High Early Strength Research Articles

Research on hydration characteristics of OSR-GGBFS-FA alkali-activated materials

Based on the characteristics of alkali-activated materials (AAMs) in energy saving and emission reduction, as well as giving full play to the complementary advantages of multi-component solid waste. In this study, a new type of AAMs was prepared from oil shale residue (OSR), ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS), and fly ash (FA). Compressive and flexural strength tests, fluidity experiments, setting time, heat of hydration, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and Thermo-gravimetric analysis (DTG-TG) were used to analyse the mechanical properties, workability, mineral composition, microstructure, and hydration products of the AAMs. The results showed that the microstructure of AAMs was dense, with high early strength, good mechanical and working properties, and no tendency for retrogressive strength with an increase in the age of maintenance. Under the action of NaOH/Na2SiO3, there is a synergistic hydration of the water-hard and volcanic ash materials, and the three raw materials have synergistic hydration properties and indispensable coupling mechanisms. Meanwhile, the effect of the activator content on AAMs is bidirectional. The OSR, GGBFS, and FA in the AAMs exhibited faster hydration reactions under the action of NaOH/Na2SiO3 and abundant hydration products, which mainly included C-S-H, C-A-S-H, N-A-S-H, and small amounts of CaCO3, hydrotalcite (HT), and Ettringite (AFt). The specimens all met the requirements of the 42.5-grade composite silicate cement, and some specimens reached the strength requirements of the 62.5-grade silicate cement or above. OSR has great potential as a silicate-aluminate material, and this study provides a solid foundation for its further development and utilisation.

Hybrid Nucleation Acceleration Method with Calcium Carbonate and Calcium Silicate Hydrate for Fast-Track Construction

This research focuses on achieving early strength of cement-based materials through the hybrid nucleation acceleration method. Through the study of various mortar mixtures, which incorporate components such as ordinary Portland cement (OPC), fine limestone powder (with a particle size of d50: 1 μm), coarse limestone powder (with a particle size of d50: 12 μm), calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) nucleation seeding agent, and calcium nitrate (CN), the effect of the hybrid nucleation acceleration method was investigated. When OPC was substituted with 20% fine limestone powder, a strength of 13.5 MPa was achieved at 6 h, whereas the use of coarse limestone powder only yielded 3.5 MPa within the same time frame. The mortar containing 2% C-S-H nucleation seeding agent reached an impressive 16 MPa at 6 h. Meanwhile, through the synergistic combination of fine limestone powder and C-S-H nucleation seeding agent, the 6 h early strength attained an impressive 19 MPa. The micrograph revealed that the hybrid nucleation acceleration method significantly promoted the formation of a dense network of C-S-H within the paste, thus enhancing the packing density. Measuring the heat release demonstrated that the samples accelerated with the C-S-H nucleation seeding agent and fine limestone reached the peak 160 min earlier than the OPC sample, indicating a faster hydration process. The hybrid nucleation accelerated concrete (HNAC) achieved strengths of 20 MPa and 27 MPa within 6 and 8 h, respectively, whereas the 28-day strength surpassed 70 MPa. The concrete equivalent mortar (CEM), derived from concrete, attained a compressive strength of 25 MPa within 8 h, making it suitable for repair applications. The modulus of rupture (MOR) was 7.31 MPa at 8 h and increased to 17.27 MPa at 28 days. Overall, the developed concrete and CEM with the novel hybrid nucleation acceleration method allowed for high early and long-term strength for fast-track construction to be attained.

Effects of NaHCO3 as the activator and the in-situ carbonate seeding on the properties of high-dosage Ca(OH)2 + slag (HCHS) cement

This study investigated the effects of the addition of NaHCO3 (5, 10, and 15% molar amount of Ca(OH)2) on the setting time, compressive strength, drying shrinkage, and hydration process of high-dosage Ca(OH)2 + Slag (HCHS) cement. The results indicated that the NaHCO3 addition could significantly increase the 1-day compressive strength of HCHS cement from almost 0 to 10 MPa and decrease the drying shrinkage of HCHS cement up to 46.1% compared to it without NaHCO3. But the addition of NaHCO3 above 5% would result in accelerated setting, increased porosity, and decreased strength in the later stages. NaHCO3 played an in-situ carbonate seeding effect, forming CaCO3 crystals through the initial reaction of Ca(OH)2, and the activator that increased solution alkalinity promoted the formation of hydration products. These could contribute to the HCHS cement with high early compressive strength, good volume stability and certain porosity, suitable for further carbon capture.

