Effects of High Temperature on the Pore Structure and Strength of Plain and Polypropylene Fiber Reinforced Cement Pastes

The effect of high temperature on the residual properties of plain and polypropylene fiber reinforced Portland cement paste was investigated. Plain Portland cement paste having water/cement ratio of 0.32 was exposed to the temperatures of 20, 50, 75, 100, 120, 150, 200, 300, 400, 440, 520, 600, 700, 800, and 1000°C. Paste with polypropylene fibers was exposed to the temperature of 20, 120, 150, 200, 300, 440, 520, and 700°C. Residual compressive and flexural strengths were measured and pore structure of the pastes was determined by mercury porosimetry. The total porosity of the pastes more than doubled when exposure temperature was increased from 20°C to 1000°C. The gradual heating coarsened the pore structure. The most notable coarsening of pore structure—together with strength loss—took place at exposure temperatures exceeding 600°C. At 600°C, the residual compressive capacity (f_c600°C/f_c20°C) was still over 50% of the original. Strength loss due to the increase of temperature was not linear. Polypropylene fibers produced a finer residual capillary pore structure, decreased compressive strengths, and improved residual flexural strengths at low temperatures. According to the tests, it seems that exposure temperatures from 50°C to 120°C can be as dangerous as exposure temperatures 400–500°C to the residual strength of cement paste produced by a low water cement ratio.     

Deterioration and Recovery of Metakaolin Blended Concrete Subjected to High Temperature

The deterioration and spalling frequency of metakaolin (MK) blended concrete subjected to high temperature is analyzed and compared with the equivalent silica fume (SF), fly ash (FA) and pure OPC concretes. Normal and high strength concrete mixes incorporating 0–20% MK were prepared and exposed to a series of high temperatures till 800°C. The residual compressive strength, porosity and pore size distribution were determined. It was found that after an increase in compressive strength at 200°C, the MK concrete suffered a more severe loss of compressive strength and permeability-related durability than the corresponding SF, FA, and pure OPC concretes at higher temperatures. Explosive spalling was observed in both normal and high strength MK concretes, and the frequency increased with higher MK contents. It is concluded that the dense micro-structure and low porosity are the main reasons of the poor performance of MK concrete at high temperature. The effect of post-fire curing on the strength and durability recovery of fire-damaged concrete was also investigated. The test results indicated that the post-fire curing, results in substantial strength and durability recovery, and its extent depends upon the types of concrete, exposure temperature, method, and duration of re-curing.     

Properties and behavior of self-compacting concrete produced with GBFS and FA additives subjected to high temperatures

This paper presents an experimental investigation on the performance of self-compacting concrete (SCC) subjected to high temperatures. For this purpose, Portland cement was replaced with fly ash (FA) and granulated blast furnace slag (GBFS) in various proportions with and without polypropylene (PP) fibers and the PP fiber content was 2 kg/m³ for the mixtures that contained fibers. When the specimens were 56 days old, they were heated to elevated temperatures (200, 400, 600 or 800 °C). Afterword, tests were conducted to determine the weight loss and the compressive strength. Moreover, the change in the ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) was determined, and observations for surface cracks were made after the specimens were exposed to elevated temperatures. A severe strength loss was observed for all of the concretes after 600 °C, particularly for the concretes that contained PP fibers; however, the fibers reduced and eliminated the risk of explosive spalling. Based on the test results, it can be concluded that the performance of FA concrete is better than that of the GBFS concrete.     

Mechanical response of a mine composite material to extreme heat

The use of cemented paste backfills (CPB, a mine composite tailings material) in underground mining is currently increasing in importance globally. However, despite the tremendous progress made in understanding the factors affecting the performance of CPB, little attention has been devoted to the impact of high temperatures on its mechanical properties. This article presents the results of experimental investigations into the mechanical responses of CPB when subjected to high thermal loads. Samples made with silicate and pure cement or a mix of 50/50 cement and slag or fly ash were heated at 100, 200, 400 and 600°C, and the unconfined compressive strength, tensile strength, modulus of elasticity, stress–strain behaviour and microstructure evaluated by laboratory tests. The results show that high temperatures have a significant influence on the mechanical properties of CPB, which should be taken into account when determining an appropriate mix for the binder.      

