drying cycles on the properties of SAP modified HPC properties. Carefully designed, SAP minimized the long-term compressive strength of HPC under marine WD cycles. The hydration rate was faster in the initial curing, but became lower as compared with that cured in FW. In addition, SAP improved the long-term water absorption resistance and chloride migration resistance of HPC under marine WD cycles. The examination of the porosity showed a lower increase of the volume of capillary pores in SAP modified HPC under long term WD cycles compared with that without SAP. Therefore, internal curing by SAP could improve the durability properties of HPC under marine WD cycles.

Pore Size Distribution of High Performance Metakaolin Concrete

The Compressive strength, porosity and pore size distribution of high performance metakaolin (MK) concrete were investigated. Concretes containing 0,5% , 10% and 20% metakaolin were prepared at a water / cementitious material ratio ( W/C) of 0. 30. In parallel, concrete mixtures with the replacement of cement by 20% fly ash or 5 and 10% silica fume were prepared for comparison. The specimens were cured in water at 27℃ for 3 to 90 days. The results show that at the early age of curing (3 days and 7 days), metakaolin replacements increase the compressive strength, but silica fume replacement slightly reduces the compressive strength. At the age of and after 28 days , the compressive strength of the concrete with metakaolin and silica fume replacement increases. A strong reduction in the total porosity and average pore diameter were observed in the concrete with MK 20% and 10% in the first 7 days.

High Performance Concrete and Its Typical Mixes

With the modern development of chemical and mineral admixtures, it is now possible to produce much higher performance concrete than before. Higher performance does not only mean higher strength, but also better durability, lower risk of thermal cracking and higher dimensional stability etc. The three most effective admixtures for producing high performance concrete are superplastieizer, pulverized fuel ash and condensed silica fume. This paper outlines the properties of these materials and presents some practical guidelines for their usage.

Characterization of Surface Hardness and Microstructure of High Performance Concrete

The relationship between compressive strength obtained by universal testing machine and rebound value obtained by the hammer of high performance concrete was systematically investigated at the macro level. And a model of high performance concrete strength curve was established from them. At the micro level, the microstructure, hydration products and pore structure of concrete surface were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy（SEM）, comprehensive thermal analysis（TG-DSC） and mercury intrusion porosimetry（MIP）, respectively. The effect of carbonation on surface strength was also investigated. The results showed that the concrete surface hardness layer grew rapidly at early stage and then stabilized at last with ongoing curing age; the rebound value and compressive strength of concrete with slag were higher than those of concrete with the same content of fly ash. In addition, the strength curve obtained by the least square method can satisfy the local standard requirements with an average relative error of 8.9% and a relative standard deviation of 11.3%. When the carbonation depth was 6 mm, the compressive strength calculated by national uniform strength curve was 25 PMa higher than that by high performance concrete.

Shrinkage Behavior of High Performance Concrete at Different Elevated Temperatures under Different Sealing Conditions

The shrinkage behavior of high performance cement concrete made from Portland cement, ultra fine granulated blast furnace slag and pulverized fly ash with addition of superplasticizer at different temperatures from ambient temperature to 120 ℃ under different seuliug conditions was investigated by means of length change measurement on cylindrical concrete specimens along with curing age. Results show that drying shrinkage deformations of titled concrete specimens increased rapidly as the curing temperature rose. The development of dryiing shrinkage deformatian can be efficiently controlled with the aid of aluminum tape sealing as compared with the unsealed specimens, especially when the curing temperature is below 60℃ , although it will increase dramatically when the curing temperature is elevated to above 90%＂ . Polymer coating on concrete specimens showed a similar effect on the control of drying shrinkage as the sealing operation with aluminum tape.

Evaluation of the Shear Strength of Perfobond Rib Connectors in Ultra High Performance Concrete

Since the previous strength prediction models for the perfobond rib connector were proposed based upon the results of push-out tests conducted on concretes with compressive strength below 50 MPa, push-out test is performed on perfobond shear connectors applying ultra high performance concretes with compressive strength higher than 80 MPa to evaluate their shear resistance. The test variables are chosen to be the diameter and number of dowel holes and, the change in the shear strength of the perfobond rib connector is examined with respect to the strength of two types of UHPC: steel fiber-reinforced concrete with compressive strength of 180 MPa and concrete without steel fiber with compressive strength of 80 MPa. The test results reveal that higher concrete strength and larger number of holes increased the shear strength, and that higher increase rate in the shear strength was achieved by the dowel action. The comparison with the predictions obtained by the previous models shows that the experimental results are close to the values given by the model proposed by Oguejiofor and Hosain [1].

The Corrosion Fatigue Properties of High Performance Concrete

With the loading test equipment of corrosion fatigue specially designed, the corrosion fatigue characteristics of high performance concrete (HPC) withstanding the interaction of third point fatigue loading and Na_2SO_4 solution were investigated and analyzed. The experimental results indicate that water-binder ratio evidently influences the corrosion fatigue characteristics of HPC, and a moderate quantitative fine mineral admixture enhances the corrosion fatigue resistance of HPC. The effect is more significant when fly ash and silica fume are added.

