Experimental study on the properties of a polymer-modified superfine cementitious composite material for waterproofing and plugging

Cement-based ductile rapid repair material modified with self-emulsifying waterborne epoxy

Research on compressive strength and thermal conductivity of lightweight phosphogypsum-based composite cementitious materials

The botryoid hybrid nano-carbon materials were incorporated into cementitious materials to develop a new type of self-sensing cementitious composites, and then the mechanical, electrically conductive, and piezoresistive behaviors of the developed self-sensing cementitious composites with botryoid hybrid nano-carbon materials were comprehensively investigated. Moreover, the modification mechanisms of botryoid hybrid nano-carbon materials to cementitious materials were also explored. The experimental results show that the compressive strength and the elasticity modulus of the self-sensing cementitious composites botryoid hybrid nano-carbon materials decrease with the increase in the botryoid hybrid nano-carbon material content, while the Poisson’s ratio does the opposite. The percolation threshold zone of the self-sensing cementitious composites botryoid hybrid nano-carbon materials is from 2.28 to 3.85 vol.%. The optimal content of botryoid hybrid nano-carbon materials is 3.38 vol.% for piezoresistivity of the self-sensing cementitious composites botryoid hybrid nano-carbon materials. The amplitude of fractional change in resistivity goes up to 70.4% and 28.9%, respectively, under the monotonic compressive loading to failure and under the repeated compressive loading within elastic regime. The piezoresistive stress/strain sensitivity reaches (3.04%/MPa)/354.28 within elastic regime. The effective modification of botryoid hybrid nano-carbon materials to electrically conductive and piezoresistive properties of cementitious materials at such low content is attributed to their botryoid structures, which are beneficial for the dispersion of botryoid hybrid nano-carbon materials and the formation of conductive network in cementitious materials. The use of botryoid hybrid nano-carbon materials provides a new bottom–up design and fabrication approach for nano-engineering multifunctional cementitious composites.

