Effect of Fly Ash and Early Strength Agent on Durability of Concrete Exposed to the Cyclic Sulfate Environment

The effect of fly ash and early strength agent on resistance of concrete to the cyclic sulfate environment was studied.Concrete specimens made with ordinary portland cement or ordinary portland cement incorporating fly ash with the replacement of 10% or 20%,or 1% early strength agent and fly ash with the replacement of 20%,were made and subjected to 250 cycles of exposure to the cyclic sulfate environment.Concrete properties including loss of mass,chloride ion diffusion coefficient,compressive strength and flexural strength were measured.Microstructure and chemical component of samples were determined by means of X-ray diffraction,scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy.The experimental results indicated that effect of fly ash on the cyclic sulfate resistance of concretes was mostly dependent on the amount of fly ash.Early strength agent improved performances of concrete with 20% fly ash exposed to cyclic sulfate environment.

Thermal and Stress Analysis of Early Age Concrete for Spread Footing

The early age performance of spread footing, especially the growth of cracks, is deeply influenced by the heat of hydration of cement. In this paper, 3D finite element method(FEM)models are set up to analyze the temperature distribution and thermal stresses of the spread footing during the first seven days after concrete placement. The mechanical properties of early age concrete are calculated, which are further used in the FEM models. The possibilities of crack growth are estimated by the method of crack index. The crack indexes of quite a number of points are very close to the allowable limit of 1.0 during the last three days. It is also indicated that the influence of foundation ring on the thermal stresses of concrete can be neglected.

Prediction of Antifrccze Critical Strength of Infant Age Concrete

The rule of infant age concrete strength development under low temperature and complex affecting factors is researched. An efficient and reliable mathematical forecast model is set up to predict the infant age concrete antifreeze critical strength under low temperature at construction site. On the basis of the revision of concrete equivalent coefficient under complex influencing factors, least-squares curve-fitting method is applied to approximate the concrete strength under standard curing and the forecast formula of concrete compressive strength could be obtained under natural temperature condition by various effects. When the amounts of double-doped are 10% fly ashes and 4% silica fumes as coment replacement, the antifreeze critical strength changes form 3.5-4.1MPa under different low temperature curing. The equivalent coefficient correction formula of concrete under low temperature affected by various factors could be obtained. The obtained equivalent coefficient is suitable for calculating the strength which is between 10% to 40% of standard strength and the curing temperature from 5-20 ℃. The forecast value of concrete antifreeze critical strength under low temperature could be achieved by combining the concrete antifreeze critical strength value with the compressive strength forecast of infant age concrete under low temperature. Then the theory for construction quality control under low temperature is provided.

Cracking Tendency of Restrained Concrete at Early Ages

A modified testing system characterized by full automation, steady operation and high accuracy of strain and stress measurements was developed to determine the cracking tendency of high strength concrete （HSC） in restrained condition at early ages. The shrinkage stress and the tensile creep behavior of HSC at early ages were investigated. The influence of W/C ratio and curing conditions on the early-age shrinkage stress and tensile creep was evaluated. It was found that the lower W/C ratio and drying curing condition resulted in higher shrinkage stress, stress induced tensile creep and greater cracking tendency.

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.

In-situ Monitoring the Setting Behavior of Foamed Concrete Using Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity Method

The applicability of ultrasonic pulse velocity （UPV） method to in-situ monitor setting and hardening process of foamed concrete （FC） was systematically investigated. The UPVs of various FC pastes were automatically and continuously measured by a specially designed ultrasonic monitoring apparatus （UMA）. Ultrasonic tests were performed on FC mixtures with different density （300, 500, 800 and 1 000 kg/m3）, and different fly ash contents （0%, 20%, 40% and 60%）. The influence of curing temperatures （20, 40, 60 and 80~C） was also studied. The experimental results show that three characteristic stages can be clearly identified during the setting process of an arbitrary FC paste： dormant stage, acceleration stage, and deceleration stage. Wet density, fly ash content, and curing temperature have great impact on setting behavior. A stepwise increase of the wet density results in shorter dormant stage and larger final UPV. Hydration reaction rate is obviously promoted with an increase in curing temperature. However, the addition fly ash retards the microstn,lcture formation. To aid in comparing with the ultrasonic results, the consistence spread test and Vicat needle test （VNT） were also conducted. A correlation between ultrasonic and VNT results was also established to evaluate the initial and final setting time of the FC mixtures. Finally, certain ranges of UPV with reasonable widths were suggested for the initial and final setting time, respectively.