Preparation and Application of C60 High Performance Concrete

C60 High Performance Concrete (HPC) was prepared by limiting cement content and adopting compositesuperplasticizer, low-alkalinity expansive agent and high-quality line mixture. The results showed that the performance of the prepared C60 HPC was excellent. By adopting some advanced construction techniques such as usingsecondary vibration and secondary face compaction, controlling temperature difference and paying special attentionto early curing in the construction process, the prepared C60 HPC had been successfully applied in the monolithicstructure of huge building.

Preparation of High Performance Non-dispersible Concrete

A new-type underwater non-dispersible concrete admixture NDA was prepared,its function mechanism was analyzed,and C40 high performance non-dispersible underwater concrete was manufactured by applying NDA.The results indicate that NDA has a suitable workability,low strength loss,and excellent anti-dispersion;the fresh non-dispersible underwater concrete with NDA has high anti-dispersion,excellent workability such as self-compacting and not bleeding;hardened non-dispersible underwater concrete with NDA has a high strength,high durability such as high anti-abrasion,impermeability and anticorrosion.

Combined effect of steel fibres and steel rebars on impact resistance of high performance concrete

The impact properties of normal concrete (NC) and reinforced concrete (RC) specimens,steel fibre reinforced concrete (SFRC) specimens and RC+SFRC specimens with different steel fibre dosages were investigated with the drop-weight impact test recommended by ACI Committee 544.The results indicate that the number of blows to final failure is greatly increased by addition of steel fibres.Moreover,the combination of steel fibres and steel rebars demonstrates a significant positive composite effect on the impact resistance,which results in the improvement in impact toughness of concrete specimens.In the view of variation of impact test results,the two-parameter Weibull distribution was adopted to analyze the experimental data.It is proved that the probabilistic distributions of the blows to first crack and to final failure of six types of samples approximately follow two-parameter Weibull distribution.

A Survey of High Performance Concrete Developments in Civil Engineering Field

High Performance concrete (HPC) has received increased attention in the development of infrastructure Viz., Buildings, Industrial Structures, Hydraulic Structures, Bridges and Highways etc. leading to utilization of large quantity of concrete. This paper presents a comprehensive coverage of High Performance concrete developments in civil engineering field. It highlights the High Performance concrete features and requirements over conventional concrete. Furthermore, recent trends with regard to High Performance Concrete development in this area are explored. This paper also includes effect of Mineral and Chemical Admixtures used to improve performance of concrete.

A Study on the Bond Strength between High Performance Concrete and Reinforcing Bar

As a preliminary study for the erection of floating structures using high performance concrete, this paper examines the bond characteristics between concrete and the reinforcing bar. Since the floating structure is constructed in aquatic environment, corrosion of the reinforcing steel is likely to develop more prematurely than in onshore structure in case of concrete cracking. A solution to this corrosion problem could use FRP rebar instead of steel reinforcement. To that goal, an experimental study is conducted on the concrete-FRP bond strength to verify if such FRP rebar develops performance comparable to the conventional steel rebar. A series of tests are performed considering the bond length of ordinary steel rebar and G-FRP rebar as test variable with respect to the strength of concrete, and the results are presented.

Creep experimental test and analysis of high-performance concrete in bridge

Factors that have effect on concrete creep include mixture composition,curing conditions,ambient exposure conditions,and element geometry.Considering concrete mixtures influence and in order to improve the prediction of prestress loss in important structures,an experimental test under laboratory conditions was carried out to investigate compression creep of two high performance concrete mixtures used for prestressed members in one bridge.Based on the experimental results,a power exponent function of creep degree for structural numerical analysis was used to model the creep degree of two HPCs,and two series of parameters of this function for two HPCs were calculated with evolution program optimum method.The experimental data was compared with CEB-FIP 90 and ACI 209(92) models,and the two code models both overestimated creep degrees of the two HPCs.So it is recommended that the power exponent function should be used in this bridge structure analysis.

INFLUENCE OF MINERAL ADMIXTURES ON MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF HIGH-PERFORMANCE CONCRETE

The improvements of the mechanical properties, including bulk density of fresh mixtures, elastic modulus, and compressive strengths of four high-performance concrete mixtures, made with the addition of fly ash, refined ground blast - furnace microslag (microslag) and silica fume are studied. The concrete mixtures were determined based on the dispersion testing results. The study indicates that the elastic modulus at 28 and 91 days, and compressive strengths of the concretes are improved a lot when fly ash and microslag by 25 percent by weight of cement are added into the mixtures individually. The improvement is especially evident when silica fume by 5 percent and fly ash by 25 percent by weight of cement are added together into the mixture, while the fresh concrete mixture keeps a good workability. Through the analysis of chemically combined water ratios of the four mixtures at various hydration ages, it is found that the addition of all these mineral mixtures are beneficial to the hydration process, especially, at later stages, which might be one of the reasons for the improvement of mechanical properties. (Author abstract) 4 Refs.