Cement based composites i.e. paste, mortar and concrete are the most utilized materials in the construction industry all over the world. Cement composites are quasi-brittle in nature and possess extremely low tensile strength as compared to their compressive strength. Due to their low tensile strength capacity, cracks develop in cementitious composites due to the drying shrinkage, plastic settlements and/or stress concentrations (due to external restrains and/or applied stresses) etc. These cracks developed at the nanoscale may grow rapidly due to the applied stresses and join together to form micro and macro cracks. The growth of cracks from nanoscale to micro and macro scale is very rapid and may lead to sudden failure of the cement composites. Therefore, it is necessary to develop such types of cement composites possessing higher resistance to crack growth, enhanced flexural strength and ductility. The development of new technologies and materials has revolutionized every field of science by opening new horizons in production and manufacturing. In construction materials, especially in cement and concrete composites, the use of nano/micro particles and fibers in the mix design of these composites has opened new ways from improved mechanical properties to enhanced functionalities. Generally, the production or manufacturing processes of the nano/micro sized particles and fibers are energy intensive and expensive. Therefore, it is very important to explore new methods and procedures to develop less energy intensive, low cost and eco-friendly inert nano/micro sized particles for utilization in the cement composites to obtain better performance in terms of strength and ductility. The main theme of the present research work was to develop a family of new type of cementitious composites possessing superior performance characteristics in terms of strength, ductility, fracture energy and crack growth pattern by incorporating micro sized inert carbonized particles in the mix design of cementitious composites. To achieve these objectives the micro sized inert carbonized particles were prepared from organic waste materials, namely: Bamboo, coconut shell and hemp hurds. For comparison purposes and performance optimization needs, another inorganic waste material named as carbon soot was also investigated in the present research. The experimental investigations for the present study was carried out in two phases; In the first phase of research work, a methodology was developed for the synthesis of the micro sized inert carbonized particles from the above mentioned organic raw materials. In the second phase of research, various mix proportions of the cementitious composites were prepared incorporating the synthesized micro sized inert carbonized particles. For micro sized inert carbonized particles obtained from bamboo and coconut shell three wt.% additions i.e. 0.05, 0.08, 0.20 were investigated and for particles synthesized from hemp hurds 0.08, 0.20, 1.00 and 3.00 wt.% additions were explored. The cement composites were characterized by third-point bending tests and their fracture parameters were evaluated. The mechanical characterization of specimens suggested that 0.08 wt.% addition of micro sized inert carbonized bamboo particles enhances the flexural strength and toughness of cement composites up to 66% and 103% respectively. The toughness indices I5, I10 and total toughness of the cement composites were also enhanced. The carbonized particles synthesized from coconut shell resulted in improved toughness and ductility without any increase in the modulus of rupture of the cement composite specimens. Maximum enhancements in I5 and I10 were observed for 0.08% addition of both carbonized and carbonized-annealed particles. For the carbonized hemp hurds cement composites the results indicate that the micro sized inert carbonized particles additions enhanced the flexural strength, compressive strength and the fracture energy of the cement composites. The microstructure of the cement composites was also studied with the help of field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) by observing small chunks of cement composite paste samples. The FESEM observations indicated that the micro sized inert carbonized particles utilized in the mix design of these mixes were well dispersed in the cement matrix. It was also observed that the fracture paths followed by the cracks were tortures and irregular due the presence of micro particles in the matrix. The cracks during their growth often contoured around the inert particle inclusions and resulted in enhanced energy absorption capacity of the cement composites. The study was further enhanced to the cement mortar composites and their performances were studied. The results indicated that the energy absorption behavior of the composites was enhanced for all the cement composites containing micro carbonized particles. Finally, it is concluded that the ductility and toughness properties of the cement composites can be enhanced by incorporating the micro sized inert carbonized particles in the cement matrix. The fracture energy, ductility and toughness properties enhancement of the cement composites greatly depends upon the source and synthesis procedure followed for the production of micro sized inert carbonized particles

Deactivated Ca-based sorbent derived from calcium looping CO2 capture as a partial substitute for cement to obtain low-carbon cementitious building materials

Preparation and performance characterization of waterborne epoxy resin modified asphalt emulsion for tack coat

Addressing the current lining cracking problem in coastal tunnels, this paper independently introduces a novel type of repair material for tunnel lining cracks—the composite repair material consisting of waterborne epoxy resin and ultrafine cement (referred to as EC composite repair material). Through indoor testing, we have analyzed the change rule of the mass change rate, compressive strength, flexural strength, and chloride ion concentration of the repair material samples in erosive environments, with the dosage of each component in the EC composite repair material being varied. We have also investigated the working performance, mechanical properties, and microstructure of the repair material. The results of this study show that when the proportion of each component of ultrafine cement, waterborne epoxy resin, waterborne epoxy curing agent, waterborne polyurethane, defoamer, and water is 100:50:50:2.5:0.5:30, the performance of the EC composite repair material in a chloride ion-rich environment is optimal in all aspects. When the mixing ratio of each component of the EC composite repair material is as stated above, the repair material exhibits the best performance in a chloride ion erosion environment. With this ratio of components in the EC composite repair material, the fluidity, setting time, compressive strength, flexural strength, and bond strength of the repair material in a chloride ion erosion environment can meet the requirements of relevant specifications, and it is highly effective in repairing tunnel lining cracks. The polymeric film formed by the reaction between the waterborne epoxy resin emulsion and the curing agent fills the pores between the hydration products, resulting in a densely packed internal structure of EC composite repair material with enhanced erosion resistance, making it very suitable for repairing cracks in tunnel linings in erosive environments.