Improvement of early strength of structural lighweight concrete using large volumes of Ground-Granulated Blast Furnace Slag

This paper presents the experimetal results on the influence of chemical additive, i.e. Ca(NO¬3)2, on the compressive strength of structural lighweight concrete (LWC) containing high volume ground-granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBFS). Structural LWC using 27% (by vol. of concrete mixture) fly ash hollow microspheres, also known as cenosphere (FAC) is used up to 27% by volume of concrete mixture with a density in the range from 1.600 to 1.900 kg/m3, compressive strength over 40 MPa. Achieving high early age compressive strength is difficult and challenging for lightweight concrete with high volume GGBFS. Therefore, the present study focused on the influence of Ca(NO3)2 on the strength development (under curing condition of 27 ± 2oC and relative humidity of 60 ± 5%) of structural LWC containing 50, 65 to 80% GGBFS (replacing cement content by weight). The experimental results show that the addition of Ca(NO3)2 enhanced the early-age compressive strength of structural LWC up to 11,6% and 9,0% at the age of 3, 7 days, respectively.

High early pozzolanic reactivity of alumina-silica gel: A study of the hydration of composite cements with carbonated recycled concrete paste

Carbonated recycled concrete paste (cRCP) is a unique supplementary cementitious material with pozzolanic properties stemming from the alumina-silica gel. This study reveals that the high early strength of composite cements with cRCP is attributed to its rapid pozzolanic reactivity. 27Al and 29Si NMR investigations show that the alumina-silica gel is consumed after only 7 days of hydration. The rapid gel reaction results in the formation of a C-(A)-S-H phase with a low Ca/Si ratio. After 7 days, belite and remains of alite react further and increases the Ca/Si ratio of the C-(A)-S-H phase to a level typical for blended cements. As a result, a lower porosity forms already at early age, resulting in high strength. The reactivity of cRCP is influenced by its origin and carbonation conditions. Carbonation in sulfate-rich solutions enhances the gel surface area and accelerates the reaction. Slag remnants in cRCP react aiding to microstructure and strength development.

Performance and hydration of ternary cements based on Portland clinker, carbonated recycled concrete paste (cRCP) and calcined clay

This study explored composite cements consisting of Portland clinker, two pozzolans (alumina-silica gel in carbonated Recycled Concrete Paste (cRCP) and metakaolin), and calcium carbonate. The rapid reactivity of alumina-silica gel resulted in full reaction within 28 days, while metakaolin exhibited slower reactivity. cRCP played a significant role in strength development between 1 and 7 days, with metakaolin becoming prominent thereafter. The combination of materials preserved their distinct characteristics. Early hydration was mainly influenced by clinker and cRCP, leading to high early compressive strength. After alumina-silica gel dissolved, metakaolin forms a microstructure, reducing porosity and allowing for continued strength improvement over time. The pozzolans did not hinder their respective reactions, and calcium carbonate from cRCP stabilized ettringite content, similar to limestone-calcined clay systems. This study’s findings offer insights for developing multi-component cement with cRCP and calcined clays, resulting in higher strength and reduced CO2 footprint compared to calcined clay-limestone cements.

Effects of nano-silica modification on early age hydration process in winter construction of tunnel engineering

Fast hardening and high early strength are crucial factors for concrete used in tunnel construction in cold regions. The incorporation of nano-silicate has been found to be an effective method for improving the properties of cement-based materials at an early age. Thus, the objective of this paper is to investigate the nano-modification effects of different nano-silica contents on the hydration process, mechanical properties, and hydration products of cement cured in a low-temperature environment. The effects of various nano-silica concentrations, including 1%, 2%, 3%, and a high dose of 6%, on the properties of the concrete were investigated. According to the test results, the optimal quantity of nano-silica plays a crucial role in determining the properties of concrete. The effects of nano-silica on the hydration of C3A were found to dominate the cement hydration process at an early age. The incorporation of nano-silica led to a significant improvement in the dissolution rate of anhydrite and the reaction rate of the C3A renewal, which may be responsible for the gain in early strength of concrete. However, an excessive amount of nano-silica could negatively affect the hydration process of the alite and C3A, as evidenced by the total heat generated during the silica and aluminate reactions. The XRD patterns further confirmed these results.

