Polymer Concrete Research Articles

Punching shear strength of fiber-reinforced polymer concrete slabs: Database-driven assessment of parameters and prediction models

This study examines the punching shear capacity of Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Concrete Slabs (FRPCS). Utilizing a database of 272 experimental interior and edge column-supported FRPCS samples, the research evaluates the influence of various design parameters on the punching shear capacity. This study stands out for its comprehensive database-driven approach and critically evaluates three code models (ACI 440.1R, JSCE, CAN/CSA-S06) and ten theoretical models from the literature. The findings reveal significant variability in model predictions, prompting the proposal to modify the ACI equation for enhanced prediction accuracy. The analyses indicate that the JSCE and CAN/CSA-S06 models provide reasonable estimations for punching shear capacity, while the ACI 440.1R model is over-conservative. The proposed modification provides a comparable prediction accuracy to the JSCE and CAN/CSA-S06 models.

Utilisation of waste glass from solar thermal collectors for the production of polymer concrete

The article discusses the use of waste tempered glass from damaged or decommissioned thermal solar collectors to produce polymer concretes. The waste underwent mechanical recycling to obtain powders of alternative grain sizes: below 2.0 mm and below 0.5 mm. To produce the polymer concrete, ground glass waste served as the fine fraction, and sandstone gravel as the coarse fraction. An epoxy resin acted as the binder for the resulting composite. The research conducted has demonstrated that glass waste from solar collectors can be successfully utilised as a fine fraction in polymer concrete technologies. It was observed that there are no significant differences between the grains at 0.5 mm and 2.0 mm, and both fractions yield the desired results. The resulting polymer concretes are characterised by high mechanical strength, significantly surpassing the properties of typical cement concretes. The compressive strength is at 110.7 MPa, and the flexural strength is at 41.2 MPa. The proposed recycling method allows for the effective management of waste that is difficult to reuse on an industrial scale.

Effect of resin amount on the damping properties of polymer concrete

Effect of resin amount on the damping properties of polymer concrete

Особенности строительного контроля компонентов и конструкции полимерных зон деформационных швов мостовых сооружений

The article considers the construction control peculiarities of components and design of transition polymer zones of bridge structures expansion joints. The authors have examined the transition zones of expansion joints of in-use bridge structures constructed with polymer concrete. The study revealed the lack of regulatory requirements at the national standardization system documents level. The authors confirmed the possibility of binder composition identification at the organisation of construction control of supplied products in accordance with the requirements of design documentation. The authors also confirmed the possibility of determining the products of chemical reaction during curing of polymer concrete in the transition zone of bridge expansion joints. The authors used a low viscosity liquid epoxy resin based on bisphenol with the inclusion of an amine-type hardener to produce a polymer-concrete mixture. When the components are mixed, a composition is obtained that cures and, when bound to mineral aggregate, provides the product with high strength, water resistance, wear resistance and good adhesion to various substrates. The material obtained for bridge constructions is safe for the environment and does not react with various agents. The method of infrared spectroscopy allows identifying the initial substances and reaction products with the probability of coincidence from 70 to 97%.

An Outstanding Engineer, Scientist, Teacher — Alexander Matveevich Ivanov. To the 110th Anniversary of His Birth

The scientific works of an outstanding scientist, A.M. Ivanov, devoted to the development of new methods for calculating wooden elements taking into account the time – creep factor have so far aroused great interest among modern researchers. The Voronezh Scientific School of Polymer Concrete A.M. Ivanov has substantiated and created universal models called “structural diagrams”, which lay the probabilistic foundations for evaluating the properties of materials, as well as polymer concrete and other composites. The article describes the life path, the formation of scientific activity and teaching of an outstanding scientist, Dr. of Technical Sciences, Professor A.M. Ivanov, a participant in the Great Patriotic War. Grateful students and followers showed that the issues of reinforcement of steel-polymer concrete structures, anchoring of reinforcement in polymer concrete and calculation of joints of prefabricated steel-polymer concrete structures of solid and annular cross-section with various types of reinforcement; the development of a whole range of polymer materials reinforced with fiberglass reinforcement and wood chips is the result of mentoring activities of an outstanding teacher and scientist.