Existing research shows that using waterborne epoxy resin (WER) instead of emulsified asphalt as the binder for cold mix asphalt (CMA) can enhance the rutting resistance, high-temperature performance, fracture performance, and early performance of CMA. In order to eliminate the potential drawbacks such as insufficient strength and low-temperature performance of CMA during application, a novel method was proposed in this study for the preparation of waterborne epoxy-acrylate resin (WER), specifically tailored to modify emulsified asphalt, resulting in waterborne epoxy-acrylate resin emulsified asphalt (WEREA). The modification effect of WER on emulsified asphalt was evaluated through rheological tests and direct tensile tests. A modified design method based on the conventional Marshall design method was proposed to determine the optimal mix proportions, including the key parameters of specimen compaction and curing. The results revealed that the incorporation of WER led to a substantial improvement in the complex shear modulus and a concurrent decrease in the phase angle. When the temperature exceeded 60 °C, the phase angle exhibited a diminishing trend, indicative of a reduced viscosity as temperatures escalated. As the WER content increased, a decrease in the direct tensile strain rate was observed, accompanied by a substantial elevation in direct tensile strength. At various stress levels, the shear strain of WEREA decreases with increased content of WER, indicating that the incorporation of WER can enhance the hardness of emulsified asphalt and improve its deformation resistance. The results from MSCR tests indicate that WER could significantly improve the elasticity and hardness of emulsified asphalt, transitioning it from a viscoelastic material to an elastic material, thereby improving its deformation resistance, resistance to rutting, and high-temperature performance. The results of fatigue life are consistent with those of the amplitude sweep, both reflecting the improvement of resistance to deformation of emulsified asphalt by WER. This indicates that WER has a significant improving effect on the fatigue resistance of emulsified asphalt. Furthermore, the Marshall design tests further confirmed the advantages of WEREA in asphalt mixtures. The optimal preparation for the WEREA mixture was proposed as follows: double-sided compaction for 50 times each, aging at 60 °C for 48 h, optimal moisture content of 5.14%, cement content of 2.5%, and emulsion content of 8.4%. The optimal mix proportions identified through these tests yielded asphalt mixtures with significantly improved stability, reduced flow value, and enhanced rutting resistance compared to the hot-mix asphalt mixture (HMA) of AC-16. These findings suggest that WEREA has the potential to significantly enhance the durability and longevity of asphalt pavements. For future applications, it can be explored for use in producing cold recycled asphalt mixtures. In addition to designing the WEREA mixture according to AC-16 gradation, consideration can also be given to using a gradation with a smaller nominal maximum aggregate size for the application in the surface layer or ultra-thin wearing course.