Comparison of compressive and splitting tensile strength of high-strength concrete with and without polypropylene fibers heated to high temperatures

This paper presents the results of an extensive experimental study on the compressive and splitting tensile strength of high-strength concrete with and without polypropylene (PP) fibers after heating to 600 °C. Mixtures were prepared with water to cementitious materials ratios of 0.40, 0.35, and 0.30 containing silica fume at 0%, 6%, and 10% cement replacement and polypropylene fibers content of 0, 1, 2, and 3 kg/m³. A severe strength loss was observed for all of the concretes after exposure to 600 °C, particularly the concretes containing silica fume despite their good mechanical properties at room temperature. The range of 300–600 °C was more critical for concrete having higher strength. The relative compressive strengths of concretes containing PP fibers were higher than those of concretes without PP fibers. The splitting tensile strength of concrete was more sensitive to high temperatures than the compressive strength. Furthermore, the presence of PP fibers was more effective for compressive strength than splitting tensile strength above 200 °C. Based on the test results, it can be concluded that the addition of 2 kg/m³ PP fibers can significantly promote the residual mechanical properties of HSC during heating.     

Impact of melting and burnout of polypropylene fibre on air permeability and mechanical properties of high-strength concrete

This study intends to investigate the impact of high temperature, melting and burnout of Polypropylene Fibre (PP fibre) on mechanical properties, pore size distribution and air permeability of high strength concrete. The specimens were high-strength concrete with 120 MPa strength produced with a water-binder ratio of 20%. To examine the effects of melting and burnout of the PP fibre, the experiment was conducted using two mixtures. One mixture contained 1.5 kg/m³ of PP fibre, while the other did not contain any PP fibre. Heating temperatures were set to room temperature (RT), 120, 200, 300 and 400 °C, considering the temperatures for the melting and burnout of the PP fibre. After heating and cooling, compression tests were carried out on the concrete specimens to measure the modulus of elasticity and Poisson's ratio. Pore size distribution was measured using the fragments created by the compression tests. Air permeability was estimated by measuring the pore size distribution. It was found that melting and burnout of the fibre did not affect the compressive strength and modulus of elasticity but the Poisson's ratio of the specimens containing fibres increased at 400 °C. The effect of melting and burnout of fibre on pore volume and air permeability is quite small. If it is assumed that micro-cracks affected the air permeability, it is expected that high strength concrete with a large fibre content should create many micro-cracks at high temperature, leading to an increase of air permeability.     

Performance of olive waste ash concrete exposed to elevated temperatures

This study explores the influence of olive waste ash (OWA) on the performance of concrete exposed to elevated temperatures in the range from 400 to 600 °C. The performance of concrete to elevated temperature was evaluated using compressive strength and electrical charge of concrete. Three OWA levels were used in the study: 7%, 15%, and 22% by weight of cement. The other experimental parameters investigated in the study were elevated temperature (400 and 600 °C), aggregate type (crushed basalt and volcanic tuff), w/c ratio (0.5 and 0.7), and air content (non-air and air entrained). After the initial moist curing period of 90 days, concrete specimens were exposed to elevated temperatures for a period of 2 h using an electric furnace.     

Various factors affecting photodecomposition of methylene blue by iron-oxides in an oxalate solution

The effect of various factors on the photodecomposition of methylene blue (MB) by iron oxides calcined at various temperatures in various concentrations of oxalate solutions was investigated by illuminating with UV, visible and solar radiation. Iron oxides were prepared by a gel evaporation method and calcined at 200-700 °C. XRD showed that the as-synthesized iron oxides were amorphous, but formed maghemite (γ-Fe₂O₃) at 200-400 °C and hematite (α-Fe₂O₃) at ≥500 °C. The effect of the various iron oxides, their contents, the oxalate concentration and wavelength of the light source (UV, visible and solar) were all found to strongly influence MB photodecomposition. The optimal contents of the iron oxides increased greatly from 25 to 2000 mg/L at higher calcining temperatures. The MB photodecomposition rate at each optimal iron oxide content was related to the calcining temperature in the order 700 °C < uncalcined < 500 °C < 400 °C < 300 °C. The MB degradation was confirmed to occur by visible light illumination. Excellent photodecomposition was found at pH 2-5, but the photodegradation decreased greatly at pH > 6, consistent with the presence of iron-oxalate complexes. A much higher concentration of hydroxyl radicals was generated in the present system compared with those from a commercial TiO₂ (ST-01), as determined by the coumarin method. Since this process does not require the addition of hydrogen peroxide and shows good efficiency even under solar light, it is an economically viable method for pre-treating and/or decolorizing wastewaters containing dyes.     