The Characteristics of Polyester Concrete with Local Sand of East Borneo as Filter

Concrete is a mixture of coarse aggregate and fine aggregate mixed with water and cement as a binder and filler. The disadvantages of traditional concrete are that high water absorption causes low chemical resistance, low modulus of elasticity, low impact strength and a long hardening time to reach its maximum properties, namely 28 days. The solution to these shortcomings that is being developed for construction material applications is by using polymers as polymer concrete. In this research, polyester resin and sand aggregate were used as basic materials. Polyester resin is a type of thermosetting polymer that is widely used in various applications such as automotive parts, composites and construction because of its suitable processing characteristics and affordable price. Meanwhile, the sand used is local Kalimantan sand, where from the XRF and XRD test results, local Kalimantan sand is included in the silica sand type. This research varies the weight fraction of polyester resin used to determine its effect on polymer concrete characteristics such as porosity, water absorption, compressive strength, and macro observations. Variations in the polymer weight fraction used were 20%, 25% and 30%. Compressive strength testing was carried out at the age of 7 days of concrete. The results of the porosity test show that the average porosity of all variations is ± 0.5%. Meanwhile, the average value of water absorption for all fractions is 0.2%. And the highest average value of compressive strength in the 30% polyester resin weight fraction was 66.9 MPa. So it can be concluded that all variations meet SNI standards to become concrete materials.

Waste Tetra Pak® beverage containers as reinforcement in polymer concrete

Due to their effectiveness in food preservation, Tetra Pak®is widely used around the world. Unfortunately, only a small part of these is recycled, making it a highly polluting material. The objective of this work lies on using waste Tetra Pak® beverage containers as reinforcement in polymeric concrete manufactured with 20% polyester resin and 80% marble. Three sizes of Tetra Pak® particles were used, small (1x0.5 mm); medium (3x3 mm) and large (5x5 mm), which replaced 1% of marble´s concentration. Concretes were evaluated in both compression and flexural tests. Results show improvements in the elastic modulus, in the flexural resistance and in the strain at yield point, 39%, 5% and 5%, respectively. This work shows a novel and successful alternative for reusing Tetra Pak® packages aiming to reduce its environmental impact.

Waste Tetra Pak® beverage containers as reinforcement in polymer concrete

Due to their effectiveness in food preservation, Tetra Pak®is widely used around the world. Unfortunately, only a small part of these is recycled, making it a highly polluting material. The objective of this work lies on using waste Tetra Pak® beverage containers as reinforcement in polymeric concrete manufactured with 20% polyester resin and 80% marble. Three sizes of Tetra Pak® particles were used, small (1x0.5 mm); medium (3x3 mm) and large (5x5 mm), which replaced 1% of marble´s concentration. Concretes were evaluated in both compression and flexural tests. Results show improvements in the elastic modulus, in the flexural resistance and in the strain at yield point, 39%, 5% and 5%, respectively. This work shows a novel and successful alternative for reusing Tetra Pak® packages aiming to reduce its environmental impact.

Investigation of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Concrete Reinforcement Ageing Using Microwave Infrared Thermography Method

This study presents the utilization of the microwave infrared thermography (MIRT) technique to identify and analyze the defects in the carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite reinforcement of concrete specimens. At first, a set of numerical models was created, comprising the broadband pyramidal horn antenna and the analyzed specimen. The utilization of the system operating at a power of 1000 W in a continuous mode, operating at frequency of 2.45 GHz, was analyzed. The specimen under examination comprised a compact concrete slab that was covered with an adhesive layer and, thereafter, topped with a layer of CFRP. An air gap represented a defect at the interface between the concrete and the CFRP within the adhesive layer. In the modeling stage, the study investigated three separate scenarios—a sample with no defects, a sample with a defect located at the center, and a sample with a numerous additional random defects located at the rim of the CFRP matte—to analyze the effect of the natural reinforcement degradation in this area. The next phase of the study involved conducting experiments to confirm the results obtained from numerical modeling. In the experiments, the concrete sample aged for 10 years with the defect in the center and naturally developed defects at the CFRP rim was used. The study employed numerical modeling to explore the phenomenon of microwave heating in complex structures. The aim was to assess the chosen antenna design and identify the most effective experimental setup. These conclusions were subsequently confirmed through experimentation. The observations made during the heating process were particularly remarkable since they deviated from earlier studies that solely conducted measurements of the sample post-heating phase. The findings demonstrate that MIRT has the capacity to be employed as a technique for detecting flaws in concrete structures reinforced with CFRP.

