Durability against dry-wet and freeze-thaw cycles of carbon sequestration foamed concrete utilizing abandoned soil and waste serpentine

Abstract

Although the engineering and sustainability performance of carbon sequestration foamed concrete (CFC) has been demonstrated to be satisfactory, further investigation into the durability properties of CFC is warranted. The durability against dry-wet and freeze-thaw cycles constitutes a crucial parameter for service life design of foamed concrete. This paper investigates the durability against d-w and f-t cycles of a sustainable carbon sequestration foamed concrete (CFC) developed utilizing waste materials including abandoned soil and waste serpentine. A comprehensive array of physical, mechanical and microstructural tests was undertaken to examine both microscopic and macroscopic properties of CFC subsequent to cyclic d-w and f-t testing. These tests encompassed evaluations of unconfined compressive strength, deformation modulus, stress-strain curves, phase identification, pore structure and CO2 uptake capacity. The results revealed fluctuating mass change rates in CFC specimens with increasing d-w cycles, whereas a gradual increase in mass was noted with an increase in f-t cycles. After 10 d-w and f-t cycles, the strengths of CFC specimens exhibited reductions ranging from 10% to 70%. Furthermore, the iterative d-w and f-t cycles demonstrated minimal influence on the carbonation products and CO2 sequestration capacity of CFC, while causing the fragmentation of dense aggregates into loose fragments. Therefore, the remarkable durability exhibited by carbon sequestration concrete renders it suitable for meeting the requirements in engineering practice.