From Hydration to Strength Properties of Fly Ash Based Mortar

Fly ash (FA) is important alternative or supplement to cement to reduce the environmental impact of concrete industry. However, early age strength development of FA is a concern due to the slower reaction rate of FA compared to cement. This paper examines the early age hydration properties of cement paste containing typical Australian FA and establishes correlations between the degree of hydration and the early-age strength development properties of mortar mixes. All mixes have the same mixture proportion of water to binder (w:b) ratio. FA sourced from different power plants are used for the tests. Cement replacement levels of 0%, 10%, 30% and 40% by mass are considered. The degree of hydration was established from the heat production of the mixes by using isothermal calorimetry. The hydration properties were characterized by hydration curve parameters obtained from curve fitting. The results show that both hydration rate and strength of the binder materials (FA and cement) were reduced with higher replacement levels of FA contributing to a reduced hydration rate at early ages. Linear relationship could be obtained between degree of hydration and strength at early ages for all the fly ash binders.

Local Aggregate in Production of Concrete Mix in Jordan

Concrete properties such as unit weight and compressive strength are highly dependable on the properties of aggregate. Current research aims to study the effect of aggregate properties on concrete considering the resource of aggregate. The properties of aggregate and fine sand were studied (specific gravity, density, absorption, and abrasion). Also, the properties of concrete were studied (density, unit weight, and compressive strength). Samples of coarse and medium aggregates, and fine sand were collected from different areas in Jordan (Ajloun, Amman, Aqaba, Irbid, Jerash, Karak, Ma’an, Madaba, Salt, Zarqa, and Tafila) to be tested and used in concrete mix. Aggregate from South of Jordan has higher values in specific gravity and bulk density (Aqaba, Ma’an, and Karak aggregates). Also, the same aggregate samples have lower values in absorption and abrasion (Ma’an, Aqaba, Karak, and Tafila). For the properties of concrete that include density, unit weight, and compressive strength, all samples have achieved the design properties and strength in the current study. For density and unit weight, samples from South of Jordan have higher values (Ma’an and Aqaba). And for compressive strength, Ma’an, Irbid and Amman concrete samples have the highest values at 7-day, while the 28-day compressive strength comes highest for Zarqa, Ma’an, Irbid and Amman. From the results of the current study, the compressive strength at 7-day and 28-day is related to the density of coarse and medium aggregate, abrasion, and absorption. The higher the density, the higher the compressive strength. And the lower abrasion and absorption, the higher the compressive strength of concrete. Current research will be useful in selecting the source of aggregate to produce a considerable concrete strength.

Use of Plant-Based Accelerator to Enhance Rate of Gain of Strength of Kenyan Blended Cement

Concrete is the most widely used construction material in the world. The situation in the country is not an exception as most of the infrastructures in Kenya such as buildings, bridges, concrete drainage among others, are constructed using concrete. Sadly, the failure of buildings and other concrete structures is very common in Kenya. Blended Portland cement type 32.5 N/mm2 is the most widely used concrete binder material and is found in all parts of the country. Despite blended cement CEM 32.5 being the most commonly used cement type in construction industry in Kenya and most developing countries as a result of its low price and availability locally, its strength gain has been proven to be lower compared to when other types of cement are used due to quantity of pozzolanic material added to the blend. This paper outlines findings of an experimental investigation on the use of cypress tree extract as an accelerator to enhance rate of gain of strength on Kenyan blended cements. Six different blended cement brands locally available were used during the study. Cement chemical analysis was done using X-ray diffraction method while for the cypress extract, Atomic Absorption Spectrometer machine was used. Physical and mechanical properties were checked based on the British standards. The generation of the concrete mix design was done using the British DOE method and concrete was tested for the compressive strength at 7, 14, 21, 28, 56 and 90 days. It was observed that 15% dosage of the extract expressed as a mass percentage of the cement content gives the most improved compressive strength of concrete, 10.4% at 7 days and 9.5% at 28 days hence the optimum. It was further noted that when Cypress tree extract is used as an accelerator in the mix, the blended cement concrete achieves the design strength at 27 days saving 10 days of the project duration compared to when no accelerator is used while the ultimate strength is achieved at 67 days. The study therefore recommends the use of the cypress tree bark extract at a dosage of 15%, by mass, of the cement content as an accelerator when the structure is to be loaded at 28 days and waiting up to 39 days before loading the structure if no accelerator is used for blended cement concrete.