Development and Properties of Low-Calcium Fly Ash-Based Geo polymer Concrete

The main objective of this current study is to develop a cement free concrete material because of the green house effect during the manufacture of cement. It is reported that every one tonne production of cement emits one tonne carbon dioxide which causes global warming and in broad sense disturbs the entire ecological system. It results the promotion of geopolymer concrete where silica and alumina will bind together with alkaline solution during the process of polymerization. The researchers taken greater initiatives in geopolymer concrete there is no specific study related to the mix design because of commercialization and patenting. Hence the authors interested in identifying specific mix design using trial proportion of low calcium fly ash and alkaline solutions (sodium silicate and sodium hydroxide). This investigation deals suggested that pozzolans such as blast furnace slag might be activated using alkaline liquids to form a binder and hence totally replace the use of OPC in concrete. In this scheme, the main contents to be activated are silicon and calcium in the blast furnace slag. The main binder produced is a C-S-H gel, as the result of the hydration process.

Influence of surface roughness and interfacial agent on the interface bonding characteristics of polyurethane concrete and cement concrete

As a new type of concrete material, polyurethane concrete has excellent physical and mechanical properties which is widely used in the maintenance and reinforcement of damaged areas of concrete pavement. Because of the difference in the performance between polymer concrete and ordinary concrete, it is of great significance to accurately evaluate the bond performance between polymer concrete and ordinary concrete in order to avoid interface damage in the subsequent use of the repaired pavement. In this study, the bonding specimens were made by changing the roughness and interfacial agent of the bonding interface between polymer concrete and cement concrete, and splitting tensile test and direct shear test were carried out to explore the bond properties between them. Polymer concrete-cement concrete composite beam specimens were made to simulate the maintenance and reinforcement of cement concrete pavements with polymer concrete in the actual projects, and the flexural performance test was carried out to explore the common mechanical characteristics of bonding specimens. The test results showed that the bond performance of polymer concrete and cement concrete was closely related to the interface roughness and the interfacial agents, and the addition of polymer concrete improves the common stress characteristic of composite beam specimens. The test results provide a basis for polymer concrete as a rapid repair material for concrete pavement repair.

Waste Tetra Pak® beverage containers as reinforcement in polymer concrete

Due to their effectiveness in food preservation, Tetra Pak®is widely used around the world. Unfortunately, only a small part of these is recycled, making it a highly polluting material. The objective of this work lies on using waste Tetra Pak® beverage containers as reinforcement in polymeric concrete manufactured with 20% polyester resin and 80% marble. Three sizes of Tetra Pak® particles were used, small (1x0.5 mm); medium (3x3 mm) and large (5x5 mm), which replaced 1% of marble´s concentration. Concretes were evaluated in both compression and flexural tests. Results show improvements in the elastic modulus, in the flexural resistance and in the strain at yield point, 39%, 5% and 5%, respectively. This work shows a novel and successful alternative for reusing Tetra Pak® packages aiming to reduce its environmental impact.

Experimental Investigation of Mechanical Properties of Geo–Polymer Concrete Using Flyash

Experimental Investigation of Mechanical Properties of Geo–Polymer Concrete Using Flyash

Tensile Strength and Mode I Fracture Toughness of Polymer Concretes Enhanced with Glass Fibers and Metal Chips.

