Properties of concrete pavements prepared with ferrochromium slag as concrete aggregate

This paper presents the results of investigation related to both the properties of the ferrochromium slag and the standard physical and mechanical properties of Portland cement concrete pavements (PCCP) made with this slag as aggregate, according to the relevant Croatian standards. Slag is formed as a liquid at 1700 °C in the manufacture of the high-carbon ferrochromium metal and, by slow cooling in the air, the slag crystallizes to give a stable CaO–MgO–Al₂O₃–silicate product with mechanical properties similar to basalt. With a proper selection of slag as an artificial aggregate, concrete pavements with compressive strengths, wear resistance and specific weight higher than in those from natural (limestone) aggregate in commercial Portland cement, type CEM II/B-S 42.5 (EN 197), can be made. The 28-day compressive strength of the concretes made with original unfractioned slag and with standard limestone as aggregates (w/c=0.64 and 350 kg/m³) reached the values of 57.00 MPa and 36.70 MPa, respectively. Volume stability, high volume mass, good abrasion resistance to wear and crushability make this reinforced slag concrete suitable for wearing courses of concrete pavements for traffic load classes 1 and 2 where carbonate stone material (limestone) mainly does not meet the Standard Technical Requirements for cement concrete slab pavements according to the relevant Croatian standard.     

Internal curing of high-performance concrete with pre-soaked fine lightweight aggregate for prevention of autogenous shrinkage cracking

The effectiveness of internal curing (IC) to reduce autogenous shrinkage cracking in high-performance concrete (HPC) was investigated using different levels of internal curing on four pairs of large-size prismatic HPC specimens tested simultaneously under free and restrained shrinkage. Internal curing was supplied by pre-soaked fine lightweight aggregate (LWA) as a partial replacement to regular sand. It was found that the use of 178 kg/m³ of saturated LWA in HPC, providing 27 kg/m³ of IC water, eliminated the tensile stress due to restrained autogenous shrinkage without compromising the early-age strength and elastic modulus of HPC. It was shown that the risk of concrete cracking could be conservatively estimated from the extent of free shrinkage strain occurring after the peak expansion strain that may develop at very early ages. Autogenous expansion, observed during the first day for high levels of internal curing, can significantly reduce the risk of cracking in concrete structures, as both the elastic and creep strains develop initially in compression, enabling the tensile strength to increase further before tensile stresses start to initiate later.     

Properties of concrete incorporating fine recycled aggregate

The properties of concrete containing fine recycled aggregate are investigated. Recycled aggregate consisted of crushed concrete (CC) or crushed brick (CB) with particles less than 5 mm in diameter. The free water/cement ratio was kept constant for all mixes. The fine aggregate in concrete was replaced with 0%, 25%, 50% and 100% CC or CB. Generally, there is strength reduction of 15-30% for concrete containing CC. However, concrete incorporating up to 50% CB exhibits similar long-term strength to that of the control. Even at 100% replacement of fine aggregate with CB, the reduction in strength is only 10%. Beyond 28 days of curing, the rate of strength development in concrete containing either CC or CB is higher than that of the control indicating further cementing action in the presence of fine recycled aggregate. More shrinkage and expansion occur in concrete containing CC or CB.     

Development of lightweight aggregate geopolymer concrete with shale ceramsite

This paper developed a lightweight aggregate geopolymer concrete (LAGC) with shale ceramsite. 18 groups of LAGC specimens with 3 sand ratios (30%, 40% and 50%) and 6 aggregate contents (10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50% and 60%) were prepared. A series of static tests (dry density test and uniaxial compression test) and dynamic tests (ultrasonic pulse velocity test) were performed to achieve the dry density, compression strength and P-wave velocity. The effects of sand ratio and aggregate content on the dry density, compression strength and P-wave velocity were discussed. Two optimal mix proportions for the LAGC were proposed. The results show that the dry density and P-wave velocity increase as sand ratio increases. The compressive strength increases then decreases as sand ratio increases. In addition, the dry density and compressive strength decrease as aggregate content increases. The P-wave velocity increases as aggregate content increases. The LAGC with the sand ratio of 30% and aggregate contents of 30% reaches the dry density of 1378.0 kg/m³ and compressive strength of 18.5 MPa. The LAGC with the sand ratio of 30% and aggregate contents of 40% reaches the dry density of 1348.0 kg/m³ and compressive strength of 16.8 MPa. Both of the proportions satisfied the engineering requirements, which are recommended for the potential application in the construction.     

