高吸水树脂对混凝土水化及强度的影响

高吸水树脂(Super-absorbent polymer,SAP)作为混凝土内养护材料可有效抑制混凝土自收缩,提高混凝土抗裂性,但其对混凝土是否具有负面影响有待研究。利用XRD和DTA-TG研究了不同SAP掺量净浆在不同养护龄期的水化产物量,并测试其抗压强度,定量分析高吸水树脂对混凝土水化和强度的影响。实验结果表明:掺加SAP会延缓混凝土早期(0~7d)的水化反应,降低混凝土的抗压强度,但对混凝土中后期(7~28d)水化的进行及强度发展的影响不大。当高吸水树脂的掺量为1kg/m~3(占胶凝材料的质量分数为0.2%)和1.5kg/m~3(占胶凝材料的质量分数为0.3%)时,混凝土28d抗压强度可达基准组的100%和96%,56d抗压强度可达基准组的107%和96%。针对C50混凝土,推荐掺量为1kg/m~3。     

Recommendation of RILEM TC 260-RSC: using superabsorbent polymers (SAP) to mitigate autogenous shrinkage

This recommendation is devoted to the use of superabsorbent polymers (SAP) in mitigating autogenous shrinkage of concrete and has been prepared by the working group acting within RILEM TC 260-RSC. The recommended procedure for designing mix compositions of concrete with SAP is given. Dry SAP particles of small size should be added to concrete along with additional mixing water that SAP absorb upon mixing. The SAP particles release water during hardening of concrete to compensate for chemical shrinkage and consequently reduce autogenous shrinkage. The procedure for designing mix composition is based on finding a trade-off between mitigation of autogenous shrinkage and possible negative effects on concrete properties (e.g., mechanical properties, workability). A theoretical guideline is provided based on compensating the volume of chemical shrinkage with (additional) internal curing water to be absorbed by the SAP and based on the measured absorption capacity of the SAP.     

Chloride migration in concrete with superabsorbent polymers

Superabsorbent polymers (SAP) can be used as a means for internal curing of concrete. In the present study, the development of transport properties of concrete with SAP is investigated. The chloride migration coefficient according to NT BUILD 492 is used as a measure of this. Twenty concrete mixtures are tested 7, 14, and 28 days after casting. The development of degree of hydration is followed for 20 corresponding paste mixtures.Both when SAP is added with extra water to compensate the SAP water absorption in fresh concrete and without extra water, the internal curing water held by SAP may contribute to increase the degree of hydration. No matter if SAP is added with or without extra water, it appears that the so-called gel space ratio can be used as a key parameter to link age and mixture proportions (water-to-cement ratio and SAP dosage) to the resulting chloride migration coefficient; the higher the volume of gel solid relative to the space available for it, the lower the chloride migration coefficient, because the pore system becomes more tortuous and the porosity becomes less.     

大掺量高吸附性石粉高强机制砂混凝土收缩开裂抑制试验

针对大掺量高吸附性石粉高强机制砂混凝土早期易发生收缩开裂的问题,开展了掺加膨胀剂、减缩剂、聚乙烯醇(PVA)纤维、高吸水树脂(SAP)混凝土的早期收缩、抗裂和力学试验,并利用核磁共振仪和扫描电子显微镜对混凝土孔结构和微观形貌进行了测试,揭示抑制收缩开裂的机制。试验结果表明:掺入膨胀剂、减缩剂、PVA纤维、预吸水SAP均能有效抑制混凝土早期收缩和开裂,其中掺预吸水SAP降低早期收缩的效果最好,收缩应变可降低93%,PVA纤维抑制早期开裂的作用最明显,总开裂面积可降低68.26%,同时,掺入两者会使混凝土力学性能提高,而掺入膨胀剂和减缩剂会使混凝土力学性能降低。SEM图像表明,SAP能将预吸收的水分释放到混凝土中,促进水泥水化反应,而PVA纤维的掺入改善了混凝土内部孔隙结构,有良好的填充作用和桥接作用。核磁共振试验表明,抑制收缩开裂的机制是通过改善混凝土孔隙结构,增强界面密实度,从而减小早期收缩,进而提高抗裂性能。      