This study experimentally investigates the influence of metal chips and glass fibers on the mode I fracture toughness, energy absorption, and tensile strength of polymer concretes (PCs) manufactured by waste aggregates. A substantial portion of the materials employed in manufacturing and enhancing the tested polymer concrete are sourced from waste material. To achieve this, semi-circular bend (SCB) samples were fabricated, both with and without a central crack, to analyze the strength and fracture behavior of the composite specimens. The specimens incorporated varying weight percentages comprising 50 wt% coarse mineral aggregate, 25 wt% fine mineral aggregate, and 25 wt% epoxy resin. Metal chips and glass fibers were introduced at 2, 4, and 8 wt% of the PC material to enhance its mechanical response. Subsequently, the specimens underwent 3-point bending tests to obtain tensile strength, mode I fracture toughness, and energy absorption up to failure. The findings revealed that adding 4% brass chips along with 4% glass fibers significantly enhanced energy absorption (by a factor of 3.8). However, using 4% glass fibers alone improved it even more (by a factor of 10.5). According to the results, glass fibers have a greater impact than brass chips. Introducing 8% glass fibers enhanced the fracture energy by 92%. However, in unfilled samples, aggregate fracture and separation hindered crack propagation, and filled samples presented added barriers, resulting in multiple-site cracking.

Ultra-Fast Preparation of High-Strength Polymer Concrete via Frontal Polymerization at Room Temperature.

Concrete, in particular application scenarios, such as crack repair, disaster rescue and relief, and 3D printing, needs to be cured quickly. In this work, a novel synthesis strategy, UV-initiated frontal polymerization (FP), for fast preparation of high-strength polymer concrete at room temperature is proposed, and the whole fabrication progress within several minutes, in which coarse aggregates and a small amount of short carbon fibers (CF) are used to enhance mechanical properties and heat conduction and reduce the amounts of chemical adhesives. SEM, DSC, MIP, Ultra depth of field microscope, and Rheometer are employed to characterize the properties of chemical adhesives, polymer concrete, and polymerization process. In addition, the finite element method is used to investigate the internal temperature field status of the FP process. The results indicate that the compressive and flexural strengths of the polymer concrete with 1.0wt%-1mm-CF-50vol.%-quartz sand exceeded 70 and 20MPa, respectively, in which the average self-propagation velocity reached 58mmmin-1. The investigation provides a promising approach for the rapid construction of structural facilities, emergency repair after disasters, 3D printing concrete, etc.

Application of polymer concrete containing industrial bottom ashes in footing plates for energy poles

The paper presents a procedure of preparing, molding and testing polymer concrete containing 10 – 60% of bottom ash from power plant fluid circulating fluidized bed boiler (CFB)– the rest of the filler was a standard sand. The tests of static bending and mass changes after exposition to acid, base and salt were conducted. Also mass changes after freeze-thaw tests were registered. The tested polymer concretes showed no problems during manufacturing procedures. Compositions containing 10 - 20% by weight of the ash showed higher flexural strength than polymer concrete containing 100% sand and it was about 35 MPa. Relatively small changes in mass (less than 0.5% excluding base exposition for which it was less than 3%) caused by environmental factors, in general consistent with theoretical predictions, allow us to assume that the tested materials will meet the strength requirements for the footplates. It is studied in second part of the set. According to the environmental resistance and description of a whole designing and production process. It was found that the concrete containing 10%wt of the ash is optimal material for producing the plates. It has showed the best resistance to environmental aging from all tested concretes. The designed mold system is simple and reliable - it is applicable for serial production of the plates in industrial conditions. Visual quality of the produced plates was very good. In general, polymer concrete once again turned out to be very good material, applicable in various elements for construction industry.

Study of Compressive Strength of Concrete Using in the Form of 30% Ceramics and 70% Polymer Crushed Stone as Adhesive

This study was conducted to determine the influence of mechanical properties of polymer concrete by compressive test after the addition of ceramic materials and crushed stone, polymers as adhesives. Polymer paste mixture 1:2 (catalyst:resin). Tests on cube-shaped specimens with dimensions of 15 x 15 x 15 cm are 3 days old. From the test results, it was obtained that the highest compressive strength of concrete BPK30(1) 27.66 Mpa with a test specimen weight of 6,537 kg was found in a mixture of polymer paste with a content of 20% and the lowest compressive strength of polymer concrete was found in a mixture of polymer concrete BPK30(3) with a content of 50% polymer paste with a test specimen weight of 6,506 kg, which was 16.60 Mpa. While BPK30(2) with a resin content of 40% produces concrete compressive strength equal to test specimen 1 of 27.66 Mpa. With a specimen weight of 6,548 kg. From the test results, there was a decrease in the compressive strength value of concrete from BPK30(2) to BPK30(3) by 11.06 Mpa. All samples fall under the classification of heavy concrete of high quality (high strength concrete).