复合促凝剂对CFBFA基泡沫混凝土性能的影响

循环流化床固硫灰(circulating fluidized bed fly ash,CFBFA)是现代新型燃煤发电工艺的主要副产品之一,利用CFBFA制备泡沫混凝土可以满足建筑隔墙保温的要求,但大掺量CFBFA会引起泡沫混凝土凝结速度减缓,导致工业化生产周转效率低,生产成本高.采用硫酸铝与氢氧化钙混合制备复合促凝剂,当硫酸铝质量分数为3%时,研究不同氢氧化钙含量(其与硫酸铝的质量比分别为0、0.25、0.50、0.75和1.00)对CFBFA基泡沫混凝土的凝结时间、抗压强度和导热系数的影响.利用X射线衍射、热重分析、扫描电子显微镜以及等温电导率量热法,研究了复合促凝剂对CFBFA基泡沫混凝土早期水化的促进作用机理,通过3D轮廓仪并结合Image-pro软件,分析了泡沫混凝土的孔隙结构.结果表明,当复合促凝剂中氢氧化钙与硫酸铝的质量比为0.25时,与对照组(氢氧化钙质量为0)相比,CFBFA泡沫混凝土的初凝时间缩短了220 min;当复合促凝剂中氢氧化钙与硫酸铝的质量比为0.75时,CFBFA泡沫混凝土3 d的强度可达到10.39 MPa,导热系数为0.30 W·m^(-1)·K^(-1).复合促凝剂促进混凝土在水化早期生成针状的钙矾石,使CFBFA基泡沫混凝土基体更加致密、孔径分布更均匀.复合促凝剂的掺入使CFBFA基泡沫混凝土具有高效批量化生产的潜力以及良好的工程应用前景.

Onsite strength determination for early-opening decision making of high early strength concrete pavement

High early strength(HES)concrete pavements are commonly opened to traffic within the first 24 h after construction,making early-opening decisions critical for pavement quality and traffic operations.Currently,most state departments of transportation rely on compressive strength testing for early-opening decision making.However,there laboratory tests are labor intensive,costly and not always representative of field strength development.In this study,non-destructive testing(maturity and ultrasonic tomography)was explored for faster and reliable in-situ strength estimations.An experimental section constructed using HES concrete was routinely monitored using compressive testing,maturity,and ultrasonic tomography in the first 24 h after construction.The shear wave velocity,measured using ultrasonic tomography,was able to capture the strength-gain variability within a single slab and between different slabs due to the ability to monitor several locations in a short period of time.Maturity results were consistently conservative in the first 24 h of monitoring.Results show that both maturity testing and ultrasonic tomography are able to replace or add to conventional strength testing for HES concrete pavements to facilitate making the opening decision within the first 24 h.Ultrasonic tomography proved more beneficial as a result of the device's portability,increased speed of testing,and accurate estimations of HES concrete strength for the entire pavement length.

Influence of accelerated curing on the compressive strength of polymer-modified concrete

In recent building practice,rapid construction is one of the principal requisites.Furthermore,in designing concrete structures,compressive strength is the most significant of all parameters.While 3-d and 7-d compressive strength reflects the strengths at early phases,the ultimate strength is paramount.An effort has been made in this study to develop mathematical models for predicting compressive strength of concrete incorporating ethylene vinyl acetate(EVA)at the later phases.Kolmogorov-Smirnov(KS)goodness-of-fit test was used to examine distribution of the data.The compressive strength of EVA-modified concrete was studied by incorporating various concentrations of EVA as an admixture and by testing at ages of 28,56,90,120,210,and 365 d.An accelerated compressive strength at 3.5 hours was considered as a reference strength on the basis of which all the specified strengths were predicted by means of linear regression fit.Based on the results of KS goodness-of-fit test,it was concluded that KS test statistics value(D)in each case was lower than the critical value 0.521 for a significance level of 0.05,which demonstrated that the data was normally distributed.Based on the results of compressive strength test,it was concluded that the strength of EVA-modified specimens increased at all ages and the optimum dosage of EVA was achieved at 16%concentration.Furthermore,it was concluded that predicted compressive strength values lies within a 6%difference from the actual strength values for all the mixes,which indicates the practicability of the regression equations.This research work may help in understanding the role of EVA as a viable material in polymer-based cement composites.

