Interactions between shrinkage reducing admixtures (SRA) and cement paste's pore solution

Shrinkage reducing admixtures (SRA) have been developed to combat shrinkage cracking in concrete elements. While SRA has been shown to have significant benefits in reducing the magnitude of drying and autogenous shrinkage, it has been reported that SRA may cause a negative side effect as it reduces the rate of cement hydration and strength development in concrete. To examine the influence of SRA on cement hydration, this study explores the interactions between SRA and cement paste's pore solution. It is described that SRA is mainly composed of amphiphilic (i.e., surfactant) molecules that when added to an aqueous solution, accumulate at the solution-air interface and can significantly reduce the interfacial tension. However, these surfactants can also self-aggregate in the bulk solution (i.e., micellation) and this may limit the surface tension reduction capacity of SRA. In synthetic pore solutions, SRA is observed to form an oil-water-surfactant emulsion that may or may not be stable. Specifically, at concentrations above a critical threshold, the mixture of SRA and pore fluid is unstable and can separate into two distinct phases (an SRA-rich phase and an SRA-dilute phase). Further, chemical analysis of extracted pore solutions shows that addition of SRA to the mixing water depresses the dissolution of alkalis in the pore fluid. This results in a pore fluid with lower alkalinity which causes a reduction in the rate of cement hydration. This may explain why concrete containing SRA shows a delayed setting and a slower strength development.     

Influence of bleed water reabsorption on cement paste autogenous deformation

The effects of bleed water reabsorption and subsequent early age expansion on observed autogenous deformation are investigated in this research. Bleeding was induced by varying superplasticizer and shrinkage-reducing admixture dosages and by increasing the water-to-cement ratio. This research revealed that significant early age expansion occurs with increasing chemical admixture dosages and higher water-to-cement ratios, as expected, due to increasing bleeding of those samples. When samples were rotated, negligible early age expansion was observed. Thus, bleed water reabsorption is shown to be the primary mechanism causing initial expansion in sealed autogenous deformation samples. Thermal dilation and ettringite growth appear to have a minimal influence on the observed expansion. Rotating the samples during setting eliminates the potential for bleed water reabsorption and is recommended for all autogenous deformation testing.     

Chemical model for cement-based materials: Thermodynamic data assessment for phases other than C-S-H

In the context of waste confinement, concrete may be used both as a confinement and as a building material. Concerning radwaste, the heat released during radioactive decay will modify the equilibrium constants of the minerals forming the concrete. The present work aims to elucidate the temperature dependency of the thermodynamic functions related to minerals from the concrete or associated with some of its degradation products. A large set of experimental data has been collected, for the chemical systems SO₃-Al₂O₃-CaO-CO₂-Cl-H₂O and SiO₂-Al₂O₃-CaO-H₂O, including iron and magnesium bearing phases. Most of the data collected concern experiments in aqueous media but results from calorimetric studies were also included, when available. Based on selected thermodynamic properties for each phase, predominance diagrams were drawn for the chemical elements listed above. Phase relations reported into predominance diagram appear rather consistent with most of the literature results. The case of katoite has been especially discussed, because it shows inconsistencies with respect to a hydrogarnet-grossular solid solution and with respect to phase relations reported into already published works. Finally, we underline the chemical compatibility of Portland cement pastes with carbonate aggregates, compared to silicates, for long-term storage applications.     

Nonlinear ultrasonic evaluation of load effects on discontinuities in concrete

The presence of discontinuity surfaces in concrete structures, i.e. two or more layers in contact, may be an existing situation with evident relapses on damage formation and progression. Differences occur depending on the type of discontinuity, which could be a thin weaker layer or a pre-existing crack. The behavior of pre-existing interfaces is here studied by means of the Scaling Subtraction Method, a Nonlinear Ultrasonic Non-Destructive Technique, that revealed to be effective in describing the mechanical evolution of concrete samples with discontinuity surfaces under the effects of compressive loads.     