Cementitious materials are commonly and extensively used worldwide by construction industry for various types of infrastructures. Despite of their exceptional strength in compression they still possess limited tensile strength and tensile strain capacity. Different types of fibers have been investigated since last fifty decades to reinforce the cementitious matrix against tensile failures and to impart ductility. The size of the reinforcing fillers has diminished from macro to micro and now even to the nano scale with the recent advancements in nanotechnology. Due to exceptional intrinsic properties and large aspect ratio, carbon nanotubes have been successfully investigated as a reinforcing filler to modify the mechanical strength, fracture toughness, electrical and electromagnetic wave absorbing properties of cementitious composites. However the problems associated with its effective dispersion and bonding with the host material limit its widespread applications on large scale. To overcome the aforementioned issues concerning the dispersion and bonding of nano reinforcing materials with the host matrix, graphene nano sheets were explored for the first time as a reinforcing agent for high performance cementitious matrices. Graphene sheets are free form entanglement problems and therefore need comparatively lesser energy for proper dispersion. Due to very high specific surface area and large aspect ratio in comparison with carbon nanotubes they are much capable to develop strong interfacial bond with the host medium. In the commercialization of these nano carbon particles filled cementitious composites, another major concern would be the related expenses. Therefore in parallel, research work was also done to explore the cost effective alternatives for the production of carbon nano particles to be used for modification or improvement in the properties of cement matrices. In recent wok by Prof. Ferro's research team it has been explored that carbon nano particles produced from coconut shells can be effectively used to improve the mechanical strength and fracture toughness of cementitious composites with limited dispersion issues (G. Ferro et al. 2014, 2015). To continue with the productive research pertaining the cost effective production of carbon nano particles for high performance cementitious composites, bio-waste in the form of bagasse fibers, hazelnut shell and peanut shell was investigated. These particular types of agricultural wastes were selected keeping in view their economic availability as well as the excellent conversion efficiency via pyrolysis. The present work encompasses complete characterization of the investigated materials, detailed study on their dispersion ability in water and the cement matrix, entire mechanical characterization of reinforced cementitious composites at varying proportions as well as their electromagnetic wave absorption properties in 2-10 GHz frequency range. It was determined that graphene nano-platelets can be uniformly dispersed in water as well as in the cementitious matrix without any addition of separate dispersant or surfactant or stabilizing agent. It was found that even at a very low content of addition remarkable improvements in the mechanical strength and fracture toughness were attained. The optimum content of addition for the grade 4 graphene nano-platelets was found as 0.08 wt% providing with a significant increase of 89% and 29% in compressive and flexure strength along with 115% improved fracture toughness. Similarly the carbonized particles produced for bio-waste were found quite effective in modifying the mechanical performance of cementitious composites. Maximum enhancement by 139% and 88% in flexural and compressive strength were achieved on 0.2 wt % addition of nano/micro carbonized particles produced from peanut shell with an increase of 69% in the fracture toughness as well. Microstructural investigations evidenced the proper homogeneous dispersion of GNPs and NMCPs throughout cementitious matrix along with their efficient filling action to refine the pore-structure of the cementitious composite. The phenomena of crack bridging, crack deflections, crack contouring and crack branching were observed via scanning electron microscopy revealing the mechanism behind the remarkable improvements of mechanical properties achieved in the present research. A novel cost effective material in the form of cement composites containing carbonized agricultural residue (comprising CPS and CHS) was proposed for shielding against electromagnetic waves. The investigated material was found much efficient for electromagnetic interference shielding applications, providing the advantage of better dispersion, simple manufacture at a much lower cost (cost saving ˃ 85%) compared to the corresponding carbon nanotubes based cement composite material

To investigate the effects of slag and Na2O content on the macroscopic properties and pore structure characteristics of alkali-activated metakaolin-slag (AAMS) composite cementitious materials, this study used X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDS), and mercury-pressure (MIP) tests for characterization and analyzed the hydration product compositions, microstructures, and pore structure characteristics of AAMS composite cementitious materials. The relationships between the fractal dimension and the pore structure parameters, compressive strengths, and drying shrinkage rates of AAMS composite cementitious materials were investigated with the thermodynamic fractal model. The results showed that at the age of 28 d, the compressive strength and drying shrinkage of the AAMS composite binder increased by 20.57% and 215.11%, respectively, when the slag content increased from 0 to 50%. When the Na2O content increased from 8% to 12%, the compressive strength and drying shrinkage of the AAMS composite increased by 24.37% and 129.40%, respectively. The compressive strengths of AAMS composite cementitious materials increased with increasing slag content and Na2O content, but the drying shrinkage of the system increased, and the volume stability worsened. Microscopic analyses showed that with increases in the slag and Na2O contents, the hydration products of AAMS composite cementitious materials increased, and C-A-S-H and N-A-S-H filled each other so that the internal structures of AAMS composite cementitious materials were denser, and the porosities were significantly reduced. By comparing and analyzing the Menger sponge model and the fractal model based on the thermodynamic relationships, it was found that the fractal model based on the thermodynamic relationship better reflected the pore size distribution over the whole pore size determination range, and the correlation coefficients R2 were above 0.99, indicating that the fractal dimension calculated by the fractal model based on the thermodynamic relationship provided a comprehensive evaluation index for the pore structure characteristics of AAMS composite cementitious materials, and the fractal dimension correlated well with the pore structure parameters, compressive strengths, and drying shrinkage rates of cementitious materials.