Flexural and Split Cylinder Strengths of HSC at Elevated Temperatures

This paper investigates the effect of elevated temperature on the flexural strength (FS) and split cylinder strength (SCS) of high strength concrete (HSC). Four concrete mixes of 50, 90, 110, and 130 MPa grade were prepared and subjected to elevated temperature exposure of 200°C and 400°C, and cooled under slow and quick cooling conditions. In addition, 130 MPa grade concrete specimens were also subjected to 100°C and 600°C exposure temperatures to compare FS and SCS under elevated temperatures. It was observed that with the increase in the elevated temperature, the FS and SCS experienced significant losses. The loss was found to be higher for richer concretes. FS was observed to experience a sharp loss at low temperatures that became gradual later at high temperatures. SCS, however, experienced a gradual loss, though sharper than FS, with the increase in temperature. The results indicated that cooling had a significant effect on the residual values and quick cooling caused greater loss in FS and SCS, than slow cooling at elevated temperatures. The quick cooling was noted to produce maximum loss over slow cooling at temperatures around 400°C.     

Effect of elevated temperature on bond between steel reinforcement and fiber reinforced concrete

The bond behavior between fiber reinforced concrete and 20-mm reinforcing steel rebars was evaluated under elevated temperatures. Fifty modified pullout specimens (100×100×400 mm) were prepared using high strength concrete with basalt aggregate and different volumetric mixtures of three types of fibers, namely brass-coated steel fibers, hooked steel fibers, and high modulus polypropylene fibers, before being cured for 28 days at 40 °C. Specimens, designated for heat-treatment, were then subjected to elevated temperatures, ranging from 350 to 700 °C, whereas unheated (control) ones were left in laboratory air. The overall response of control and heat-damaged specimens, pulled out up to failure, and cracking extent and continuity were described. Standard cubes (100 mm³) were cast, cured, and heat treated under similar conditions, then tested to evaluate compressive and splitting strengths. The results showed marked reductions in residual compressive, splitting and steel–concrete bond under high temperatures with dramatic changes in bond stress–free-end slip trend behavior. Use of fibers minimized the damage in steel–concrete bond under elevated temperatures and hence the reduction in bond strength. Specimens which incorporated hooked steel fibers attained the highest bond resistance against elevated temperatures followed, in sequence, by those prepared with the mixture of hooked and brass-coated steel, the mixture of hooked steel and polypropylene, and brass-coated steel fibers. Statistical models for bond stress versus free-end slip and bond strength versus exposure temperature were developed. These showed excellent agreement with the trend behavior of present experimental data.     

Experimental study of mechanical properties of normal-strength concrete exposed to high temperatures at an early age

In China, accidental fires are known to occur during construction, causing concrete to be exposed to high temperatures when it is at an early age (i.e. “young”). In this paper, compressive and splitting tensile strengths of concretes cured for different periods and exposed to high temperatures were obtained. The effects of the duration of curing, maximum temperature and the type of cooling on the strengths of concrete were investigated. Experimental results indicate that after exposure to high temperatures up to 800 °C, early-age concrete that has been cured for a certain period can regain 80% of the compressive strength of the control sample of concrete. The 3-day-cured early-age concrete was observed to recover the most strength. The type of cooling also affects the level of recovery of compressive and splitting tensile strength. For early-age concrete, the relative recovered strengths of specimens cooled by sprayed water are higher than those of specimens cooled in air when exposed to temperatures below 800 °C, while the changes for 28-day concrete are the converse. When the maximum temperature exceeds 800 °C, the relative strength values of all specimens cooled by water spray are lower than those of specimens cooled in air.     