Development of Optimal Structural System for Hybrid Cable-Stayed Bridges Using Ultra High Performance Concrete

This study developed an optimal structural system for the hybrid cable-stayed bridge expected to have a durable lifetime of 200 years and of which major structural members are made of ultra high performance concrete (UHPC) with 200 MPa-class compressive strength. This innovative cable-stayed bridge system makes it possible to reduce each of the construction and maintenance costs by 20% compared to the conventional concrete cable-stayed bridge by improving significantly the weight and durability of the bridge. Therefore, detail design is carried out considering a real 800 m cable-stayed bridge and the optimal structure of the hybrid cable-stayed bridge is proposed and verified.

A Simple Mix Proportion Design Method Based on Frost Durability for Recycled High Performance Concrete Using Fully Coarse Recycled Aggregate

Durability design of recycled high performance concrete（RHPC） is fundamental for improving the use rate and level of concrete waste as coarse recycled aggregate（CRA）. We discussed a frostdurability-based mix proportion design method for RHPC using 100 % CRA and natural sand. Five groups of RHPC mixes with five strength grades（40, 50, 60, 70 and 80 MPa） were produced using CRA with four quality classes, and their workability, 28 d compressive strengths and frost resistances（measured by the compressive strength loss ratio and the relative dynamic modulus of elasticity） were tested. Relationships between the 28 d compressive strength, the frost resistance and the CRA quality characteristic parameter, water absorption, were then developed. The criterion of a CRA maximum water absorption limit value for RHPC was suggested, independent of its source and quality class. The results show that all RHPC mixes achieve the expected target workability, strength, and frost durability. The research results demonstrate that the application of the proposed method does not require trial testing prior to use.

SULFATE RESISTANCE MECHANISM OF HIGH- PERFORMANCE CONCRETE CONTAINING NCI

It is found that the incorporation of Nitrite Corrosion Inhibitor (NCI) greatly weakens the resistance of mixtures to sulfate attack. To study the mechanism of this phenomenon, in this paper, the influence of NCI addition on the cement paste and microstructure change of high performance concrete specimens is studied by means of quantitative XRD, SEM tests. The results demonstrate that the incorporation of NCI accelerates the formation of calcium hydroxide and ettringite crystals, and weakens the pore refinement effect caused by the secondary hydration reaction of fly ash and microsilica. At the age up to one year, the relative crystal quantity in mixture containing NCI is always higher than that in control mixture. The reasons for the degradation in sulfate resistance of mixtures may be attributed to the increase and stability of the calcium hydroxide and ettringite crystals formed and the weakening of secondary hydration reaction. Based on the results, conclusion can be drawn that NCI should be used cautiously in practical engineering where high resistance to sulfate attack is required. (Author abstract) 7 Refs.

Design of Eco-friendly Ultra-high Performance Concrete with Supplementary Cementitious Materials and Coarse Aggregate

Aiming to investigate the mix design of eco-friendly UHPC with supplementary cementitious materials and coarser aggregates, we comprehensively studied the workability, microstructure, porosity, compressive strength, flexural strength, and Young’s modulus of UHPC. Relationship between compressive strength and Young’s modulus was obtained eventually. It is found that the compressive strength, flexural strength, and Young’s modulus of UHPC increase by 19.01%, 10.81%, and 5.99%, respectively, when 40 wt% cement is replaced with supplementary cementitious materials. The relationship between compressive strength and Young’s modulus of UHPC is an exponential form.

Influence of shrinkage-reducing admixture on drying shrinkage and mechanical properties of high-performance concrete

High-performance concrete （HPC） has specific performance advantages over conventional concrete in strength and durability. HPC mixtures are usually produced with water/binder mass ratios （mW/mB） in the range of 0.2-0.4, so volume changes of concrete as a result of drying, chemical reactions, and temperature change cannot be avoided. For these reasons, shrinkage and cracking are frequent phenomena. It is necessary to add some types of admixture for reduction of shrinkage and cracking of HPC. This study used a shrinkage-reducing admixture （SRA） for that purpose. Concrete was prepared with two different mW/mB （0.22 and 0.40） and four different mass fractions of SRA to binder （w（SRA） = 0%, 1%, 2%, and 4%）. The mineral admixtures used for concrete mixes were： 25% fly ash （FA） and 25% slag by mass of binder for the mixture with mW/mB = 0.40, and 15% silica fume （SF） and 25% FA for the mixture with mW/mB = 0.22. Tests were conducted on 24 prismatic specimens, and shrinkage strains were measured through 120 days of drying. Compressive strength, splitting strength, and static modulus of elasticity were also determined. The results show that the SRA effectively reduces some mechanical properties of HPC. The reductions in compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, and elastic modulus of the concrete were 7%-24%, 9%-19%, and 5%-12%, respectively, after 90 days, compared to concrete mixtures without SRA. SRA can also help reduce drying shrinkage of concrete. The shrinkage strains of HPC with SRA were only as high as 41% of the average free shrinkage of concrete without SRA after 120 days of drying.