High-strength lightweight concrete made with scoria aggregate containing mineral admixtures

This paper presents a part of the results of an ongoing laboratory work carried out to design a structural lightweight high strength concrete (SLWHSC) made with and without mineral admixtures. In the mixtures, basaltic-pumice (scoria) was used as lightweight aggregate.A control lightweight concrete mixture made with lightweight basaltic-pumice (scoria) containing normal Portland cement as the binder was prepared. The control lightweight concrete mixture was modified by replacing 20% of the cement with fly ash. The control lightweight concrete mixture was also modified by replacing 10% of the cement with silica fume. A ternary lightweight concrete mixture was also prepared modifying the control lightweight concrete by replacing 20% of cement with fly ash and 10% of cement with silica fume. Two normal weight concrete (NWC) were also prepared for comparison purpose.Fly ash and silica fume are used for economical and environmental concerns. Cylinder specimens with 150 mm diameter and 300 mm height and prismatic specimens with dimension 100×100×500 mm were cast from the fresh mixtures to measure compressive and flexural tensile strength. The concrete samples were cured at 65% relative humidity with 20 °C temperature. The density and slump workability of fresh concrete mixtures were also measured.Laboratory test results showed that structural lightweight concrete (SLWC) can be produced by the use of scoria. However, the use of mineral additives seems to be mandatory for production of SLWHSC. The use of ternary mixture was recommended due to its satisfactory strength development and environmental friendliness.     

Properties of concrete made with recycled aggregate from partially hydrated old concrete

Concrete having a 28-day compressive strength of 28 MPa was crushed at ages 1, 3 and 28 days to serve as a source of aggregate for new concretes, simulating the situation prevailing in precast concrete plants. The properties of the recycled aggregate and of the new concrete made from it, with nearly 100% of aggregate replacement, were tested.Significant differences were observed between the properties of the recycled aggregates of various particle size groups, while the crushing age had almost no effect. The properties of the concrete made with recycled aggregates were inferior to those of concrete made with virgin aggregates. Effects of crushing age were moderate: concrete made with aggregates crushed at age 3 days exhibited better properties than those made with aggregates of the other crushing ages, when a strong cement matrix was used. An opposite trend was seen when a weaker cement matrix was used. Some latent cementing capacity was seen in the recycled aggregates crushed at an early age.     

The effect of recycled concrete aggregate properties on the bond strength between RCA concrete and steel reinforcement

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence that replacing natural coarse aggregate with recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) has on concrete bond strength with reinforcing steel. Two sources of RCA were used along with one natural aggregate source. Numerous aggregate properties were measured for all aggregate sources. Two types of concrete mixture proportions were developed replacing 100% of the natural aggregate with RCA. The first type maintained the same water–cement ratios while the second type was designed to achieve the same compressive strengths. Beam-end specimens were tested to determine the relative bond strength of RCA and natural aggregate concrete. On average, natural aggregate concrete specimens had bond strengths that were 9 to 19% higher than the equivalent RCA specimens. Bond strength and the aggregate crushing value seemed to correlate well for all concrete types.     

