Cement Research Articles

The Role of the Balanced Scorecard Technique in Evaluating and Improving Strategic Performance in the Kufa Cement Factory

The Role of the Balanced Scorecard Technique in Evaluating and Improving Strategic Performance in the Kufa Cement Factory

Planning Analysis and Design of Pre-Engineering Cement Factory with Silo

Planning Analysis and Design of Pre-Engineering Cement Factory with Silo

Investigation of Water Pollution in the Baghlan River Caused by Dust and Wastewater from the Ghori Cement Factory: A Case Study

Rivers are one of the most crucial fluid ecosystems, primarily due to their freshwater content. Understanding the trends in water quality changes in seas enables the anticipation of future challenges and the implementation of plans to address them. Water quality management necessitates the collection and analysis of a vast amount of data and water quality parameters. To facilitate this, various tools have been developed for simpler assessment of data and water quality, among which water quality indices are highly utilized. The objective of this study is to assess the water quality of the Balkh Sea using the (IRWQISC) and (IRWQIST) indices, alongside examining the levels of heavy metals, cations, anions, and its physical characteristics. Sampling was conducted at two time points: initially in October 2022, with heavy metal analysis performed using Flame Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (FAAS), and subsequently in April 2023, where samples were collected from various points, and the concentrations of cations, anions, pH, and electrical conductivity (EC) were measured. Data analysis was carried out using SPSS version 26, and ArcGIS 10.4.1 was employed for map production. The research findings indicate a trend of heavy metal changes as follows: Al>As>Pb>Cd>(Cr=Co=Ni)>Hg. Based on the calculation of the toxicity index (IRWQIST), the studied water falls into the poor category. Consequently, sea water, due to the presence of heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, arsenic, and mercury, is relatively to very toxic and unsuitable for drinking. Additionally, it may cause detrimental effects for other uses such as agriculture and livestock farming.

Long-Term Compressibility and Shear Strength Properties of Cement-Treated Clay in Deep Cement Mixing Method

Long-Term Compressibility and Shear Strength Properties of Cement-Treated Clay in Deep Cement Mixing Method

A comparative study assessing the validity of water absorption methods when applied to secondary fine aggregates

The valorization of secondary sands is crucial for fostering a circular economy within the construction sector. One significant obstacle in this endeavor stems from the high water absorption (WA) rates commonly reported for secondary sands. This high WA leads to increased water and cement demand in cementitious mixes and elevates costs. The only widely standardized method to measure the WA of fine aggregates is the cone method, which has proven ill-suited for fine aggregates with angular particles or a high content of fines. This study undertakes a comparative evaluation of the cone method and seven alternative methods: immersion, centrifugation, paper sheet, colorimetric, volumetric flask, continuous drying, and electrical conductivity. Tests were performed on natural river sand and three types of secondary sand. Findings reveal that the continuous drying and electrical conductivity methods demonstrates the greatest potential in terms of reliability and applicability. Also the volumetric flask and centrifugation methods show some potential, provided that critical refinements are made to the corresponding test protocols.

Preparation and Application of Nano-Calcined Excavation Soil as Substitute for Cement.

Rapid urbanization in many cities has produced massive amounts of problematic excavation soil. The direct disposal of untreated excavation soil often leads to significant land use and severe environmental concerns. A sustainable solution is to transform the soil waste into high-quality nano-calcined excavation soil (NCES) for application as a substitute for cement in construction. However, research in this area is very limited. This study presents a systematic investigation of the nano-sized calcined soil materials from preparation to application in cementitious material. The influence of milling parameters, including the rotational speed, milling duration, ball diameter, and milling strategy, was investigated to produce NCES with various specific surface areas. The effect of NCES substitution (15 wt% of Portland cement) in cementitious materials was then examined for mechanical performance, hydration dynamics, hydration products, and microstructure. A cement mix with very fine NCES (specific surface area of 108.76 m2/g) showed a 29.7% enhancement in mechanical strength and refined pore structure while a cement mix with un-grounded calcined soil showed a mechanical loss in comparison to the Control specimen. Delayed and reduced heat release at an early age was observed in a cement paste mixed with NCES. The underlying mechanism was investigated. The results of this work will contribute to the high-quality application of excavation soil waste.

Recycled Excavation Soils as Sustainable Supplementary Cementitious Materials: Kaolinite Content and Performance Implications.