高吸水树脂基内养护混凝土研究进展

阐述了内养护混凝土发展历史,对比分析了高吸水树脂与轻集料作为混凝土内养护剂的优缺点,总结了高吸水树脂对混凝土拌合物性能、力学性能、收缩性能和耐久性能的影响规律,分析了高吸水树脂影响混凝土性能的原因,提出了高吸水树脂基内养护混凝土的制备要点。     

Hydration kinetics of high-performance cementitious systems under different curing conditions

Curing plays an essential role in the modern concrete technology, since it has a crucial effect on the development of concrete properties. High-performance cementitious systems are especially sensitive to the applied curing methods because of self-desiccation and high sensitivity to early-age cracking. Thus, it is of particular interest to compare the efficiency of internal curing and traditional curing techniques such as sealing and water ponding. In this study, the efficiency of different types of curing was estimated by means of isothermal calorimetry. Four different water to cement (w/c) ratios in the range of 0.21–0.45 and four types of curing were studied, including sealing, water ponding with different amount of water, internal curing by saturated lightweight aggregate and super-absorbent polymer. The hydration degree was determined using heat of hydration data. Compressive strength of the tested specimens was measured and analyzed. The results indicate that efficiency of different types of curing strongly depends on w/c ratio.     

Experimental observation of internal water curing of concrete

Internal water curing has a significant effect on concrete. In addition to affecting hydration and moisture distribution, it influences most concrete properties, such as strength, shrinkage, cracking, and durability. The following paper is an overview of experimental methods to study internal water curing of concrete and its consequences. The special techniques needed to study internal water curing are dealt with along with the consequences of this process. Examples of applications are given and new measuring techniques that may potentially be applied to this field are addressed.     

Shrinkage characteristics of heat-treated ultra-high performance concrete and its mitigation using superabsorbent polymer based internal curing method

The shrinkage and cracking risk of heat-treated ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) can be mitigated by using the superabsorbent polymer (SAP)-based internal curing method. The heat treatment (HT) accelerates the hydration reaction and resulting self-desiccation of UHPC; consequently, the UHPC experiences severe shrinkage during the HT. This study experimentally demonstrates that the shrinkage is effectively resolved by adopting the SAP-based internal curing method during the HT period as well as early-ages. This method also reduces the strain rate resulting from dimensional change, without showing an increase in drying shrinkage. The accurately conducted experiments herein can help to better understand the shrinkage characteristics of heat-treated UHPC and broaden the application of various internal curing agents.     

Effect of cementitious permanent formwork on moisture field of internal-cured concrete under drying

Drying shrinkage of concrete may still be the main source of cracking in concrete structures, even though the autogenous shrinkage of concrete can be effectively reduced by using internal curing. In the present paper, the effect of internal curing with pre-soaked lightweight aggregate and engineered cementitious composite permanent formwork (ECC-PF) on a moisture distribution in three kinds of concrete in a drying environment are investigated from both aspects of experiments and theoretical modeling. The test results show that the combination use of ECC-PF and internal curing can well maintain the humidity at a relatively high level not only at a place far from drying surface, but also at a place close to the drying surfaces. The developed model can well catch the characteristics of the moisture distribution in concrete under drying and the impacts of internal curing and ECC-PF can well be reflected as well. The model can be used for the design of concrete structures with combination use of internal curing and permanent formwork.     