Effect of PVA latex powder and PP fiber on property of self-compacting alkali-activated slag repair mortar

Alkali-activated slag (AAS) cement shows the characteristics of fast hardening and high early strength, which is particularly suitable for repair materials. However, its high brittleness, poor toughness and poor workability hinder its application. The effects of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) latex powder and polypropylene (PP) fiber on the fluidity, mechanical properties including toughness and adhesive property of self-compacting alkali-activated slag repair mortar (SCARM) were studied. Their effects on the microstructure of SCARM were also studied. The results show that the addition of PVA is helpful to improve the workability. With the increase of PVA content, the 30 min fluidity increases greatly. The addition of PP reduces the fluidity of SCARM. The incorporation of PVA and PP can improve the mechanical property, toughness and adhesive property, especially when mixed together. PVA increases the compactness of SCARM. In addition, it also enhances the interface combination of PP and SCARM. The addition of PVA does not change the hydration products of AAS cement, but slightly increases the hydration degree.

Accelerated curing effects on performance of metakaolin concrete

AbstractThe manufacturing of cement liberates the green-house gasses into atmosphere. To overcome this problem so many alternative materials has been invented by researchers to minimize addition of cement. The incorporation of these alternative materials as cementitious material in concrete enhances the attributes of concrete. In this scenario metakaolin gained momentum as a substitution to cement in concrete. Most of the researchers studied the performance of concrete incorporating metakaolin as cementitious material in normal curing conditions. There is a need for analysing the impact of accelerated curing on properties of concrete by incorporating metakaolin as cementitious material. The current construction industry needs high early strength for removal of form work in early ages. The accelerated curing is a method which provides high early strength. In this study, different proportions of metakaolin are added as partial alternative to cement and cured in accelerated curing tank for 3.5 h. The strength parameters test, durability test, and micro-structural parameter tests are performed on these samples. Further, micro-structural analysis has been carried out using SEM, and EDX tests. Results depicted the incorporation of 15% of metakaolin as substitute to cement amplifies the overall performance of concrete in accelerated curing regime.

Numerical Simulation of Corrugated Steel Concrete Prefabricated Support Structure for Underground Engineering

The spray anchor system is commonly used for primary support in underground projects due to its advantages such as fast closure of excavation surfaces, tight connection with the surrounding rock, and high early strength. However, this system has several drawbacks, such as severe pollution, poor working conditions, long construction periods, and high labor costs. In response to the concepts of green construction and prefabrication, this study proposes an innovative composite structure consisting of corrugated steel plates and concrete, namely, corrugated steel–concrete (CSC), which is a prefabricated support structure for underground engineering. The proposed system involves on-site corrugated steel plates and concrete, and the concrete is poured into the corrugated steel plates without using shotcrete. This approach mitigates pollution and improves working conditions. After the introduction to the novel structural system, elaborate Abaqus numerical models are developed to investigate the mechanical performance considering full elastoplastic response until failure. The steel–concrete interfacial connections, as a major factor in composite structures, are carefully studied and discussed based on the delicate interfacial contact model. The deformations, stress distributions, and failure types are analyzed. A parametric analysis is also conducted to expand the efficient range. Theoretical analysis is further carried out, and design expressions are proposed, which are verified to be suitable for design considerations.