Based on the physical and chemical properties of red sandstone (RS), RS is used to produce composite cementitious materials. The flowability, mechanical strength, and micromechanics of a red sandstone-cement binary cementitious material (RS-OPC) were investigated as functions of the amount of RS replacing the cement (OPC). Additionally, the feasibility of producing red sandstone-phosphogypsum-cement composite materials (RS-PG-OPC) using the phosphogypsum (PG)- enhanced volcanic ash activity of RS was investigated. The products of hydration and microstructures of RS-OPC and RS-PG-OPC were analyzed by XRD, FTIR, TG-DTG, and SEM. RS enhanced the flowability of RS-OPC relative to the unmodified cement slurry but lowered its mechanical strength, according to the experiments. When the quantity of OPC replaced was greater than 25%, the compressive strength after 28 days was substantially reduced, with a maximum reduction of 78.8% (RS-60). The microscopic mechanism of RS-OPC suggested that the active SiO2 in the RS can react with Ca(OH)2 to produce C-S-H but can only utilize small quantities of Ca(OH)2, confirming the low volcanic ash activity of RS. RS was responsible for dilution and filling. The incorporation of 5% PG into RS-PG-OPC slowed the hydration process compared with RS-OPC without PG but also increased the flowability and aided in the later development of the mechanical strength. This was primarily because the addition of PG provided the system with sufficient Ca2+ and SO42- to react with [Al(OH)6]3- to form ettringite (AFt), therefore accelerating the dissolution of Al3+ in RS to generate more AFt and C-(A)-S-H gels. To some extent, this excites the volcanic ash of RS. Therefore, if there is an abundance of waste RS in the region and a lack of other auxiliary cementitious materials, a sufficient quantity of PG and a finely powdered waste RS component can be used to replace cementitious materials prepared with OPC to reduce the mining of raw OPC materials.

The authors have developed a new composite steel-concrete material for the strength members of huge offshore structures, where concrete is placed between steel plates. This paper contains the results of both experimental and theoretical investigations into the strength of the new composite material. Experiments under static and repeated loadings were carried out. Four types of test models of the composite material were subjected to shear, bending or combined shear and bending. It was found that the ultimate strength of the composite material is very high and it can absorb a great deal of energy at failure. A method for the ultimate strength analysis of the composite material is developed. The calculated results are in good agreements with experimental ones. Nonlinear analysis is carried out using the finite element method. In the analysis, the material nonlinearities of both concrete and steel are fully taken into account; the propagation of a crack in concrete caused by tension, plastification and crush of concrete by compression, and plastification of steel plate. Geometrical nonlinearity caused by gaps between concrete and steel is, also considered. The analysis accurately represented the behavior of the composite material under tests. The new composite material is found to be desirable for the construction of offshore structures because of their excellent properties; large energy absorption and strength carrying capacity. INTRODUCTION The utilization of concrete and/or composite steel-concrete material for offshore structures gives the advantages of low initial cost, low maintenance cost and good impact resistance. Many projects using concrete are in various stages of design for offshore structures of near future such as an offshore power station. A huge offshore structure, if made of steel, necessitates a great deal of dead load to offset its big bouyancy, whether it is of the floating type or the gravity type. The concrete may be employed as ballast and strength members in such an offshore structure. Drawbacks of concrete associate with low tensile strength and low ductility. It is difficult to secure watertightness, once concrete cracking develops in an offshore structure used in deep water, where the pressure is very high. And this may cause serious troubles. If ordinary composite steel-concrete material, such as reinforced concrete or prestressed concrete, are employed, crack starts on the surface of concrete by bending. Drawbacks of concrete require a design with an excessive margin as the exact estimation of the external forces acting upon an offshore structure is nearly impossible. The authors have developed a new composite steel-concrete material for offshore structures to cover up the various drawbacks of the concrete. The new composite material endures large deformation and absorb a great deal of energy at failure, because the steel plate with high strength and ductility suppresses the development of surface cracks.

