Microstructural, Mechanical and Physical Assessment of Portland Cement Concrete Pavement Modified by Sodium Acetate under Various Curing Conditions

Mazen J Al-Kheetan,Mujib M Rahman,Juliana Byzyka,Said Awad,Mehdi Chougan,Seyed Hamidreza Ghaffar

doi:10.3390/infrastructures6080113

Mazen J Al-Kheetan, Mujib M Rahman + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/infrastructures6080113

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Abstract

Portland Cement Concrete (PCC) pavement was studied with incorporation of an environmentally friendly eco-additive, sodium acetate (C2H3NaO2). This additive was added to PCC pavement in three different percentages of 2%, 4% and 6% of binder weight. For a comprehensive elucidation of the eco-additive incorporation on the performance of PCC pavement, casted samples were cured in three different environments, namely: water, outdoors and pond water. Water absorption tests, flexural and compressive strength tests after 7 and 28 days of curing were conducted and results compared with the control samples without any addition of sodium acetate. Results demonstrated a significant improvement in the impermeability, compressive strength and flexural strength of PCC pavement when sodium acetate concrete is cured in a water bath and outdoors. However, no/little improvement in the impermeability, compressive strength and flexural strength was observed in sodium acetate samples that were cured in pond water. Microstructural analysis of treated samples by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) illustrated the strengthening effect that sodium acetate provides to the pore structure of concrete pavement.

Highlights

Pavement construction and design have seen significant development in the past few years in terms of enhanced properties, less required maintenance procedures and cost efficiency [1]
Changes in the morphology of the pore structure of the Portland Cement Concrete (PCC) pavement after the incorporation of sodium acetate and curing it in different environments were assessed by running the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis (Figure 2a–c)
PCC pavement samples in water resulted in the formation of sufficient sodium acetate crystals within the cement matrix

Summary

Introduction

Pavement construction and design have seen significant development in the past few years in terms of enhanced properties, less required maintenance procedures and cost efficiency [1]. The environmental repercussions that result from pavement construction have been barely considered by the industry and research communities [2,3]. More research has started to consider the environmental impacts of highway construction, which has revealed its vulnerability and the potential risks from its degradation with time [2]. Employing environmentally-friendly, bio-waste and by-products in the pavement construction material has become one of the most preferred strategies in line with sustainable development goals [5]. Sustainable construction and green design of pavement have come to the forefront of ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce resources exhaustion and increase the use of sustainable construction materials [4].

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