Investigation on the working performance of a non-dispersible grouting material for the crack repairment of underwater structures

Underwater structure repair is highly susceptible to various factors, including the pressure of the underwater environment and dynamic water flow. Traditional materials used for repairs are prone to dilution and dispersion, resulting in a subpar repair outcome. To address the limitations of traditional grouting materials, specifically their poor retention rate and vulnerability to erosion caused by dynamic water, an underwater non-dispersible crack repair grouting material was developed. It is composed of liquid epoxy resin, curing agent, and aggregate (ECA). Comprehensive and systematic testing was conducted to evaluate the performance of ECA grout. The results show that optimized ECA grouting material has advantages such as a high retention rate under dynamic water erosion, strong adhesion, high fluidity, high early strength, and suitable setting time. The ECA grout demonstrates excellent underwater working performance. In addition, the microstructure was analyzed using X-ray diffractometry (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM). The results show that the addition of aggregates to the epoxy resin does not cause any chemical reaction. Furthermore, the aggregates are bonded together by epoxy resin. Due to the formation of cross-linked microstructures, the microstructure becomes more compact. The addition of aggregates during the curing process has good compatibility and stability, which enhance the performance of the ECA grout. The material has been successfully applied in a restoration project of underwater cultural relics protection facilities, effectively addressing and repairing the existing defects. Its potential value as a reference for similar projects is substantial.

Composite cements with aqueous and semi-dry carbonated recycled concrete pastes

Carbonation of recycled concrete paste (RCP) may reduce cement industry’s CO2 emissions by sequestering CO2 and by using the carbonated material in new composite cements enabling a decrease in the clinker content. This study examines effects of wet and semi-dry carbonation of RCP on the hydration reactions and performance for composite cements incorporating the carbonated material. The two carbonation methods lead to differences in composition and morphology of the carbonated RCP’s. Semi-dry conditions produce CaCO3 as aragonite instead of calcite and results in a lower carbonation degree and denser particles. Despite these differences, the effects on the hydration and performance of the two types of carbonated RCP in composite cements are similar. For both methods, the fast reaction of the alumina-silica gel results initially in a C-(A)-S-H phase with a low Ca/Si ratio, resulting in early-age microstructure densification and higher early strengths. The Ca/Si ratio of the C-(A)-S-H phase increases again when all alumina-silica gel has reacted after a few days of hydration. It is found that the differences in cement performance are associated with different carbonation degrees of the two RCP’s rather than morphological changes between the carbonated pastes.

Impact of calcium sulfoaluminate cement on printability and early strength development of a slag-based 3D printing cementitious material

Blast furnace cement (BFC) as a binder for 3D printing cement (3DPC) has potential to lower carbon-footprints, but its unstable workability and strength development hinder its application. In this article, blast furnace cement (BFC), a mixture of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) based binder was designed toward low-carbon 3DPC, and the impact of calcium sulfoaluminate cement (CSA) content on printability and early strength of printed materials was discussed. The researched components of the materials, GGBFS, OPC and CSA, were first designed based on the 24 h early strength development. Slugs test was utilized to investigate 3D printability, and adiabatic hydration temperature, compressive strength, X-ray diffraction, thermal gravimetric analysis, and solid Si-nuclear magnetic resonance were used to analyze the early strength development and hydration products. For 1 h of hydration, CSA played a significant role in the hydration, due to generation of rod-shape Aft, which resulted in increase of yield stress as indicated by the slugs test. For 24 h of hydration, when CSA is less than 20%, it is C-S-H gel provided the strength; when CSA content is more than 20%, AFt constructs the skeleton, and unhydrated material and AH3 fill in the voids of the skeleton, resulted in high early strength. Strength response surface results indicated that GGBFS, OPC and CSA mass ratio of 5:4:1 is the best in this research. The 3DP opening time is in the range of 20–40 min, and the compressive strength at 24 h reaches 14.43 MPa.

Effects of recycled mortar powder on the properties and microstructure of magnesium potassium phosphate cement

Magnesium potassium phosphate cement (MKPC) has become a popular research topic owing to its rapid hardening and high early strength. However, its high carbon emissions and cost limit its large-scale applications. To reduce MKPC’s carbon emissions and preparation costs and to improve the resource reutilization of construction waste, we investigated the effects of the particle size and dosage of recycled mortar powder (RMP) on the setting time, mechanical properties, physical phase, and microstructure of MKPC. The results indicated that when the particle size of RMP increased from 30 to 66 μm, the setting time of MKPC increased from 10.5 to 13.1 min, and the compressive strength (at 28 d) decreased from 52.4 to 38.0 MPa. Therefore, increasing the RMP particle size can prolong the setting of MKPC and reduce its compressive strength. Additionally, increasing the dosage of RMP reduced the setting time of MKPC and promoted the development of compressive strength in later stages. When the RMP dosage increased from 0% to 40%, the setting time of MKPC decreased by 26.1%, and the compressive strength increased by 50.2%. According to the results of pore structure and microstructural analysis, the incorporation of RMP improves the microstructure of MKPC, significantly enhancing its mechanical performance. Therefore, RMP can be used as an economical and ecofriendly cement blending material to reduce the preparation cost of MKPC and the carbon emissions of the construction industry and improve the resource reutilization of construction waste.