Effects of distribution of lightweight aggregates on internal curing of concrete

This study investigates the effects of spatial distribution of lightweight aggregates (LWAs) on internal curing of concrete. As replacements for normal aggregates, different sizes and amounts of natural pumice LWAs were used as water reservoirs to provide internal curing in mitigating autogenous deformation. Water in the pre-soaked LWAs flows into cement paste during hydration and provides internal curing to counteract the RH loss due to self-desiccation of binding paste. The results show that variations in the autogenous strain of concrete can be evaluated in terms of LWA–LWA proximity. The protected paste volume approach, previously used for air-entrained concrete, is applied to calculate the internally-cured volume of paste. The results show that the experimental rate of mitigation of autogenous strain for different series of concrete specimens, with respect to the reference concrete, gave the best-fitted values at water flow distance of 1 mm. The results indicate that the protected paste volume in internal curing can be determined by calculating the water-entrained volume using image analysis.     

Benefits of internal curing on service life and life-cycle cost of high-performance concrete bridge decks – A case study

This paper investigates the impact of internal curing on the service life of high-performance concrete (HPC) bridge decks by using analytical models to predict the times to onset of corrosion, onset of corrosion-induced damage, and failure of decks. Three bridge deck design options were compared: (i) normal concrete deck; (ii) HPC deck with supplementary cementing materials (SCM); and (iii) HPC deck with SCM and internal curing. It was found that the use of internal curing can extend the service life of high-performance concrete bridge decks by more than 20 years, which is mainly due to a significant reduction in the rate of penetration of chlorides in concrete as a result of reduced early-age shrinkage cracking and reduced chloride diffusion. Compared to normal concrete, HPC with SCM and internal curing was predicted to add more than 40 years to the service life of bridge decks in severe environmental conditions. Life-cycle cost reductions of 40% and 63% were estimated when conventional HPC and internally-cured HPC were used in bridge decks instead of normal concrete, respectively, despite the fact that the in-place unit cost of internally-cured HPC can be 4% higher than that of conventionally-cured HPC, which in turn can be up to 33% higher than that of normal concrete. This is due to a longer service life and less frequent maintenance activities offered by low-permeability HPC bridge decks.     

Effect of curing methods on strength and durability of concrete under hot weather conditions

This paper reports the results of a research study conducted to evaluate the effect of curing methods on the mechanical properties of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) and Silica Fume Cement (SFC) concretes. Slab and beam specimens were prepared and cured by covering them with wet burlap or applying a curing compound under field conditions. Four types of curing compounds, namely water-, acrylic-, and bitumen-based and coal tar epoxy, were applied on the concrete specimens. The curing compounds were applied immediately after casting or after an initial period of burlap curing. The effect of the selected curing regime on the properties of OPC and SFC concrete specimens was evaluated by measuring compressive strength, water-absorption and chloride permeability. The strength and durability characteristics of both OPC and SFC concrete specimens cured by applying the selected curing compounds were similar or better than that of concrete specimens cured by covering with wet burlap. Though no significant change in strength could be noted due to the curing methodology; however, its effect was noticeable on the durability. The best performance was shown by concrete specimens cured by applying the bitumen-based curing compound followed by those cured by applying coal tar epoxy, acrylic-based or water-based curing compound. The initial period of water curing, prior to the application of the curing compound, was also noted to be beneficial in increasing the durability of concrete.     

Shrinkage of plain and silica fume cement concrete under hot weather

Supplementary cementing materials (SCMs) are widely used these days to improve the durability of concrete. Silica fume has gained world wide acceptance due to its high pozzolanic reactivity compared to other SCMs. While silica fume cement concrete has several advantages over other blended cement concretes its main draw back is increased plastic and drying shrinkage, particularly under hot weather conditions. This paper reports results of a study conducted to assess these properties of plain and silica fume cement concrete specimens cast and cured in the field under hot weather conditions. The effect of specimen size and method of curing on plastic and drying shrinkage and some of the mechanical properties of silica fume and plain cement concrete specimens were evaluated. Results indicated that the type of cement significantly affected both the plastic and drying shrinkage of concrete in that these values in the silica fume cement concrete specimens were more than those in the plain cement concrete specimens. As expected, the shrinkage strains in both the plain and silica fume cement concrete specimens cured by continuous water-ponding were less than that in similar concrete specimens cured by covering them with wet burlap. The results point to the importance of selecting a good quality silica fume and good curing for avoiding cracking of concrete due to plastic and drying shrinkage, particularly under hot weather conditions.     