纤维特征参数对HES-HDC单轴拉伸性能的影响及拉伸韧性评价方法

为探究高早强高延性混凝土(HES-HDC)在不同PE纤维直径与体积率下的单轴拉伸力学性能,设计了17组薄板试件进行单轴拉伸试验,研究PE纤维直径(22μm和25μm)及体积率(1.00%、1.25%和1.50%)对不同龄期(2 h、24 h、7 d、28 d和56 d)HES-HDC应力-应变曲线、拉伸强度和应变的影响;根据试验结果提出了HDC拉伸韧性评价方法.结果表明:在拉伸荷载作用下,HES-HDC应力-应变曲线展示出应变强化特性,破坏过程呈多裂缝开展;2 h龄期时,HES-HDC拉伸强度与应变达到3.29 MPa和0.88%以上;28 d时,HES-HDC拉伸应变可保持在1.28%以上;当纤维体积率为1.00%时,小直径纤维对试件拉伸应变有利,而大直径纤维对试件拉伸强度有利;综合大直径纤维试件拉伸强度与应变,纤维最佳体积率为1.25%.提出的拉伸韧性评价方法可评价HDC薄板受拉全过程的韧性.随龄期的增长,HES-HDC拉伸韧性指数降低,而拉伸强度系数提高;小直径纤维试件的拉伸韧性高于大直径纤维试件;纤维体积率为1.25%时试件拉伸韧性最大.

冻融-硫酸盐腐蚀耦合作用下早龄期混凝土强度演变及预测模型研究

为了研究冻融-硫酸盐腐蚀耦合作用对早龄期混凝土力学性能的影响,基于新疆若羌地区实际环境条件,对三种水胶比的早龄期混凝土分别进行冻融循环、硫酸盐腐蚀、冻融-硫酸盐腐蚀耦合作用工况下的耐久性试验,分析不同环境作用工况与水胶比交互作用下早龄期混凝土强度经时演变规律和作用机制。同时,基于灰色系统理论与遗传算法,建立早龄期混凝土强度的变权缓冲GM(1,1)模型。研究结果表明:同环境作用工况下,随冻融循环次数增加,早龄期混凝土抗蚀系数均出现先增大后减小的变化规律,并且在腐蚀终期,水胶比与早龄期混凝土抗蚀系数呈负相关。在同水胶比条件下,相较于单一冻融循环工况,冻融-硫酸盐腐蚀耦合作用工况对早龄期混凝土抗蚀系数终值的影响程度更高。早龄期混凝土强度预测模型的最大平均预测误差仅为1.893%,具有较好的预测精度,可为寒冷、盐渍土地区混凝土结构服役状态评估提供参考;通过预测模型对不同环境作用工况下早龄期混凝土进行耐久性评估,可知:冻融循环作用下,0.26、0.32、0.38水胶比的早龄期混凝土预测服役寿命分别是75.3 a、24.6 a、15.3 a,而在冻融-硫酸盐腐蚀耦合作用工况下,同水胶比下早龄期混凝土预测服役寿命缩短至30.7 a、22 a、12.7 a。

纤维膨胀剂对隧道衬砌混凝土性能的影响

研究纤维膨胀剂对不同水胶比和不同强度等级混凝土工作性能、抗压强度和变形性能的影响。结果表明,相同水胶比条件下,纤维膨胀剂掺量对混凝土拌合物坍落度无明显影响;纤维膨胀剂掺量是影响混凝土限制膨胀率的主要因素,纤维膨胀剂掺量由7%增加至11%能更有效地补偿收缩;但纤维膨胀剂掺量增加,在提高补偿收缩能力的同时,也会降低混凝土抗压强度。综合考虑纤维膨胀剂对混凝土抗压强度和限制膨胀率的影响后,确定C30、C40强度等级的隧道衬砌膨胀混凝土配合比,经验证该配合比下混凝土工作性能良好、满足强度设计要求,且均有良好的早期抗裂性能。