Assessment of the long-term stability of cementitious barriers of radioactive waste repositories by using digital-image-based microstructure generation and reactive transport modelling

Cement-based grout plays a significant role in the design and performance of nuclear waste repositories: used correctly, it can enhance their safety. However, the high water-to-binder ratios, which are required to meet the desired workability and injection ability at early age, lead to high porosity that may affect the durability of this material and undermine its long-term geochemical performance.In this paper, a new methodology is presented in order to help the process of mix design which best meets the compromise between these two conflicting requirements. It involves the combined use of the computer programs CEMHYD3D for the generation of digital-image-based microstructures and CrunchFlow, for the reactive transport calculations affecting the materials so simulated. This approach is exemplified with two grout types, namely, the so-called Standard mix 5/5, used in the upper parts of the structure, and the “low-pH” P308B, to be injected at higher depths.The results of the digital reconstruction of the mineralogical composition of the hardened paste are entirely logical, as the microstructures display high degrees of hydration, large porosities and low or nil contents of aluminium compounds.Diffusion of solutes in the pore solution was considered to be the dominant transport process. A single scenario was studied for both mix designs and their performances were compared. The reactive transport model adequately reproduces the process of decalcification of the C-S-H and the precipitation of calcite, which is corroborated by empirical observations. It was found that the evolution of the deterioration process is sensitive to the chemical composition of groundwater, its effects being more severe when grout is set under continuous exposure to poorly mineralized groundwater. Results obtained appear to indicate that a correct conceptualization of the problem was accomplished and support the assumption that, in absence of more reliable empirical data, it might constitute a useful tool to estimate the durability of cement-based structures.     

An investigation of microstructure evolution in cement paste through setting using ultrasonic and rheological measurements

The response of hydrating cement paste through setting are monitored using rheological measurements and ultrasonic reflection measurements. Increases in the elastic modulus and yield stress of cement paste with time are obtained from the rheological measurements. Ultrasonic measurements are performed using horizontally polarized shear waves (SH) reflected off of the hydrating cement paste. Changes in the ultrasonic signal through setting are related with changes in the porosity and stiffness of an equivalent water-filled poroelastic material, which provides identical acoustic impedance. The measured changes in the shear modulus obtained from ultrasonic measurement are shown to correlate well with increase in elastic modulus obtained from rheological measurements. The increase in the shear modulus of the porous material obtained from the ultrasonic measurements is shown to correspond well with the observed increase in the yield stress of the cement paste. By combining the information from rheological and ultrasonic measurements, it is found that even in the fluid stage there is sufficient structural integrity in the arrangement of cement grains to support low-amplitude shear stress and the evolution of a continuously connected network of cement particles within the paste is coincident with a rapid increase in the shear modulus of the porous skeleton.     

Wavelet-based analysis of ultrasonic longitudinal and transverse pulses in cement-based materials

Ultrasonic pulse velocity has been used for decades to detect localized damage and to estimate concrete properties. More recent applications aim at diffuse damage characterization, such as environmental and mechanical damage. In most applications the methodology to calculate pulse speed is a very important issue. This work, applying continuous wavelet transform (CWT) to construct time-frequency signal representations, calculates frequency-dependent velocity of longitudinal and transverse ultrasonic pulses using wavelet scales. The method is applied to a total of 14 specimens of 5 different mixes and frequency-dependent velocities are calculated using four wavelet families. The CWT capability to decompose the inquiring pulse spectrum and analyze phase velocities is discussed with regard to wavelet, pulse type, and mixture. Frequency-dependent velocity of longitudinal pulses at lower frequencies (from 100 kHz up to 250 kHz) was proven to be much more sensitive to mix proportions than transverse pulses.     

La掺杂(Na0.5Bi0.5)0.82(K0.5Bi0.5)0.18TiO3系统无铅压电陶瓷的制备工艺探讨

采用传统陶瓷工艺，研究了制备[（Na0.5Bi0.5）0.82（K0.5Bi0.5）0.18]1-xLaxTiO3（x=0．00，0．01，0．03，0．05，0．10）无铅压电陶瓷的工艺条件对陶瓷的物相组成、显微结构和压电性能的影响。利用XRD、SEM等技术分析结果表明，合成温度的提高有利于主晶相的形成，且此系统烧成温度范围较窄，故需控制在合适的烧成温度下才能得到高致密度的陶瓷。同时，研究了极化工艺条件对材料压电性能的影响，结果表明，提高极化电场强度、控制适当的极化温度有利于提高材料的压电性能。     

Effects of adhesive type and polystyrene concentration on the shear strength of bonded polystyrene/high-density polyethylene blends

The lap-shear strengths of adhesively bonded polystyrene (PS), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), and their blends, were studied as a function of adhesive type and blend composition. The performance of virgin and recycled polymer systems was examined. The lap-shear strength depended strongly on the amount of PS in the blend and the type of adhesive, and the acrylic adhesives demonstrated the best performance for all compositions. Bonded strengths of HDPE increased by approximately 50% when HDPE was blended with 34% PS, the co-continuous composition. The results indicate that structural elements made from PS/HDPE immiscible blends may be effectively bonded with adhesives without expensive surface treatments.     