Different manifestations of the alkali-silica reaction in concrete according to the reaction kinetics of the reactive aggregate

The alkali-silica reaction (ASR) is caused by the presence of reactive aggregates in contact with sufficiently alkaline pore solution and a moisture level above 80%, which leads to the formation of expansive products that cause cracking and deterioration of the structures. Petrographic analysis of the ASR damaged microstructure provides information about the detection, analysis, and progress of the reaction. A stereobinocular and a polarizing optical microscope were used in order to observe and establish the relationship between ASR development in rapid or slow-reacting aggregates. The origin, mineralogical composition and fabrics of the constituent of the two types of aggregates were analyzed first. The progress of reaction was then studied on four concrete samples analyzing the different characteristics and textural patterns imprinted on the aggregates and the mortar. From the study it follows that the mineralogy and fabric of the rocks involved are responsible for different manifestations of the reaction in the aggregate and in the interfacial transition zone, causing damage that can diminish the strength and durability of concrete.     

Comparison of natural and manufactured fine aggregates in cement mortars

The performance of cement mortars using manufactured fine aggregates produced by cone crushing or impact crushing has been compared to that of mortars prepared from a natural sand control-sample. Samples from both crusher products have been additionally subjected to classification for partial removal of fines, being also used in preparing mortars. Particle shape analyses indicated that material produced by impact crushing presented intermediate sphericity and aspect ratio, between those found in natural fine aggregate and cone-crushed material, and that the aspect ratio of the cone-crushed material increased for finer particle sizes. The unclassified impact crusher product presented the highest packing density, and mortars produced from it had comparatively low porosity and low absorptivity and the highest unconfined compressive strength. The classified product from cone crushing presented low packing density and mortars were characterized by the highest porosities, absorptivities and lowest unconfined compressive strength, probably mostly due to its poor particle shapes. Modeling of the stress-strain response with scalar damage mechanics showed that manufactured aggregate produced from classification of the cone crusher yielded a mortar with highly inelastic deformation response, whereas mortars produced from unclassified product of impact crushing showed more elastic deformation response. Results were also analyzed in light of de Larrard's Compressible Packing Model.     

Correlation of strength of 75 mm diameter and 100 mm diameter cylinders for high strength concrete

Results of statistical analysis of test data are presented to establish if there is a correlation between the strength of 75- and 100-mm-diameter cylinders for concrete with strength between 110 and 160 MPa. A linear regression analysis showed that strength measured on 75-mm cylinders is within 5% of the corresponding strength measured on 100-mm cylinders. A more detailed analysis of the difference between the mean strengths of the two sizes of cylinder of each group of the tests indicated that 75- and 100-mm cylinders measure the concrete strength within 4%. It is concluded that 75-mm cylinders are suitable for compressive strength testing of high strength concrete (>100 MPa). For strength of concrete greater than 150 MPa, 75-mm cylinders are likely to measure smaller concrete strength than the corresponding 100-mm cylinders.     

Explosive spalling and residual mechanical properties of fiber-toughened high-performance concrete subjected to high temperatures

In this paper, an experimental investigation was conducted to explore the relationship between explosive spalling occurrence and residual mechanical properties of fiber-toughened high-performance concrete exposed to high temperatures. The residual mechanical properties measured include compressive strength, tensile splitting strength, and fracture energy. A series of concretes were prepared using OPC (ordinary Portland cement) and crushed limestone. Steel fiber, polypropylene fiber, and hybrid fiber (polypropylene fiber and steel fiber) were added to enhance fracture energy of the concretes. After exposure to high temperatures ranged from 200 to 800 °C, the residual mechanical properties of fiber-toughened high-performance concrete were investigated. For fiber concrete, although residual strength was decreased by exposure to high temperatures over 400 °C, residual fracture energy was significantly higher than that before heating. Incorporating hybrid fiber seems to be a promising way to enhance resistance of concrete to explosive spalling.     

Influence of fine ceramic aggregates on the residual properties of concrete subjected to elevated temperature

The residual properties of concrete subjected to elevated temperature are of importance to assess the stability of the structure. This paper investigates the performance of concrete containing white ware ceramic sand exposed to elevated temperature. Concrete mixes containing 0%, 50%, and 100% ceramic sand were prepared. The specimen were exposed to elevated temperatures of 200°C, 500°C, and 800°C for a duration of 60 minutes. Their residual mechanical properties (compressive strength, split tensile strength), ultra sonic pulse velocity, and mass change for different cooling regimes were investigated and compared among specimen. The results showed that incorporation of ceramic sand in concrete mixes improved the resistance against elevated temperature of hardened concrete.     

