Porous Cementitious Materials Research Articles

Factors affecting the expansion ratio and flow consistency of expandable foam grout for subsurface improvement

Highly porous cementitious materials have been utilized in various geotechnical applications, such as filling subsurface cavities, backfilling, and enhancing loose layers. In particular, expandable foam grout (EFG) has significant potential for cavity filling owing to its unique characteristics such as volume expansion and high flowability. Various EFG samples were prepared by mixing water, cement, aluminum powder, bentonite, and an accelerator at various ratios. Cementitious materials with various mixing ratios have different volume expansion and flowability, and each ingredient causes different impacts on their properties. This study investigated the effects of aluminum and bentonite contents on volume expansion and flowability. Expansion ratios and flow consistencies were estimated from expansion and flow tests. The results show that the expansion ratios increased with increasing aluminum content regardless of the water-cement ratio while slightly decreased with increasing bentonite content within a given range of ingredient contents. Moreover, the flow consistency increased with increasing water-cement ratio and decreasing aluminum and bentonite contents. The properties were evaluated using EFG mixtures containing relatively high bentonite contents to observe the effects of bentonite on a wide range of cementitious materials with varying bentonite contents. The expansion ratios and flow consistencies of the EFG mixtures containing relatively high bentonite contents decreased steeply with increasing bentonite content. Finally, the ingredient effects on volume expansion and flowability were discussed to design the mixture depending on its purpose.

The influence of internal hydrophobization on the characteristics and durability of the cement-based materials

The presented study examined the effectiveness of internal hydrophobization and its impact on the basic properties of cement-based materials such as paste, mortar, and concrete. The obtained results clearly indicate that, in addition to a significant reduction of the capillary water absorption, internal hydrophobization also improves the durability of the material and provides protection against water also in case of cyclic freezing and thawing. Internal hydrophobization using an organosilicon admixture based on triethoxyoctylsilane also ensured an increase in the contact angle for water to over 90 and limited moisture sorption in the material. Moreover, the presented results indicate the interactions of the organosilicon compound with cement, which can be observed as changes in the amount of heat released during cement hydration, impact on the microstructure of the mortar, and a decrease in the compressive strength of the mortar and concrete. Nevertheless, internal hydrophobization by organosilicon compounds such as triethoxyoctylsilane is an effective and efficient method of protecting porous cementitious materials against water and moisture, even during cyclical exposure to negative temperatures

Slurry rheological behaviors and effects on the pore evolution of fly ash/metakaolin-based geopolymer foams in chemical foaming system with high foam content

Interstitial slurry rheology significantly influences the pore structure of chemically foamed geopolymer foams (GPFs). However, the relationship between these two factors has not been elucidated completely. To achieve a range of slurry rheological properties, different metakaolin/fly ash ratios were used, and a high-foam-content system was realized using a H2O2 solution. The slurry rheological properties, foaming properties, and pore structures of the GPFs were tested to establish the influence mechanism of rheology on bubble behavior and pore structures from the perspective of foaming systems. Moreover, equations describing the relationship between the internal and external bubble pressure, extrusion pressure, and slurry yield stress are discussed from the perspective of a single bubble. Four sequential phases of bubble deformation were identified during the foaming process, namely, bubble nucleation, extrusion, expansion, and solidification. The intrinsic relationship between the interstitial slurry rheology and final pore structure of the GPF established herein will provide essential guidance for designing and synthesizing porous cementitious materials.