Modelling of ageing effects on crack-bridging behaviour of AR-glass multifilament yarns embedded in cement-based matrix

This article focus on modelling of ageing effects on crack-bridging behaviour of AR-glass multifilament yarns embedded in cement-based matrix. In the first step, age-dependent changes in the crack-bridging behaviour of AR-glass multifilament yarns were investigated at the meso and micro levels. Two cementitious matrices were considered where the binder contained Portland cement clinker and ground granulated blast furnace slag cement, respectively. Mechanical characteristics of the bond between matrix and multifilament yarns after accelerated ageing were measured by means of double-sided yarn pullout tests. In these tests the multifilament yarns bridged a single crack in the matrix arising in a notched area of the specimen. Losses in performance with increasing age differed widely depending on matrix material composition. The essential cause of such losses was discovered to be the microscopic densification of the fibre-to-matrix interface. This led to increased bond intensity and restricted slip-ability of the filaments. Subsequently, these micro-structural phenomena were related to the mesoscopic material behaviour by means of a phenomenological bond model. This cross-linkage model describes the crack-bridging effect of the entire multifilament yarn at the single filament level. According to the model, each filament possesses a specific deformation length depending on its position in the cross-section of the yarn. This deformation length depends on bond characteristics between single filament and cementitious matrix, which vary with age. Characteristic values of the model were computed from load-crack width curves obtained from the yarn pullout tests. The changes in the microstructure were represented by the characteristic values of the model.     

Effect of carbonation on the hydro-mechanical properties of Portland cements

We evaluate experimentally the effect of carbonation on the hydro-mechanical properties of Portland cement. Samples were carbonated at 90 °C and 28 MPa under wet supercritical CO₂. Two types of carbonation features were achieved, either the samples were homogeneously carbonated or they displayed sharp carbonation fronts. Using a tri-axial apparatus, the static elastic moduli and the mechanical strength were measured at in-situ pressure conditions (28 MPa) and showed a degradation of the mechanical properties of the samples where a carbonation front prevailed. Water and gas permeabilities were measured and showed that the samples with a carbonation front exhibit a stress sensitive permeability. P and S elastic wave velocities were measured to evaluate dynamic (ultrasonic range, 1 MHz) elastic moduli. The use of an effective medium theory approach enabled us to characterize the density and distribution of cracks within the samples. This approach outlines that the samples which developed a carbonation front were damaged.     

Linear and non-linear analysis of desorption processes in cement mortar

Based on the gathered experimental data concerning adsorption/desorption processes in cement mortar, it has been stated that the rate of these processes changes in time even if they proceed in stable conditions. In this paper an attempt is made to describe such processes by applying linear and non-linear diffusion theories for comparison. The main aim of these studies is to determine the diffusion coefficient by correlating the theoretically determined desorption isotherms with the experimental ones. The validation of the diffusion coefficient was accomplished through comparison of the theoretical desorption curves with the experimental data for narrow and broad ranges of the air humidity changes. The final conclusion is that the moisture transfer in hygroscopic porous materials for broad ranges of the air humidity changes should be modeled by the non-linear diffusion theory, in which the diffusion coefficient is a function of moisture content. The new material in this paper concerns very long time measurements in desiccators, and evaluation of the diffusion coefficient by an advanced optimization algorithm.     

Monitoring evolution of compressive damage in concrete with linear and nonlinear ultrasonic methods

An experimental study was conducted on different concrete cylinders damaged in compression. The evolution of damage was followed by means of linear and nonlinear ultrasonic methods, with the purpose to provide a better understanding of mechanical degradation processes in concrete and highlight the potentialities and limitations of the Non-Destructive Techniques used.     