高性能混凝土的早期抗压强度预测和极值寻优

高性能混凝土7 d抗压强度作为早期强度的重要指标,对建筑工程质量的影响不容忽视。为了实现高性能混凝土的抗压强度预测及极值寻优,本文基于Logistic混沌映射改进麻雀搜索算法(LCSSA)优化BP神经网络,建立LCSSA-BP预测模型。选取88组数据作为训练集、38组数据作为测试集,对比BP、支持向量机(SVM)、极限学习机(ELM)、人工蜂群算法优化BP神经网络(ABC-BP)、布谷鸟搜索算法优化BP神经网络(CS-BP)模型的预测结果。从数据集划分、输入变量数量的角度出发,验证了LCSSA-BP模型的预测精度。采用遗传算法进行抗压强度寻优,确定高性能混凝土配合比的最佳掺量。研究表明:相较于其他模型,LCSSA-BP模型具有更高的预测精度、更低的预测误差;当按照9-1划分训练集和测试集时,模型决定系数R^(2)为0.975,相关系数R为0.987;综合考虑变量的关联度和数据分布特性,选取水泥、高炉矿渣、水、粗骨料和细骨料作为输入变量时,模型R^(2)为0.954,R为0.977;遗传算法在高性能混凝土早期7 d抗压强度寻优和配合比设计方面具有较高的可行性和实用性。

掺C-S-H纳米晶核混凝土的早期强度与收缩性能

C-S-H纳米晶核可促进水泥水化,提升混凝土早期强度发展,有利于预应力混凝土结构提前进行预应力张拉。采用C-S-H纳米晶核早强剂制备早强低收缩混凝土,探究了C-S-H纳米晶核对混凝土早期强度、收缩变形性能及其发展规律的影响。结果表明:养护温度的提升有利于纳米晶核早强性能的发挥;混凝土早期强度随纳米晶核掺量增加呈先增加后稳定的趋势,当掺量为4%时混凝土的早强效果最佳,且不影响后期强度发展。纳米晶核的早强效果优于其他传统早强剂,传统早强剂6 h强度提升幅度为10%~20%,纳米晶核强度提升幅度可达105.2%,早强效果明显。同时,掺纳米晶核混凝土的体积变形与强度发展同步,主要集中在早期,前3 d收缩率占28 d龄期时收缩率的67%,且掺入纳米晶核试件的28 d收缩率为空白组的75%,体积稳定性好,可实现预应力提前张拉。

基于复合胶凝材料体系的超高性能混凝土性能研究

针对桥梁伸缩缝过渡区频繁出现的混凝土破损问题,研发了一种用于桥梁伸缩缝过渡区修复的硅酸盐-硫铝酸盐复合水泥胶凝材料体系超高性能混凝土(UHPC),并对其性能及微观结构进行了研究;优选了硫铝酸盐水泥的掺入比例,在某公路伸缩缝修复工程中进行了实际应用。结果表明:合适掺量的硫铝酸盐水泥能够有效提高UHPC的综合性能;当硫铝酸盐水泥质量为水泥总质量的10%时,所制备的UHPC在实际修复工程中的应用效果较好,养护24 h后抗压强度已经达到40 MPa。

基于混凝土20 h内强度龄期关系曲线确定调压井滑模滑升时间研究

水利水电工程调压井滑模施工中的混凝土强度是一个非常重要的技术参数,且是控制滑模滑升速度的依据,也是滑模能否提升的前提条件。阐述了通过对现场混凝土试件进行抗压强度检测,采用线性回归分析方法得出了该配合比混凝土在20 h内的时间与抗压强度关系曲线,依据该关系式推出了调压井20 h内混凝土随时间增长的连续强度,从而判断出滑模是否满足提升要求,进而确定出滑模的滑升时间。该方法的采用减少了取样频次、检测时间与检测成本,能够更加便捷、快速地在施工现场计算出混凝土强度是否满足滑模滑升要求。

高海拔地质复杂地区喷射混凝土超早强材料应用研究

将纳米早强功能材料、增强型无碱速凝剂及混凝土稳态保塑剂进行有机结合,开发了高海拔地质复杂地区喷射混凝土超早强材料,以解决高海拔地质复杂地区喷射混凝土的超早强性能与工作性能保持、长龄期强度增长的矛盾。研究水胶比、减水剂掺量、纳米早强功能材料、增强型无碱速凝剂及混凝土稳态保塑剂对喷射混凝土的工作性能及抗压强度的影响,通过水化热和水化产物形貌测试探究了其超早强性能和工作性能保持的作用机制,并在某工程进行了工程应用评价。结果表明,8h, 24h和28d的抗压强度分别达到11.9,25.6,53.3MPa。