Fungal-induced CaCO3 and SrCO3 precipitation: a potential strategy for bioprotection of concrete

Biomineralization of CaCO3 by microorganisms is a well-documented process considered applicable to concrete self-healing and metal bioremediation. Urea hydrolysis is the most widely explored and efficient pathway regarding concrete bioprotection. However, the potential of fungi has received relatively little attention compared to bacteria. In this work, we show that Fusarium cerealis, Phoma herbarum and Mucor hiemalis, isolated from concrete, could produce 828.6–941.3 mg L−1 ammonium‑nitrogen in liquid media through urea hydrolysis indicating significant urease activity, and could grow in moderate (pH 8.3) or even extremely alkaline (pH 10.6) conditions. After culture in media containing 50 mM CaCl2, at least 48.8% Ca2+ was removed from solution by the selected fungi as calcite. The accumulation of Ca by the biomass was around 83.64–114.21 mg g−1. In addition, all fungi could mediate strontium carbonate formation with F. cerealis processing the highest ability for Sr removal, with ~61% added Sr being removed from solution. Scanning electron microscopy showed carbonate biominerals were encrusted on hyphae or aggregated in fungal pellets. When equivalent concentrations of Ca2+ and Sr2+ were supplemented to the media, CaCO3 with incorporated Sr formed with F. cerealis and M. hiemalis, and Sr(Sr, Ca)(CO3)2 with P. herbarum. Our results demonstrate the potential of fungi in providing carbonate coatings for concrete surfaces and simultaneous immobilization of Sr. We anticipate our work will promote further practical field research on porous cementitious materials protection by fungi and immobilization of potentially toxic metals from metal-laden ingredients, such as fly ash and granulated ground blast furnace slag.

Thermo-chemo-mechanical understanding of damage development in porous cementitious materials exposed to sodium chloride under thermal cycling

Interactions between sodium chloride (NaCl) and cementitious materials have shown to facilitate premature deteriorations of concrete in cold environments. NaCl chemically interacts with tri‑calcium aluminate (C3A) and monosulfate (AFm) resulting in a chemical phase change during thermal cycling. The chemical phase change can create damage in porous cementitious materials. Experimental and thermodynamic modeling were conducted in this study to understand the thermo-chemo-physical interactions between NaCl and cementitious materials and identify the source of the chemical phase change. Results indicates that the destructive chemical phase change is the formation of mirabilite (Na2SO4.10H2O). It was found that the phase change temperature of mirabilite is strongly influenced by the concentration of NaCl in the solution. At high concentration NaCl solutions (>10% by mass), mirabilite is formed due to the release of a small amount of sulfate ions from the concrete matrix.

Reduced order voxel‐based model for computational modelling of highly compressible composite materials

AbstractCompressible cementitious materials are used in tunnel lining systems deployed in ground conditions characterised by expansive soils. The deformation capacity of a cementitious material can be enhanced by the introduction of weak inclusions (EPS) and/or pores. The overall behaviour of such porous cementitious composite materials is strongly influenced by the material properties of the individual components (EPS, pores, sand particles, aggregates), the geometry of the constituents, their spatial distribution and volume. The compaction behaviour of such composites can be described by a voxel model with a discrete distribution of material properties, where the voxels are compacted by applying an eigenforce. The proposed model is integrated into the framework of the reduced order self‐consistent clustering strategy at the scale of a Representative Elementary Volume [1]. The accuracy of the reduced order strategy combined with the voxel model is analysed by comparing it to the full voxel compaction model

Recent Advances and New Discussions on Superhydrophobic Coatings and Admixtures Applied to Cementitious Materials

Increasing the durability of buildings is one of the biggest challenges of the construction industry of the 21st century. The problems concerning durability are usually related to the presence of humidity or to water infiltration in the porous cementitious materials used in buildings. Advances in biomimetics have allowed the development of superhydrophobic surfaces and materials, with contact angles greater than 150°, which are able to repel water and aqueous products. In this context, this work summarizes the recent advances on superhydrophobic coatings and admixtures applied to cementitious materials. Recommendations for the future improvement of such products are made. The synthesis of superhydrophobic coatings generally includes the deposition of a low surface energy material (LSEM), especially fluoroalkylsilanes, on a microroughened surface, which, in cementitious materials, is usually achieved with the help of nanoparticles or micrometric molds. In this sense, variables as the spraying time duration, and the nanoparticles concentration, surface area and average particle size were identified as directly influencing the surface superhydrophobicity. Functionalized nanoparticles can also be introduced in cement matrix during the paste mixing in order to obtain a longer lasting waterproofing effect. In this case, hybrid nanosilica may react with Ca(OH)2 through pozzolanic reaction. The C-S-H formed may incorporate the organic group of hybrid nanosilica, and might present superhydrophobicity as well, modifying the composite’s microstructure. Besides, the cost of fabricating hydrophobic materials is decisive for their market entry. Hence, the partial or total replacement of fluoroalkylsilanes with less expensive LSEMs seems promising and needs to be further explored.