In response to the environmental implications of the massive quantities of excavation soil generated by global urbanization and infrastructure development, recent research efforts have explored the repurposing of calcined excavation soils as sustainable supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs). As it is still at an early stage, current research lacks systematic analysis across diverse soil deposits regarding their reactivity and mechanical properties within cementitious binders, despite recognized geographical variability in kaolinite content. Through comprehensive experimentation with soils sourced from four major southern Chinese cities, this study presents a pioneering assessment of the compressive strength, pozzolanic reactivity (X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance), and microstructural development (mercury intrusion porosimetry, scanning electron microscopy) of mortars modified by various calcined excavation soils (up to 28 days curing). The experimental data suggest that soils with a kaolinite content above 53.39% produce mortars of equal or superior quality to plain cement mixes, primarily due to their refined pore structures, microstructural densification, and enhanced hydration reactions. The findings highlight kaolinite-specifically, aluminum content-as the principal indicator of excavation soil viability for SCM application, suggesting a promising avenue for sustainable construction practices.

Production of low-CO2 ternary binder using red sandstone, cement, and granulated blast furnace slag: A comprehensive performance analysis

Red sandstone is rich in reserves, and using it as a mineral admixture to partially replace cement can save cement consumption and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. This study uses spectral characterization, electron microscopy image analysis, mechanical property testing and other methods to study the fluidity, compressive strength, heat of hydration, carbonation degree, microstructure and thermal damage of composite cement-based materials containing red sandstone and slag. The experiment results showed that in ternary mixed cement, the composite cement mixed with 5% slag and 10% red sandstone shows similar flow properties to cement paste. Moreover, as the mineral content (red sandstone and slag) increases, the dissolution peak of the Al phase appears earlier, and the degree of carbonation increases. Furthermore, the CO2 emissions per unit strength gradually decrease. After 28 days of curing, thermal damage experiments demonstrated that the strength of the sample increases by more than 3.6% when the mineral content is greater than 15% at 200℃. Samples were subjected to 600 °C and 900 °C, and the strength of the red sandstone sample with a content of 15% decreased significantly. Moreover, as the temperature increases to (600 °C and 900 °C), the lattice of CnS becomes more and more ordered.

Hazard Assessment of Debris Flow: A Case Study of the Huiyazi Debris Flow

The Bailong River Basin is situated at the northeastern edge of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau and the western transition zone of the Loess Plateau, characterized by steep terrain and heavy rainfall. This area experiences frequent occurrences of debris flows, posing serious threats to towns and construction projects. Focusing on the Huaiyazigou debris flow in the Bailong River Basin, numerical simulations of debris flow processes were conducted using Digital Surface Model (DSM) data with a resolution of 5 m × 5 m for various recurrence periods. The simulation results indicate that the debris flow develops rapidly along the gully after formation, decelerating and beginning to deposit upon reaching the cement plant area near the mouth of the gully, eventually merging into the Bailong River. The primary destructive modes of debris flow disasters encompass impact and burial. When encountering buildings, their flow characteristics manifest as deposition and diversion. A debris flow hazard classification model, based on intensity and recurrence periods, was established according to Swiss and Austrian standards, dividing the hazard into low, medium, and high levels. This method generated a debris flow hazard zone map, offering guidance for risk prevention and monitoring. This research demonstrates that using high-precision Digital Surface Models (DSM) can accurately represent the digital information of debris flow gully terrains and buildings. During the simulation process, it realistically reflects the characteristics of the debris flow movement, allowing for the more precise delineation of hazard zones.

Enhancing riverbank stability: A case study on soil improvement through Jet grouting along Can Tho riverbank

Soil cement mixing (SCM) using a high-pressure grouting method (Jet grouting), considered an improvement solution for soft soil has been popular in countries, especially in Japan and other countries in Northern Europe. However, the implementation of Jet grouting is still quite modest in the Mekong Delta. In this study, the depth effect on the compressive strength of soil-cement mixing is conducted at the Can Tho River embankment project. The results show that the uniformity of SCM depends on the cement content. The higher cement content gives a better distribution of compressive strength from the bottom to the top of SCM. In this study, the cement content of 400 kg/m3, considered the suitable content for the Jet-grouting method in Can Tho, is much higher than in (TCVN 9906:2014).

Internal curing of fine coral aggregate in cement mortars with low water-to-cement ratio: Difference in freshwater and seawater

Fine coral aggregate has a porous structure and high water absorption, which can be used as an internal curing medium. In this study, the pore characteristics and water absorption-desorption of fine coral aggregate were investigated, as well as the difference in internal curing of fine coral aggregate between freshwater and seawater mixed cement mortars with a low water-to-cement ratio. The results showed that the pore size of fine coral aggregates is mostly larger than 1 μm. In addition, the seawater can promote the hydration of cement, improve the early strength, and increase autogenous shrinkage and later-age drying shrinkage of cement mortars. On the other hand, it can accelerate the release of internal curing water from fine coral aggregates into the matrix. Based on experiments, three stages of early autogenous shrinkage development were discussed and an autogenous shrinkage calculation model for cement mortars mixed with seawater and fine coral aggregates was proposed. Moreover, the optimal volume replacement content of fine coral aggregate in cement mortars mixed with freshwater or seawater was calculated, which indicates that it is necessary to modify the pore structure of fine coral aggregates.