La掺杂(Na_(0.5)Bi_(0.5))_(0.82)(K_(0.5)Bi_(0.5))_(0.18)TiO_3系统无铅压电陶瓷的制备工艺探讨

采用传统陶瓷工艺,研究了制备[(Na0.5Bi0.5)0.82(K0.5Bi0.5)0.18]1-xLaxTiO3(x=0.00,0.01,0.03,0.05,0.10)无铅压电陶瓷的工艺条件对陶瓷的物相组成、显微结构和压电性能的影响。利用XRD、SEM等技术分析结果表明,合成温度的提高有利于主晶相的形成,且此系统烧成温度范围较窄,故需控制在合适的烧成温度下才能得到高致密度的陶瓷。同时,研究了极化工艺条件对材料压电性能的影响,结果表明,提高极化电场强度、控制适当的极化温度有利于提高材料的压电性能。     

Investigation on crystallization behavior and hydrophilicity of poly(vinylidene fluoride)/poly(methyl methacrylate)/poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) ternary blends by solution casting

Ternary blends composed of matrix polymer poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) with different proportions of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) blends were prepared by solution casting. The crystallization behavior and hydrophilicity of ternary blends were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), wide angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and contact angle test. According to morphological analysis, the surface was full of typical spherulitic structure of PVDF and the average diameter was in the order of 3 μm. The samples presented predominantly β phase of PVDF by solution casting. It indicated that the size of surface spherulites and crystalline phase had little change with the PMMA or PVP addition. Moreover, FTIR demonstrated special interactions among the ternary polymers, which led to the shift of the carbonyl stretching absorption band of PVP. On the other hand, the melting, crystallization temperature, and crystallinity of the blends had a little change compared with the neat PVDF in the first heating process. Except for the content of PVP containing 30 wt %, the crystallinity of PVDF decreased remarkably from 64% to 33% and the value of t_1/2 was not obtained. Besides, the hydrophilicity of PVDF was remarkably improved by blending with PMMA/PVP, especially when the content of PVP reached 30 wt %, the water contact angle displayed the lowest value which decreased from 98.8° to 51.0°. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Cement hydration and microstructure formation in the presence of water-soluble polymers

Hardening of cement mortars modified with small amounts of water-soluble polymers implies both cement hydration and polymer film formation. In this paper, the effect of the presence of water-soluble polymers on the cement hydration reactions is investigated by means of isothermal calorimetry, thermal analysis, FT-IR spectroscopy and SEM investigation. In spite of an initial retardation of the hydration reactions, a higher degree of hydration is found after 90 days for 1% PVAA, MC and HEC modified mortars, due to a better dispersion of the cement particles in the mixing water. MC also affects the morphology of the Ca(OH)₂ crystals. Polymer bridges are detected between the layered crystals, gluing the layers together and strengthening the microstructure. Additionally, the internal cohesion of all bulk polymer modified cement pastes is improved. In the presence of the polymers, a more cohesive microstructure with a smaller amount of microcracks is created.     

Analyzing crack width to predict corrosion in reinforced concrete

Our aim in this paper is to introduce a set of relationships linking the distribution of reinforcement corrosion and the width of cover crack that results from such corrosion. This work is based on experimental results obtained on the longitudinal reinforcements of two beams naturally corroded over periods of 14 and 17 years. We first compared these experimental results with existing models linking crack width and attack penetration. Noting that such models only partially predict actual experimental data, we put forward a new model using the parameter of reinforcement cross-section loss.     

Modelling and simulations of the chemo-mechanical behaviour of leached cement-based materials: Interactions between damage and leaching

The assessment of the durability of cement-based materials, which could be employed in underground structures for nuclear waste disposal, requires accounting for deterioration factors, such as chemical attacks and damage, and for the interactions between these phenomena. The objective of the present paper consists in investigating the long-term behaviour of cementitious materials by simulating their response to chemical and mechanical solicitations. In a companion paper (Stora et al., submitted to Cem. Concr. Res. 2008), the implementation of a multi-scale homogenization model into an integration platform has allowed for evaluating the evolution of the mineral composition, diffusive and elastic properties inside a concrete material subjected to leaching. To complete this previous work, an orthotropic micromechanical damage model is presently developed and incorporated in this numerical platform to estimate the mechanical and diffusive properties of damaged cement-based materials. Simulations of the chemo-mechanical behaviour of leached cementitious materials are performed with the tool thus obtained and compared with available experiments. The numerical results are insightful about the interactions between damage and chemical deteriorations.