基于徐州矿区煅烧煤矸石细集料活性的砂浆孔结构研究

 采用X射线衍射法(XRD)、压汞法(MIP)以及环境扫描电镜(SEM)分析方法,研究煤矸石细集料在不同煅烧温度下的活性,并对不同活性的煤矸石细集料水泥硬化砂浆的孔结构进行探讨,并进一步分析孔结构与砂浆强度之间的关系。试验结果研究表明：不同活性的煤矸石细集料,在水化初期可以与水泥水化产物发生不同程度的二次水化反应,煤矸石细集料活性会对水泥硬化砂浆的孔径分布和孔隙率产生一定影响。采用较高活性的煅烧煤矸石细集料,可以降低水泥硬化砂浆的孔隙率和优化孔径分布,且大于200 nm的有害孔明显减少,100,20 nm以下的无害孔和少害孔相应增加,水泥硬化砂浆的水化产物相应增多。煅烧煤矸石细集料的活性由低到高,可以使砂浆的孔隙得到细化,更能有效地改善砂浆的孔结构,降低其孔隙率,能够提高砂浆的强度。     

Coupling effect of landfill leachate and temperature on the microstructure of stabilized clay

This paper studies the microstructure of stabilized clay polluted by landfill leachate at different temperatures. For this purpose, dynamic corrosion-stabilized clay was used to prepare mercury intrusion porosimetry and scanning electron microscopy samples by lyophilization. The results showed that a rise in temperature affects the pore structure of corrosion-stabilized clay. Macropores are easily produced when the temperature ranges from 40 to 60 °C, while cryptopores and ultramicropores appear in significant numbers if the temperature reaches 80 °C. The corresponding micrographs show a dispersed structure at temperatures of 40 to 60 °C and a clearly flower-like structure at 80 °C. Landfill leachate has obvious effects on the microstructure of stabilized clay. After corrosion processes, pore size is reduced while average pore radius is increased. Macropores increase and span a wider range. The peak of the pore size distribution curve shifts from the middle to both ends; porosity initially decreases and then increases. From the chemical point of view, this corrosion mechanism is mainly due to the growth of new material such as calcium chloro-aluminates, ettringite or dihydrate gypsum that were generated by the reaction between landfill leachate and stabilized clay.

     

The effect of post-fire-curing on strength-velocity relationship for nondestructive assessment of fire-damaged concrete strength

This paper investigates the residual compressive strength and ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) of concrete, which has been water-cured after exposure to high temperatures. The relationship between the residual strength ratio and the residual UPV ratio was developed. Cylindrical specimens were made of concrete with water-cement ratios of 0.58 and 0.68 and, after 90 days, the specimens were heated in an electric furnace to temperatures ranging from 400 to 1000 °C. The concrete specimens exposed to elevated temperatures were cured in a water tank for 72 h and tested after 4, 27, 87 and 177 days. The ultrasonic pulse velocity and compressive strength of each post-fire-curing specimen were measured. Experimental results show that water curing of the concrete specimens after exposure to high temperatures has noticeable effects on the residual strength and UPV recovery. It is also shown that a change in the mixture proportion of concrete does not have a significant effect on the residual strength ratio and the residual UPV ratio of concrete subjected to elevated temperatures. The relationship between the residual strength ratio and the residual UPV ratio was developed and a general equation is proposed for predicting the residual strength of post-fire-curing concrete. Finally, this paper verifies the validity of the proposed equation for predicting the residual strength ratios of post-fire-curing concrete with the measured residual UPV ratios.     

高温影响下花岗岩孔径分布的分形结构及模型

 温度是影响岩石物理性质的重要因素,为了探究温度对岩石孔径分布的影响规律,利用压汞法测试25 ℃～1 200 ℃高温热处理后花岗岩样品的孔隙特征,并研究了不同高温影响下岩石孔隙的分形结构和孔隙率演化模型。结果表明：(1) 随着温度的升高,岩石孔隙率呈指数增加,500 ℃～800 ℃是岩石孔隙结构变化的阈值温度区间,500 ℃之前孔隙率增长较缓慢,增长幅度约50%,之后孔隙率大幅增加3～5倍;(2) 温度升高所导致的岩石新孔隙以孔径1～10 μm的中孔为主,低于500 ℃时中孔占15%左右,而后稳步上升,800 ℃时大幅增加至28.24%,1 000 ℃以后又增至40%以上,体积增长了11.8倍,这将导致岩石防渗阻渗能力大大减弱;(3) 各温度下岩石孔隙分布均具有良好的统计分形特性,孔隙分形维数在2.99～3.00范围,随温度升高,分形维数降低,且温度越高,降低幅度越大,表明孔隙均匀性增加;(4) 基于理想Menger海绵的Friesen模型预测各孔径下累计孔隙率演化误差较大,而张季如和陶高梁模型对不同高温岩石孔径分布具有良好的预测精度。研究结果将为高放核废料深层地下存储、地热开发等高温岩石工程设计及施工提供科学依据。     