Moss as a passive biomonitoring tool for the atmospheric deposition and spatial distribution pattern of toxic metals in an industrial city.

Anthropogenic pollution impacts human and environmental health, climate change, and air quality. Karabük, an industrial area from the Black Sea Region in northern Türkiye, is vulnerable to environmental pollution, particularly soil and air. In this research on methodological aspects, we analyzed the concentrations of six potential toxic metals in the atmospheric deposition of the city using the passive method of moss biomonitoring. The ground-growing terrestrial moss, Hypnum cupressiforme Hedw., was collected during the dry season of August 2023 at 20 urban points. The concentrations of Cr, Cu, Cd, Ni, Pb, and Co were determined in mosses by the ICP-MS method. Descriptive statistical analysis was employed to evaluate the status and variance in the spatial distribution of the studied metals, and multivariate analysis, Pearson correlation, and cluster analysis were used to investigate the associations of elements and discuss the most probable sources of these elements in the study area. Cd and Co showed positive and significant inter-element correlations (r > 0.938), representing an anthropogenic association mostly present in the air particles emitted from several metal plants. The results showed substantial impacts from local industry, manufactured activity, and soil dust emissions. Steel and iron smelter plants and cement factories are the biggest emitters of trace metals in the Karabük area and the primary sources of Cr, Cd, Ni, and Co deposition.

The Biochemical Effects of Waters from Awba Dam and Rivers Around Ewekoro Cement Factory, Ogun State, Nigeria on Selected Organs of the African Catfish (Clarias gariepinus)

The Biochemical Effects of Waters from Awba Dam and Rivers Around Ewekoro Cement Factory, Ogun State, Nigeria on Selected Organs of the African Catfish (Clarias gariepinus)

Compressive strength prediction of Portland cement clinker using machine learning by XRD data

Accurately predicting the 28-day compressive strength of Portland cement clinkers is challenging due to their complex multiphase nature, especially when production processes and environmental conditions vary. To address this issue, the TransXRD model was introduced, which is a novel deep learning approach that combines the Transformer architecture with CNN design. 214 clinker samples were collected from 6 cement plants. The diffraction peak sequence of samples ranging from 10° to 55° was used as required input for the model. A combination of one-dimensional convolution is incorporated to extract local features, and self-attention mechanisms are leveraged to perform global feature integration. XRD data were directly utilized, bypassing additional processing to minimize signal loss. Compared to other DNN (deep neural network) models, the TransXRD model demonstrates promising performance, achieving a root mean square error (RMSE) of 1.15, a mean squared error (MSE) of 1.33, a mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.93, and a mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 1.76 on the test set. Notably, in the training set, 100% of the data exhibit prediction errors within 2 MPa, while within the test set, 90% of the prediction errors are within 2 MPa. The application potential of XRD data in predicting the compressive strength of cement clinker also offers novel insights into predicting the performance of other materials.

Study of the dynamic interactions between helix-stiffened cement mixing piles and soft soil under oblique incidence of SV waves in arbitrary space

Helix stiffened cement mixing (HSCM) piles are extensively utilized in soft soil sites due to their excellent seismic and pullout resistance. Initially, the equivalent nodal force formulas for each face under the oblique incidence of SV waves in any spatial direction are derived based on the viscous-spring artificial boundary. The method's applicability in studying pile–soil interactions is verified based on existing pile–soil tests. Subsequently, the HSCM pile–soil model is constructed using finite element software through a Python program. Various analyses of accelerations, relative displacements, soil reactions, and pile–soil dynamic p-y curves are conducted using two different directions of incidence angles (horizontal and vertical) and various types of seismic waves. Subsequently, the backbone line of the dynamic p-y curve is plotted, revealing the pile–soil interaction mechanism under spatial oblique incidence. Finally, Matlock's formula is modified to ensure its applicability to pile–soil interactions under spatially oblique incidence. The results demonstrate that loading the Kobe wave causes the peak acceleration in the x direction, the peak pile–soil relative displacement, and the peak pile-side soil reaction force to increase by 22.64 %, −18.90 % and 18.42 %, respectively, compared to those of the El Centro wave.