FRACTAL ANALYSIS OF STRESS-DEPENDENT DIFFUSIVITY OF POROUS CEMENTITIOUS MATERIALS

The understanding of the diffusion process and mechanisms of harmful species (e.g. chlorides) in porous cementitious materials is important to control and improve the material durability under harsh environments. In this paper, fractal analysis on the pore structure of porous cementitious materials was conducted and involved in a diffusion model. Macro material geometric parameters were considered in the model to avoid the difficulties in the measurements of microscopic pore parameters. The deformations of porous cementitious materials under the uniaxial elastic loads were considered to correct the diffusion model. The stress-affected diffusivity was displayed in an elegant expression involving some macro material parameters (e.g. total porosity, elastic modulus of solid skeleton, Poisson ratio). Results show that the effective diffusivity is greatly influenced by the porosity and stress ratio. The uniaxial elastic loads decrease the pore areas but increase the lengths of the pore channels for mass diffusion, which eventually causes the decrease of the effective diffusivity. The plots of the relative diffusivity against the stress ratio follow linear forms. The developed fractal diffusion model may help better understand the diffusion process in complex porous cementitious materials under elastic loads. Going beyond this, the fractal diffusion model may provide a new tool to predict the diffusivity of porous building materials under complex mechanical and environmental loads.

Characterization of Porous Cementitious Materials Using Microscopic Image Processing and X-ray CT Analysis

The use of lightweight concrete has continuously increased because it has a primary benefit of reducing dead load in a concrete infrastructure. Various properties of lightweight concrete, such as compressive strength, elastic modulus, sound absorption performance, and thermal insulation, are highly related to its pore characteristics. Consequently, the identification of the characteristics of its pores is an important task. This study performs a comparative analysis for characterizing the pores in cementitious materials using three different testing methods: a water absorption test, microscopic image processing, and X-ray computed tomography (X-ray CT) analysis. For all 12 porous cementitious materials, conventional water absorption test was conducted to obtain their water permeable porosities. Using the microscopic image processing method, various characteristics of pores were identified in terms of the 2D pore ratio (i.e., ratio of pore area to total surface area), the pore size, and the number of pores in the cross-sectional area. The 3D tomographic image-based X-ray CT analysis was conducted for the selected samples to show the 3D pore ratio (i.e., ratio of pore volume to total volume), the pore size, the spatial distribution of pores along the height direction of specimen, and open and closed pores. Based on the experimental results, the relationships of oven-dried density with these porosities were identified. Research findings revealed that the complementary use of these testing methods is beneficial for analyzing the characteristics of pores in cementitious materials.

Effect of graphite nanoparticles on strength and carbonation performance of cement mortar

Strength and carbonation performance are two main concerns in porous cementitious materials exposed to the atmosphere with an increasing concentration of CO2. Carbon-based reinforcers have been widely investigated in recent decades. However, practical applications have been impeded by their high cost. In this paper, inexpensive graphite nanoparticles were used to improve cement mortar. The compressive strength and carbonation performance were evaluated. XRD and SEM-EDX tests were conducted to further analyse the mechanisms. The results showed that the effects of graphite nanoparticles differed in dosage. The addition of graphite nanoparticles in the amount of 0.5% by mass significantly enhanced the performance against carbonation, while slightly worsened the compressive strength. On the contrary, 1.0% addition enhanced both the performance against CO2 penetration and strength of cement mortar after carbonation.