A review of characterisation methods for superabsorbent polymer (SAP) samples to be used in cement-based construction materials: report of the RILEM TC 260-RSC

Superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) have proven to be a very promising admixture which can positively influence various properties of cement-based materials. SAP samples intended for such use should be pre-tested with respect to their absorptivity as well as their kinetics of ab- and desorption prior to implementation in concrete or mortar. This not only reduces workloads in concrete laboratories in pre-testing modified cement-based mixtures but in fact discloses essentials of the eventual performance of the SAP in concrete and other cementitious materials. The review at hand outlines fundamentals of the thermodynamics of polymer chemistry as a basis for the sorptivity tests. The importance of the ionic composition of the test liquids and the interplay among expansive (swelling) and collapse-causing chemical forces in the hydrogel network are highlighted. Methods of free sorptivity testing in adequate saline solutions as well as absorbency determined subject to the application of external forces are summarised. Advantages and drawbacks of these methods are discussed, including a validation of anticipatory evaluations of SAPs’ performance as admixtures in cement-based building materials. Apart from sorptivity pre-tests several methods of instrumental analytics for the chemical characterisation of SAP samples are drawn up, which represent standard approaches of polymer-chemical analytics.     

Accelerated microwave curing of concrete: A design and performance-related experiments

Microwave (MW)-accelerated curing has emerged as an innovative and popular curing method for concrete materials. This paper reports the results of a study to model the horn antenna used for the MW irradiation of a workpiece with a mobile MW-accelerated concrete curing unit, based on a coupled thermal and electromagnetic analysis. The mathematical models were useful for evaluating the heat generation within a horn antenna and as a basis for constructing a mobile MW-accelerated curing unit with an operating frequency of 2.45 GHz and a MW power level of 800 W. Further, the early-age compressive strength development and volume stability of MW-cured concrete were investigated in terms of its shrinkage and compared to the properties of autoclave-cured concrete. The design results showed that under the concept of the allowable maximum temperature for the concrete workpiece, which was controlled to less than 80 °C, a horn antenna that was 216.70 mm wide, 333.68 mm long, and 273.0 mm high produced a uniform thermal distribution in a concrete workpiece. Moreover, experimental investigations showed that the application period for curing using a mobile MW-curing unit was considerably shorter than that in autoclave curing methods. The appropriate delay time (time after concrete mixing) was 30 min, and MW irradiation for 45 min could improve the maximum 8-h early-age compressive strength of MW-cured concrete, whereas an application time of 15 min produced the 28-day compressive strength. When a concrete workpiece was cured at high temperature using MW energy for more than 15 min at a temperature greater than 80 °C, the effect was a continuous increase in the early-age compressive strength, which was greater than that achieved by autoclave curing. In terms of volumetric stability, MW-curing for 30 and 45 min increased the ultimate shrinkage to a greater extent than that by autoclave curing and vice versa in the case of a MW application time of 15 min.     

Effect of drying conditions on autogenous shrinkage in ultra-high performance concrete at early-age

This experimental study investigated the effects of drying conditions on the autogenous shrinkage of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) at early-ages. UHPC specimens were exposed to different temperatures, namely, 10, 20 and 40°C under a relative humidity (RH) ranging from 40 to 80%. The effects of using a shrinkage-reducing admixture (SRA) and a superabsorbent polymer (SAP) as shrinkage mitigation methods were also investigated. The results show that autogenous and drying shrinkage are dependent phenomena. Assuming the validity of the conventional superposition principle between drying and autogenous shrinkage led to overestimating the actual autogenous shrinkage under drying conditions; the level of overestimation increased with decreasing RH. Both SRA and SAP were very effective in reducing autogenous shrinkage under sealed conditions. However, SRA was efficient in reducing drying shrinkage under drying conditions, while SAP was found to increase drying shrinkage. Generally, results indicate that adequate curing is essential for reducing shrinkage in UHPC even when different shrinkage mitigation methods are applied.     