Research on intelligent identification and resource utilization of TBM muck in breezy granite strata

Tunnel boring machines (TBMs) excavating breezed granite strata produce a lot of muck, including rock powder and gravel. To promote waste recycling and environmentally friendly muck utilization, a series of studies was conducted on the intercity railway section from ShenZhen Airport East Station to HuangMaBu Station in China. First, the muck image dataset was obtained using a camera, and the SAM-YOLO neural network model was adopted to intelligently identify the features of the particle size and content of the muck. Subsequently, the muck was used as an alternative material for the backfill slurry raw material, and the optimal slurry ratio was determined through laboratory tests. Finally, a new backfill slurry was applied on-site. The results demonstrated that the established SAM-YOLO model can accurately and quickly identify muck characteristics, which can be roughly classified by particle size into three categories: rock powder (0-5 mm), gravel (5-10 mm), and crushed rock (10-31.5 mm). Rock powder was utilized to make the monomortar, gravel was used for backfilling, and the crushed rock was broken again to gravel particle size to be used for backfilling. The laboratory test and field application results indicated that the new monomortar can fulfil engineering requirements after the backfilling of gravel, and the optimal water, cement, and rock powder mix ratio is 0.9:1.0:1.0. This research thus provides effective guidance for the utilization of muck in similar projects.

Comparison of active measurements, lichen biomonitoring, and passive sampling for atmospheric mercury monitoring

The number of atmospheric mercury (Hg) monitoring stations is growing globally. However, there are still many regions and locations where Hg monitoring is limited or non-existent. Expansion of the atmospheric Hg monitoring network could be facilitated by the use of cost-effective monitoring methods. As such, biomonitoring and passive monitoring offer a unique alternative to well-established monitoring by active measurements, since they do not require a power supply and require minimal workload to operate. The use of biomonitoring (lichens and mosses) and passive air samplers (PASs) (various designs with synthetic materials) has been reported in the literature, and comparisons with active measurement methods have also been made. However, these studies compared either biomonitoring or PASs (not both) to only one type of active measurement. In our work, we used transplanted (7 sampling sites) and in situ lichens (8 sampling sites) for biomonitoring, two PASs from different producers (3 sampling sites), and two different active measurement types (continuous and discontinuous active measurements, 1 and 8 sampling sites, respectively) to evaluate their effectiveness as monitoring methods. In the 9-month sampling campaign, 3 sampling locations with different characteristics (unpolluted, vicinity of a cement plant, and vicinity of a former Hg mine) were used. The results obtained with lichens and PASs clearly distinguished between sampling locations with different Hg concentrations; using both PASs and lichens together increased the confidence of our observations. The present work shows that biomonitoring and passive sampling can be effectively used to identify areas with elevated atmospheric Hg concentrations. The same can be said for discontinuous active measurements; however, the discrepancy between atmospheric Hg concentrations derived from PASs and discontinuous active measurements should be further investigated in the future.Graphical

Load-bearing response of deep content mixing soft soil composite foundation based on the geotechnical centrifugal model test

Deep cement mixing (DCM) is an effective method of treating soft underwater soil foundations. Currently, the real-time failure development of a composite foundation cannot be obtained by most model tests of DCM pile foundation reinforcement. In this study, a circuit device for identifying pile failure and that can reflect the real-time working state of piles arranged at different positions in a soft soil composite foundation was developed. By applying this device to a geotechnical centrifugal model test, the load-bearing response process of a bank slope reinforced with a soft-soil composite foundation and DCM piles was studied. The failure development law of the DCM piles, ultimate surcharge of the bank slope, failure mode of the foundation, and the pile-soil stress ratio were determined from the test results. The law obtained in this study provides a reference for the application of DCM piles in underwater soft soil foundation engineering.

Numerical analysis of failure mechanism and stability of reinforced embankment with DCM soft soil composite foundation

The deep cement mixing (DCM) method has been widely used in offshore geotechnical engineering. At present, the reinforcement form of pile has been researched widely, but there is a lack of understanding of the failure mode of DCM pile composite foundation reinforcement for bank slopes. In this paper, a series of unconfined compression tests was conducted to obtain necessary numerical analysis parameters. A series of study on the failure mechanism and stability control of DCM pile composite foundation reinforcement bank slope has been conducted through numerical analysis. The results of numerical analysis indicate that under different reinforcement conditions, there exists an optimal reinforcement depth, and the safety coefficient will gradually stabilize at 1.45; The bending moment of the piles under the bank slope the bending moment of the pile body under the road surface Under different overloads. The maximum bending moment of the pile body is located near one-third of the pile body, and the maximum bending moment of the pile body is located between the shoulder and foot of the slope.

ANALYSIS OF STRATEGIES USED BY PT SEMEN INDONESIA TBK. IN ACHIEVING INTERNATIONAL MARKETING

This research discusses the role of international marketing strategy in the global expansion of PT Semen Indonesia Tbk using SWOT analysis. The research focuses on the utilization of the company's internal strengths, such as a positive reputation and integrated supply chain, in supporting expansion measures in international markets. The case study covers the acquisition of the Thang Long Cement plant in Vietnam, which expanded the company's market coverage in several countries including Vietnam, Singapore, and Bangladesh. Despite the success, political and legal risks in some countries posed challenges that needed to be addressed through risk diversification strategies and local partnerships. A deep understanding of cultural differences and consumer preferences in various markets was also identified as a key factor in achieving international marketing success for the company