The effects of different fine and coarse pumice aggregate/cement ratios on the structural concrete properties without using any admixtures

Structural lightweight concrete solves weight and durability problems in buildings and structures. In order to produce the high strength concrete in the civil engineering applications, lightweight concrete mixtures containing the fine pumice aggregate (FPA) from Nev°ehir region in Turkey and coarse pumice aggregate (CPA) from Yali Island in the Eastern Mediterranean were tested and the research findings were discussed in this paper. To analyse the effects of FPA and CPA/cement ratios on the structural concrete engineering properties, the range of different pumice aggregate/cement (A/C) ratios of 2:1, 2 1/2:1, 3:1, 3 1/2:1 and 4:1 by weight and cement contents of 440, 375, 320, 280 and 245 kg/m³, respectively, were used to make pumice aggregate lightweight concrete (PALC) mixture testing samples with a slump of from 35 to 45 mm.The experimental research findings showed that PALC has strengths comparable to normal weight concrete, yet is typically 30-40% lighter. PALC showed the design flexibility and substantial cost savings by providing less dead load due to its lower density values. The properties, which increase in value and indicate the increasing quality with lower A/C ratios (high cement contents), are compressive strength, modulus of elasticity and density. Properties, which decrease in value and indicate the increasing quality, with lower A/C ratios are water absorption and carbonation depth. In all cases, lowering the A/C ratio (higher cement content) increases quality. The research showed that structural lightweight concrete can be produced by the use of fine and coarse pumice aggregates mixes without using any additions or admixtures.     

Properties of heavyweight concrete produced with barite

Heavyweight concrete has been used for the prevention of seepage from radioactive structures due to the harmful effect of radioactive rays to living bodies (i.e., carcinogenic, etc.). The most important point about heavyweight concrete is the determination of w/c ratio. Selected cement dosage should be both high enough to allow for radioactive impermeability and low enough to prevent splits originating from shrinkage. In this study, heavyweight concrete mixtures at different w/c ratios were prepared in order to determine the most favorable w/c ratio of heavyweight concrete produced with barite. Physical and mechanical experiments were first carried out, and then by comparison with the results of other related studies the findings of this study were obtained. At the end of the study, it was found that the most favorable w/c ratio for heavyweight concrete is 0.40 and the cement dosage should not be lower than 350 kg/m³.     

A study on the effect of fine mineral powders with distinct vitreous contents on the fluidity and rheological properties of concrete

This paper presents an investigation on the effects of fine mineral powders on the fluidity and rheological properties of concrete. It was observed that the fluidity of concrete increased noticeably, and the plastic viscosity decreased, when vitreous powders were substituted partially for cement. It was found that vitreous powders have a strong dispersion effect on the fluidity and rheological properties of concrete, and this effect can be correlated with the vitreous content of the powders incorporated.     

Effect of high temperature or fire on heavy weight concrete properties

Temperature plays an important role in the use of concrete for shielding nuclear reactors. In the present work, the effect of different durations (1, 2 and 3 h) of high temperatures (250, 500, 750 and 950 °C) on the physical, mechanical and radiation properties of heavy concrete was studied. The effect of fire fitting systems on concrete properties was investigated. Results showed that ilmenite concrete had the highest density, modulus of elasticity and lowest absorption percent, and it had also higher values of compressive, tensile, bending and bonding strengths than gravel or baryte concrete. Ilmenite concrete showed the highest attenuation of transmitted gamma rays. Firing (heating) exposure time was inversely proportional to mechanical properties of all types of concrete. Ilmenite concrete was more resistant to elevated temperature. Foam or air proved to be better than water as a cooling system in concrete structure exposed to high temperature because water leads to a big damage in concrete properties.     