Accelerated carbonation of hardened cement pastes: Influence of porosity

Recently, with the development of accelerating mineral carbonation technology, the preparation of building materials by using carbonation curing cement-based materials has attracted wide attention. The diffusion and transfer mechanism of carbon dioxide in porous cementitious materials was the key point that restricts the improvement of materials carbonation rate. In order to obtain comprehensive information that affects accelerating carbonation rate of porous cement-based materials, this paper talks about the influences of paste porosity controlled by water to cement ratio (w/c) on carbonation and the paste micro-structures evolution. Also, mineral compositions before and after carbonation curing were evaluated. Results show that the carbonation rate, carbonation depth and compressive strength are improved after carbonation, while total porosity of complete carbonation zone decreases with the growth of paste porosity. The pores with diameter larger than 200 nm played a leading role in carbon dioxide diffusion, which were reduced by 84.25% of the total volume after carbonation curing. The carbonization reaction mainly occurred in the first six hours in carbonation curing, while the subsequent carbonation curing were unprofitable to the carbonation effect due to the generation of calcium carbonate prevents the diffusion of CO2, making the subsequent carbonation become difficult. XRD results revealed that during carbonation curing the major reactants were C2S, C3S and some hydration products of Ca(OH)2 after 1 d hydration.

Reviewing Theoretical and Numerical Models for PCM-embedded Cementitious Composites

Accumulating solar and/or environmental heat in walls of apartment buildings or houses is a way to level-out daily temperature differences and significantly cut back on energy demands. A possible way to achieve this goal is by developing advanced composites that consist of porous cementitious materials with embedded phase change materials (PCMs) that have the potential to accumulate or liberate heat energy during a chemical phase change from liquid to solid, or vice versa. This paper aims to report the current state of art on numerical and theoretical approaches available in the scientific literature for modelling the thermal behavior and heat accumulation/liberation of PCMs employed in cement-based composites. The work focuses on reviewing numerical tools for modelling phase change problems while emphasizing the so-called Stefan problem, or particularly, on the numerical techniques available for solving it. In this research field, it is the fixed grid method that is the most commonly and practically applied approach. After this, a discussion on the modelling procedures available for schematizing cementitious composites with embedded PCMs is reported.

Transport Properties of Sulfate and Chloride Ions Confined between Calcium Silicate Hydrate Surfaces: A Molecular Dynamics Study

The migration of sulfate and chloride ions in porous cementitious materials influences the durability of the concrete material. To understand transport behavior of ions in concrete, molecular dynam...

Desorption of superabsorbent hydrogels with varied chemical compositions in cementitious materials

This paper examines the desorption of hydrogels synthesized with varied chemical compositions in cementitious materials. The absorption, chemical structure and mechanical response of hydrogels swollen in a cement mixture were studied. The effect of the capillary forces on the desorption of hydrogels was investigated in relation to the chemical composition of the hydrogels. In the second set of experiments, the behavior of the hydrogels in a hydrating cement paste was monitored by tracking the size and morphology evolution of hydrogels interacting with the cement paste matrix. It was shown that the changes on the surface characteristics of hydrogels as a result of interactions with the pore solution and cement particles can affect the desorption rate of hydrogels in contact with porous cementitious materials. Scanning electron microscopic examination demonstrated two different desorption modes with distinct morphologies of hydrogels depending on the chemical composition of hydrogels. The effect of the interfacial bonding between the hydrogels and the cementitious matrix and its relation to the desorption is illustrated.