Mechanical and Durability Evaluation of Latex Modified Lightweight Concrete

Modified polymer concretes are popular materials in the construction industry due to their relatively high performance, versatility and stability compared to ordinary cement concrete. In this research, by adding three different latexes, including styrene butadiene rubber, ethylene vinyl acetate and acrylic latex, the mechanical and durability properties of Light weight concrete with Leca aggregates were measured. In this regard, 15 different mixtures are carried out in two laboratory programs. in the first stage, the effect of each latex with 5, 7.5 and 10% percentages with cement are investigated, and in the next stage, the simultaneous effect of latex with Microsilica. It was measured on the properties of lightweight concrete. The results showed that the addition of latex has a significant effect on increasing the durability factors of lightweight concrete several times. With the combination of 7.5% latex and 7% Microsilica, the best compressive strength has been recorded. By using latex, the flexural strength of concrete increased around 30%. Also, the passing charge of the lightweight concrete sample without latex is 4124 coulombs, while the sample containing 10% ethylene vinyl acetate passes 451 coulombs of charge.

Operating Properties of Deep Hole Boring Tools with Modified Design.

This paper presents the results of research work on the revised design of a deep hole boring tool. The study was divided into three stages: theoretical, experimental and operational. In the theoretical part, a 3D model of the actual boring bar was created, which was subjected to strength tests using the Finite Element Method (FEM), and then prototypes of new deep hole boring tools were made with structural modifications to the shank part of the tool. For the polymer concrete core of a shank, there was a 14.59% lower displacement, and for the rubber-doped polymer concrete (SBR-styrene butadiene rubber) core of a shank there was a 4.84% lower displacement in comparison to the original boring bar. In the experimental part of the study, the original boring bar and the prototypes were subjected to experimental modal analysis and static analysis tests to compare dynamic and static properties. In the operational part of the study, boring tests were carried out for various workpiece materials, during which the basic parameters of the surface geometric structure (SGS), such as roughness Ra and Rz, were studied. Despite the promising preliminary results of the theoretical and experimental studies, using the described modifications to the boring bar is not recommended.

Enhancing concrete durability with polymer impregnation: A comparative study of corrosion and freeze-thaw resistance

This study explores the efficacy of Polymer Concrete (PC) in bolstering the durability and performance of concrete structures under diverse environmental conditions. Three variants of PC were examined: Polymer Impregnated Concrete (PIC), Polymer Portland Cement Concrete (PPCC), and Polymer Concrete (PC). The study focused on their resistance to corrosion and freeze-thaw cycles. The research also delved into the protective influence of various polymers, including silicone and epoxy, on both concrete and steel. The findings revealed that PIC surpassed other PC types in terms of corrosion and freeze-thaw resistance, while PC and PPCC necessitate further improvements. Silicone emerged as the most potent polymer for enhancing the durability of concrete and steel. PIC, exhibiting superior compressive strength and durability compared to control samples, was proposed as an apt material for construction projects in cold and corrosive environments. The PIC samples, composed of polymer, silicone, and polyvinyl acetate, displayed a significant improvement in their corrosion potential. Over a 90-day period, these samples showed a reduction of approximately 70 units, resulting in a value of 560 mV. When juxtaposed with other PC variants tested in the study, the PIC samples demonstrated superior corrosion resistance. The PIC samples also exhibited a higher average compressive strength and improved frost resistance compared to the PPCC and PC samples. The strength of PIC samples was 16.7% and 14.3% higher than control before and after cycles, respectively. Conversely, PPCC and PC samples displayed lower strengths than control, with PC samples recording the lowest. The strength reduction due to freeze-thaw cycles was least in PIC samples. In conclusion, PIC holds promise as a material for enhancing the durability and performance of concrete structures. Further research is recommended to assess its cost-effectiveness and environmental impact.