Study on the Effect of Three Types of Calcium Sulfate on the Early Hydration and Workability of Self-Compacting Repair Mortar.

Despite having a high early mechanical strength and using sulfoaluminate cement as the primary cementitious material, self-compacting repair mortar (SCRM) suffers from rapid hydration rates leading to construction time constraints. This study examined how several forms of calcium sulfate, including hemihydrate gypsum, anhydrite, and dihydrate gypsum, affected SCRM's workability, hydration process, and microstructure. The outcomes demonstrated that adding hemihydrate gypsum sped up SCRM's early hydration rate and boosted its expansion rate. For a cement with 8% hemihydrate gypsum, 6 h after adding the water, the flexural strength and compressive strength increased by 39.02% and 34.08%, respectively. The hydration rate of SCRM can be efficiently delayed by dihydrate gypsum, although the result is subpar. The material exhibited the lowest fluidity loss in 20 min, the setting time was extended, and the 28-day flexural and compressive strengths were raised by 26.56% and 28.08%, respectively, after adding 8 percent anhydrite.

The mechanical properties and sustainability of phosphogypsum-slag binder activated by nano-ettringite

The cementitious material based on phosphogypsum (PG) and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GBFS) demonstrates good economy and sustainability, whereas its drawback of ultra-slow strength development seems unacceptable. In this study, an attempt to drive the hydration of PG-GBFS and further facilitate the strength development by introducing nano-ettringite (NE) was carried out. The impact of 1– 5 % NE on the compressive strength, hydration process, dissolution behavior, and microstructure evolution of PG-GBFS were investigated. The results showed that the incorporation of NE significantly increased the compressive strength of PG-GBFS. At 7 d, the strength grew from 0 MPa to a range of 7.6– 20.2 MPa, and at 28 d, it was enhanced from 22.9 MPa to a range of 45.6– 79.0 MPa. The reason was that the introduction of NE induced the formation of AFt, thereby accelerating the hydration process and promoting the development of the skeletal network, resulting in higher early strength. Besides, NE facilitated the formation of C-S(A)-H gel, which further refined the pore structure and led to continuous growth in later strength. Additionally, PG-GFBS with 5 % NE exhibited significantly lower total costs (35.0 % of NaOH-activated slag and 51.7 % of water glass-activated slag) and lower carbon emissions (30.8 % of NaOH-activated slag and 49.8 % of water glass-activated slag) at the same 28 d compressive strength, indicating its strong competitiveness in both sustainability and economy.

Synthesis of geopolymer using alkaline activation of building-related construction and demolition wastes

There are over 2 billion tons of building-related construction and demolition waste (brCDW) produced annually in China, but less than 30% of the waste is presently recycled. The majority of the brCDW is being disposed of in landfills in suburban or rural areas, resulting in a serious waste of resources and environmental pollution issues. This study proposed a high-value utilization approach for the brCDW, which was used as a precursor material to synthesize the high strength and environmentally friendly geopolymer. The brCDW was classified into three main components, namely, brick, ceramic, and concrete. The X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), particle size analyzer, and unconfined compressive strength tests were conducted to evaluate the influences of chemical composition and particle size of precursor materials on the strength of geopolymers derived from single and mixed brCDW components. The results demonstrated that the brick geopolymer exhibited a low strength in the early stage but a significantly high strength in the late stage. The ceramic geopolymer showed a low strength in both the early and late stages. The strength of concrete geopolymer was high in the early stage, but increased slowly later on. The mixed brCDW geopolymer had the highest early strength and the second-highest final strength compared to the single-component derived geopolymers. Furthermore, the XRD, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) tests were conducted to explore their microscopic mechanisms. The precursor materials dissolved in the geopolymerization process, thereby generating gels to coat and bind the unreacted particles. The formed gel type varied due to the different chemical composition ratios of precursor materials. The morphology and structure of brick geopolymer gels differed from other geopolymers, with the main gel products being C-A-S-H and N-A-S-H. The primary gel of ceramic, concrete, and mixed precursor geopolymers was the C–S–H gel, possibly with small amounts of C-A-S-H and N-A-S-H gel. Both the formed gel type and the compactness of the microstructure had significant influences on the geopolymer strength.