Water and chloride ions migration in porous cementitious materials: An experimental and molecular dynamics investigation

The interactions of water and chloride ions penetration into porous mortar have been investigated experimentally and modelled by molecular dynamics. The water distribution visualized by neutron radiography and chloride penetration by Electron Probe Micro-Analysis indicate that separation of chloride ions from water during the penetration process took place and water ran much deeper into the material than chloride ions. The relationship between the penetration depth of water and chloride ions can be described by a linear function despite different water-cement ratio. Furthermore, molecular dynamics attributes the different transport mechanisms of water and ions in porous cementitious materials to three reasons: the nanostructure of hydration product play filtering role to screen chloride ions with larger hydration shell; as compared with water, ions reside in the calcium silicate surface for longer time due to the strong interfacial bonding; chloride ions accumulate and form CaCl ionic cluster, slowing down the migrating rate.

The effect of the capillary forces on the desorption of hydrogels in contact with a porous cementitious material

This paper examines the desorption of hydrogels in contact with porous cementitious materials to aid in understanding the mechanisms of water release from superabsorbent polymers (SAP) into cementitious materials. The dependence of hydrogel desorption on the microstructure of cementitious materials and relative humidity was studied. It was shown that the capillary adhesion developed at the interface between the hydrogel and cementitious materials increased the desorption of the hydrogels. The size of hydrogels was shown to influence desorption, beyond the known size dependence of bulk diffusion, through debonding from the cementitious matrix, thereby decreasing the effect of the Laplace pressure on desorption. Microscopic examination highlighted a stark contrast in the desorption morphology of hydrogels with different chemical compositions.

Study on the Thermal System of Microporous Cementitious Materials

Industrial residues--fly ash, carbide slag, desulfurization gypsum--of different proportions were used as raw materials to discuss the sintering characteristics and thermal effect of each proportion and their effects on porous cementitious materials. The properties of those materials were analyzed and the formula were calculated according to sulphoaluminate cement formulations . The sample were burned at different temperatures according to ceramsite-making method so that some hard water minerals and a microporous structure could be formed. By analyzing the content of and β-C2S in the burned sample using XRD, SEM and EDS and discussing the effects of different burning processes on porosity and water absorption rate of materials to know the sintering system. The results show that the material burned at 1250°C for 20 min has good thermal insulation properties and cementing properties.

Surface Morphology of Porous Cementitious Materials Subjected to Fast Dynamic Fractures

This paper presents a study of the surface height irregularities of cement pastes subjected to fast dynamic fractures. The height irregularities are quantified by the values of the three-dimensional profile parameters. The studied dynamical irregularities show a similar analytical behavior to those obtained by static fractures.

Influence of Cover Porosity on Steel Corrosion in Cement-Based Materials

A detailed investigation has been carried out to clarify the effect of porosity on steel corrosion in cement-based materials. Corrosion behaviours of steel were studied by means of corrosion potential, linear polarization resistance (LPR) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), while the porosity of cover zone cement-based materials were investigated by evaporative water method (EWM) and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP). The results highlight that the corrosion parameters of steel are strongly related with porosity of cement-based materials. A linear relationship between porosity and corrosion rate of steel has been established which is in good agreement with the principle that the diffusion of chloride ions through porous cementitious materials may accelerate the anodic reaction of steel corrosion as well as oxygen diffusion for the cathodic reaction simultaneously.

Application of A.C. impedance techniques in studies of porous cementitious materials (III): ACIS behavior of very low porosity cementitious systems

The microstructure of very low porosity cement and cement-silica fume paste systems was investigated by A.C. impedance spectroscopy (ACIS). The theoretical relationship between ACIS parameters and the structure of porous materials previously proposed by authors has been confirmed for these systems. Results indicate that a delayed appearance of the high frequency semicircle, present in spectra of normal cement pastes at high water/cement ratios, does not occur in the present cases due to their lower initial porosity. The high frequency arc diameter, R 2, increases significantly with hydration time and compacting pressure; this is compatible with results from other measurements, e.g. mercury intrusion porosimetry, helium pycnometry, etc. The densification effect of silica fume in very low porosity systems has also been demonstrated. It was found that there is an optimum addition of silica fume at which R 2 has a maximum value. It is apparent that ACIS techniques are applicable to studies of the microstructure of very low porosity cementitious systems.