Fluid transport in high volume fly ash mixtures with and without internal curing

The transport of fluid and ions in concrete mixtures is central to many aspects of concrete deterioration. As a result, transport properties are frequently measured as an indication of the durability that a concrete mixture may be expected to have. This paper is the second in a series investigating the performance of high volume fly ash (HVFA) mixtures with low water-to-cementitious ratios (w/cm) that are internally cured. While the first paper focused on strength and shrinkage, this paper presents the evaluation of the transport properties of these mixtures. Specifically, the paper presents results from: rapid chloride migration (RCM), rapid chloride penetration test (RCPT), apparent chloride diffusion coefficient, surface electrical resistivity, and water absorption. The test matrix consisted of mortar samples with two levels of class C fly ash replacement (40% and 60% by volume) with and without internal curing provided with pre-wetted lightweight fine aggregates (LWA). These mixtures are compared to plain ordinary portland cement (OPC) mortars. The results indicate that HVFA mixtures with and without internal curing provide benefits in terms of reduced transport coefficients compared to the OPC mixtures.     

Potential applications of phase change materials in concrete technology

In internal curing, pre-wetted lightweight aggregates (LWA) serve as internal reservoirs to supply the extra water needed by the cementitious and pozzolanic components of the concrete during their hydration processes. Due to their porous nature and reasonably high absorption capacity, the LWA can also be filled with other materials, such as phase change materials (PCMs). In this paper, three potential applications of PCM-filled LWA in concrete technology are presented. In addition to the previously explored application of increasing the energy storage capacity of concrete in residential and commercial construction by using a PCM with a transition temperature near room temperature, applications for higher and lower temperature PCMs also exist. In the former case, a PCM can be used to reduce the temperature rise (and subsequent rate of temperature decrease) of a large concrete section during (semi)adiabatic curing, to minimize thermal cracking, etc. In the latter case, a PCM can perhaps reduce the number or intensity of freeze/thaw cycles experienced by a bridge deck or other concrete exposed to a winter environment. In this paper, these latter two applications are preliminarily explored from both experimental and modeling viewpoints.     

Absorption and desorption properties of fine lightweight aggregate for application to internally cured concrete mixtures

Recently, substantial interest has developed in using fine lightweight aggregate for internal curing in concrete. Mixture proportion development for these mixtures requires the specific gravity, water absorption, and water desorption characteristics of the aggregate. This paper presents results from a recent study in which the properties of commercially available expanded shale, clay and slate lightweight aggregates (LWA’s) were measured. This research measured the time-dependent water absorption response for the lightweight aggregate. The results indicate that a wide range of 24 h water absorption values exist for commonly used fine lightweight aggregates (e.g., absorption between 6% and 31%). Desorption was measured and it was found that between 85% and 98% of the 24 h absorbed water is released at humidities greater than 93%. These properties can be normalized so that they can be efficiently used in proportioning concrete for internal curing. Normalized plots of absorption and desorption demonstrate benefits for a single function that describes a large class of expanded shale, clay, and slate aggregate for use in internal curing.     

Interactions between superabsorbent polymers and cement-based composites incorporating colloidal silica nanoparticles

The relatively new applications of superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) in cement based materials call for investigations regarding their behaviors in relation to other constituents in the system. Colloidal silica nanoparticles (CS) are becoming increasingly important for the improvement of strength and durability of cement based materials. In this study, a poly (AA-co-AM) SAP was synthesized by free radical polymerization, and its behaviors in cement based composites incorporating CS were investigated. These included swelling behavior, setting time, mechanical performance in different curing conditions, and rheological properties of fresh pastes. The observation of an unusual reduction in swelling, revealed the role of SAP in precipitation of calcium carbonate from the cement paste filtrate, and provided evidence for the less than expected reduction in workability and setting times. Combinations of the SAP and CS increased the compressive and decreased the flexural strengths, respectively, which is supported by changes in the microstructure as observed by SEM.