Composites that use fly ash and slag as alkali-activated materials instead of cement can overcome the defects and negative effects of alkali-activated cementitious materials prepared with the use of an alkali-activated material. In this study, fly ash and slag were used as raw materials to prepare alkali-activated composite cementitious materials. Experimental studies were carried out on the effects of the slag content, activator concentration and curing age on the compressive strength of the composite cementitious materials. The microstructure was characterized using hydration heat, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and its intrinsic influence mechanism was revealed. The results show that increasing the curing age improves the degree of polymerization reaction and the composite reaches 77~86% of its 7-day compressive strength after 3 days. Except for the composites with 10% and 30% slag content, which reach 33% and 64%, respectively, of their 28-day compressive strength at 7 days, the remaining composites reach more than 95%. This result indicates that the alkali-activated fly ash-slag composite cementitious material has a rapid hydration reaction in the early stage and a slow hydration reaction in the later stage. The amount of slag is the main influencing factor of the compressive strength of alkali-activated cementitious materials. The compressive strength shows a trend of continuous increase when increasing slag content from 10% to 90%, and the maximum compressive strength reaches 80.26 MPa. The increase in the slag content introduces more Ca2+ into the system, which increases the hydration reaction rate, promotes the formation of more hydration products, refines the pore size distribution of the structure, reduces the porosity, and forms a denser microstructure. Therefore, it improves the mechanical properties of the cementitious material. The compressive strength shows a trend of first increasing and then decreasing when the activator concentration increases from 0.20 to 0.40, and the maximum compressive strength is 61.68 MPa (obtained at 0.30). The increase in the activator concentration improves the alkaline environment of the solution, optimizes the level of the hydration reaction, promotes the formation of more hydration products, and makes the microstructure denser. However, an activator concentration that is too large or too small hinders the hydration reaction and affects the strength development of the cementitious material.

Cement-based cementitious materials occupy a central position in the construction industry, but the problem of high carbon dioxide(CO2) emissions from cement production has attracted global attention. To meet this challenge, finding low-carbon alternative materials has become a top priority in the research of new building materials. At the same time, the problem of large amounts of lithium slag piling up needs to be solved, and resource utilization has become its potential way out. In this study, the volcanic ash activity of lithium slag was activated by composite activation means of high-temperature calcination and sodium silicate, and it was used as an alternative mix to cement. The Box-Behnken design and response surface method (BBD-RSM) was utilized to optimize the ratio of activated lithium slag composite cement-based cementitious materials, and high-performance new solid waste cementitious materials were prepared. The results show that activated lithium slag composite cementitious materials activated lithium slag exhibit excellent performance when activated lithium slag mass fraction is 7.3%, the sodium silicate dosage is 8.8%, and water-solid ratio is 0.6:1. The composite cementitious material under this ratio shows excellent performance, with fluidity 235.69 mm, gelation time 73.54 s, water evolution rate 1.123%, 3d and 28d compressive strengths, respectively, are 11.54 MPa and 22.9 MPa. Compared with ordinary Portland-cement-based cementing materials, the uniaxial compressive strength, modulus of elasticity, and tensile strength at break of activated lithium slag cementitious material solidified body were increased by 34.33%, 36.43%, and 34.98%, and the compressive deformation and tensile deformation were enhanced by 37.78% and 40%. This study not only provides a theoretical basis and experimental foundation for the preparation of new solid waste cementitious materials, but also provides a new solution for the reinforcement of crushed rock bodies in engineering practice, which is of great significance for promoting the low-carbon development of the construction industry.

Effect of alkali treatment on microstructure and mechanical properties of coir fibres, coir fibre reinforced-polymer composites and reinforced-cementitious composites