Study on the shear strength and damage constitutive model of the contact surface between PVA fiber-enhanced cement mortar and concrete

In this study, a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fiber-enhanced cement mortar (PFCM) with high workability, early strength, and high strength was developed. The influences of water content (w), strength, and surface roughness (Rd) of concrete on the shear strength of its contact surface with PFCM were experimentally investigated, followed by the establishment of damage constitutive model. The PFCM was found to be suitable for spraying and achieved a compressive strength of 102.8 MPa and a flexural strength of 19.6 MPa at 28 days. At 3–7 days, its compressive and flexural strengths reached about 79–80% and 83–90% of the 28-day strength, respectively. The shear load and fracture energy release rate of the PFCM and Concrete contact surfaces is between 6.13 kN and 12.09 kN and 1.13 J/m2 to 2.20 J/m2, respectively, both increasing with the increasing w, strength and Rd of concrete. The increased w of concrete from 0.0% to 5.5% could reduce the porosity and capillary pore content of PFCM by about 43% and 50.4%, respectively, and the increased Rd could enhance the interlocking effect between PFCM and concrete. The damage function proposed based on the Najar energy theory could reflect the evolution characteristics of shearing damage of PFCM and Concrete contact surface, and the damage constitutive model proposed by combining the Weibull statistical distribution function and Guo Zhenhai model could reflect the shear mechanical behavior of the PFCM and Concrete contact surface.

Microencapsulated phase change material-cement composites for cementing the natural gas hydrate layer

To cement natural gas hydrate (NGH) layers in the deep and ultra-deep water environment, cement slurries must display both low heat of hydration (HOH) and high early strength. Herein, chemical precipitation was used to prepare a microencapsulated phase change material (MPCM) comprising a core of phase change materials and a shell of silica. The MPCM could effectively control the temperature increase during cement hydration and improve the early strength of cement pastes by accelerating hardening. Comprehensive physical and chemical analyses were carried out to identify a suitable ratio of MPCM and its underlying mechanisms. A laboratory device was further used to test the effect of MPCM-cement composite slurries on the thermal stability of NGHs. The properties of this new cement slurry system meet the requirements for cementing NGH layers in deep and ultra-deep water areas. This cement composite has broad application potential in the oil and natural gas industry.

Modelling and Predicting Self-Compacting High Early Age Strength Mortars Properties: Comparison of Response Models from Full, Fractioned and Small Central Composite Designs

The mixture design of cement-based materials can be complex due to the increasing number of constituent raw materials and multiple requirements in terms of engineering performance and economic and environmental efficiency. Designing experiments based on factorial plans has shown to be a powerful tool for predicting and optimising advanced cement-based materials, such as self-compacting high-early-strength cement-based mortars. Nevertheless, the number of factor interactions required for factor scheduling increases considerably with the number of factors. Consequently, the probability that the interactions do not significantly affect the answer also increases. As such, fractioned factorial plans may be an exciting option. For the first time, the current work compares the regression models and the predicting capacity of full, fractionated (A and B fractions) and small factorial designs to describe self-compacting high-early-strength cement-based mortars’ properties, namely, the funnel time, flexure and compressive strength at 24 h for the function of the mixture parameters Vw/Vc, Sp/p, Vw/Vp, Vs/Vm and Vfs/Vs for the different factorial designs. We combine statistical methods and regression analysis. Response models were obtained from the full, fractionated, and small plans. The full and fractionated models seem appropriate for describing the properties of self-compacting high-early-strength cement-based mortars in the experimental region. Moreover, the predicting ability of the full and fractionated factorial designs is very similar; however, the small design predictions reveal some concerns. Our results confirm the potentiality of fractioned plans to reduce the number of experiments and consequently reduce the cost and time of experimentation when designing self-compacting high-early-strength cement-based mortars.