Characterisation of the behaviour of high performance mortar subjected to high temperatures

An experimental investigation was conducted to evaluate the performance of mortar mixed with silica fume (SF) when exposed to high temperatures. A three-point bending test apparatus was developed to test concrete-like materials at high temperatures. Notched specimens were first heated at a rate of 3.3 °C/min to various target temperatures from room temperature to 900 °C and then maintained under constant temperature during 2 h. They were then subjected to a three-point bending test while the temperature was held constant. The maximum peak load occurred at 300 °C and decreased sharply at higher temperatures. The experimental results demonstrated a noticeable influence of the temperature on the fracture resistance of the high-performance mortar. The toughness parameters, such as intensity factor or fracture energy, evolved nonlinearly with the target temperature, and reached their maximum value at 300 °C; at higher temperature, their values decreased considerably. SEM micrographs of the heated specimens after the mechanical tests and cooling and TGA/DTA analysis of the dried material matrix facilitated the understanding of the material’s macroscopic behaviour.     

Residual bond strength between steel bars and concrete after elevated temperatures

The effects of elevated temperatures and cooling regimes on the residual (after cooling) bond strength between concrete and steel bars are investigated. For this study, ribbed steel bars of 8 mm diameter are embedded in to C20 and C35 concrete blocks with embedment lengths of 6, 10 and 12 cm. Unsealed specimens are heated to 12 different temperatures ranging between 50 and 700 °C and then cooled in water or in air. Pull-out tests are carried out on the specimens, and the effects of elevated temperatures on the residual bond strength are investigated by comparing the results against unheated specimens.     

Effect of temperature on porosity and on chloride diffusion in cement pastes

This paper is related to the effect of temperature upon the diffusive properties and the microstructural features of cementitious materials. Our experimental studies aim at linking the transport properties to the porosity and the cracks network of the microstructure.

The studied materials were three cement pastes having different water to cement (W/C) ratios (W/C = 0.35, 0.45 and 0.60). Rise of temperature in concrete structures was simulated by heating at different temperatures (45 °C, 80 °C and 105 °C). Evolution of microstructure was essentially characterized by mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP). Diffusion tests in non-steady-state regime were carried out in order to characterize the diffusive properties. Apparent diffusion coefficients were determined from colorimetric method to follow the ingress of chloride and an analytical solution of Fick’s second law.

Our results showed that rise of temperature induced macroscopic cracking network and modification of pore size distribution. As a consequence, the transport properties were modified by thermal treatment. These modifications were mostly explained by the increase of capillary porosity.     

Properties of concrete made with recycled crushed glass at elevated temperatures

The effect of replacement of fine and coarse aggregates with recycled glass on the fresh and hardened properties of Portland cement concrete at ambient and elevated temperatures is studied. Percentages of replacement of 0–100% of aggregates with fine waste glass (FWG), coarse waste glass (CWG), and fine and coarse waste glass (FCWG) were considered. Soda-lime glass used for bottles was washed and crushed to fine and coarse aggregate sizes for use in the concrete mixes. Samples were cured under 95% RH at room temperatures (20–22 °C), heated in the oven to the desired temperatures, allowed to cool to ambient temperatures, and then tested for their residual compressive strength. The compressive strength of the concrete samples made with waste glass was measured at temperatures up to 700 °C. Moreover, the effect of the percentages of replacement with recycled glass on the slump values and initial and final setting time of concrete has also been measured.     

The use of microemulsions to remove chromium from industrial sludge

In this work microemulsion systems were used to remove chromium from leather tannery sediments. The sludge was treated by a solid-liquid extraction process (acid digestion). The effects of particle size, digestion temperature and digestion time with regards to the efficiency of chromium removal were considered. The raw sludge (3 Mesh) was dried, grounded and sieved. Particles with 3, 14, 65, 100, 200, and 325 Mesh were evaluated. Sludge digestion solutions were prepared using each studied granule size at 25 °C, 70 °C, and 95 °C. Microemulsion extraction experiments to remove chromium III from the acid digestion solution were made according to a Scheffé Net experimental design methodology, using microemulsion systems inside the Winsor II region (System I) and inside the microemulsion region (Winsor IV - System II). A statistical treatment was used to obtain the isoresponse plots. Chromium extraction percentages were up to 73.3% for System I and up to 93.4% for System II.