Mechanical properties of polymer-modified lightweight aggregate concrete

This paper deals with the properties of styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR)-modified lightweight aggregate concretes (LWACs) for thin precast components, made with two Brazilian lightweight aggregates (LWAs). Properties in the fresh state, compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, flexural strength, and water absorption of LWACs were tested. The 7-day compressive strength and the dry concrete density vary from 39.7 to 51.9 MPa and from 1460 to 1605 kg/m³, respectively. The inclusion of SBR latex in LWACs decreases the water-(cement+silica fume) [W/(C+S)] ratio and water absorption and increases the splitting tensile and flexural strengths. The results of this pilot study suggest that there are possibilities of producing thin precast components using SBR-modified LWACs with Brazilian LWAs.     

Mechanical properties of recycled aggregate concrete under uniaxial loading

In this paper, the compressive strength and the stress-strain curve (SSC) of recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) with different replacement percentages of recycled coarse aggregate (RCA) are investigated experimentally. Concrete specimens were fabricated and tested with different RCA replacement percentages of 0%, 30%, 50%, 70% and 100%, respectively. Uniaxial compression loading is applied in the experiments. Special attention of the analysis is devoted to the failure behaviour and the influences of the RCA contents on the compressive strength, the elastic modulus, the peak and the ultimate strains of RAC. Analytical expressions for the peak strain and the stress-strain relationship of RAC are given, which can be directly used in theoretical and numerical analysis as well as practical engineering design of RAC structures.     

Fire reaction properties of concrete made with recycled rubber aggregate

This study investigates the fire reaction properties of concrete made with recycled rubber aggregate (CRRA). Four different concrete compositions were prepared: a reference concrete (RC) made with natural coarse aggregate and three concrete mixes with replacement rates of 5, 10 and 15% of natural fine and coarse aggregate by recycled rubber aggregate (RRA) obtained from used tyres. Specimens of CRRA were tested in a cone calorimeter according to the test standard ASTM E1354, submitted to heat fluxes of 25, 50 and 75kW/m². These tests evaluated the effects of incorporating RRA in the fire reaction properties of concrete, namely in the heat release rate, the time to ignition (TTI), the remaining mass, the production of smoke, and the release of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. Owing to the organic nature of RRA, with the exception of the carbon monoxide yield, higher replacement rates of natural aggregates by RRA and increasing heat flux led to a worse fire reaction response, particularly in terms of TTI, heat release rate and smoke production. Results of these experiments were then used to estimate the European fire reaction classes of each concrete composition, using a flame spread model. All CRRA compositions tested were provisionally rated as class A2 or B and such ratings allowed defining the field of application of each solution under analysis, according to building code requirements. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Characteristics of eco-friendly ultra-high-performance geopolymer concrete incorporating waste materials

Solid waste recycling is a cost-effective strategy to protect the environment, preserve natural resources, and minimize raw material usage. This study aims to assess the influence of waste materials (WM) on the performance of eco-friendly ultra-high-performance geopolymer concrete (UHPGC). A total of 10 specimens were incorporated with crushed glass (CG), ceramic (CC), and crumb rubber (CR). The flowability, setting time, and mechanical characteristics were experimentally determined. Besides, the microstructure and structural porosity development of waste materials-based UHPGC were investigated by using SEM and Mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP). Furthermore, the relationship between the porosity and the mechanical characteristics was discussed. To generate the mixtures, WMs were used at three-volume dosages: 7.5%, 15%, and 22.5% as partial replacements of fine aggregate cured at ambient temperature. The findings were also compared to current standards and methodologies established in prior studies. The investigations revealed that the mechanical and microstructural characteristics of UHPGC descend significantly with the inclusion of 7.5% CC and CR, but are enhanced with increasing incorporation of CG. Importantly, the incorporation of CG into the produced UHPGC structure resulted in a greater reaction degree and a denser microstructure, which improved the results obtained from the mechanical properties and pore structure tests. As a result, the research showed that WM may be successfully used in UHPGC while still generating concrete with adequate properties for a variety of applications.