Influence of internal curing using lightweight aggregates on interfacial transition zone percolation and chloride ingress in mortars

The microstructure of the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) between cement paste and aggregate depends strongly on the nature of the aggregate, specifically its porosity and water absorption. Lightweight aggregates (LWA) with a porous surface layer have been noted to produce a dense ITZ microstructure that is equivalent to that of the bulk cement paste, as opposed to the more porous ITZ regions that typically surround normal weight aggregates. This ITZ microstructure can have a large influence on diffusive transport into a concrete, especially if the individual ITZ regions are percolated (connected) across the three-dimensional microstructure. In this paper, the substitution of LWA sand for a portion of the normal weight sand to provide internal curing (IC) for a mortar is examined with respect to its influence on ITZ percolation and chloride ingress. Experimental measurements of chloride ion penetration depths are combined with computer modeling of the ITZ percolation and random walk diffusion simulations to determine the magnitude of the reduced diffusivity provided in a mortar with IC vs. one with only normal weight sand. In this study, for a mixture of sands that is 31% LWA and 69% normal weight sand by volume, the chloride ion diffusivity is estimated to be reduced by 25% or more, based on the measured penetration depths.     

Atomic force and lateral force microscopy (AFM and LFM) examinations of cement and cement hydration products

The objective of this work was to better understand how atomic force microscopy (AFM) and lateral force microscopy (LFM) techniques can be used as tools to understand the nanostructure and microstructure of cement and cement hydration products. AFM and LFM techniques were used on mortar samples to distinguish between CSH, CH, and unhydrated cement particles. The LFM technique appears to be more sensitive to topographic changes than conventional AFM and it can more clearly distinguish between the different phases at high magnification (low scan range). AFM could also be used to calculate the roughness of the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) between aggregate and the cement paste at different ages. The rough surface at the interface of the paste and aggregate is generally interpreted as higher porosity. It was found that a reduction in roughness (i.e., porosity) occurred for samples that were cured for a longer time which are consistent with the explanation of porosity.     

Experimental determination of fracture parameters for crack propagation in hardening cement paste and mortar

For all cement-based composite materials, hardening cement paste and mortar are the matrix materials. Their fracture properties are the basis for studying the fracture characteristic of cement-based composite materials. Therefore, three-point bending beams with three different sizes and three different strengths were tested to study the basic fracture properties of hardening cement paste and mortar. Corresponding values of load (P), crack mouth opening displacement (CMOD), and loading point displacement (δ) were simultaneously recorded. The initial cracking load P _ini was determined by using resistance strain gauges making up a full-bridge circuit, and the crack propagation process was observed during the test. It was found that the fracture behavior of both hardening cement paste and mortar are not brittle fracture and show a steady crack propagation process before the peak load was reached. This means that the fracture behaviors of all cementitious composites are nonlinear, even hardening cement paste and mortar. Therefore, corresponding fracture parameters of the hardening cement paste and mortar were determined using the double-K fracture model. The results indicate that this model is applicable to hardening cement paste and mortar. In addition, according to the principle of work of fracture, fracture energy values of the tested hardening cement paste and mortar were calculated after taking into account the contribution of the tail of the P–δ curve on fracture energy.     

Interfacial transition zone of cement composites with steel furnace slag aggregates

As previous studies of mortar and concrete with steel furnace slag (SFS) aggregates have shown increases or decreases in the bulk mechanical properties, this study investigated the microstructural cause of these opposing trends through characterization of the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) with quantitative image analysis of backscatter electron micrographs. Three SFS types – basic oxygen furnace (BOF), electric arc furnace (EAF), EAF/ladle metallurgy furnace (EAF/LMF) – were examined as aggregates in a portland cement mortar. The ITZ size for all SFS mortar mixtures was similar, with the ITZ of BOF and EAF/LMF being slightly more porous than mortar mixtures with EAF or dolomite. Microstructural examinations of the SFS particle revealed that BOF and EAF/LMF aggregates have different outer and interior compositions, with the outer composition consisting of a porous layer, which likely contributes to the reduced strength relative to EAF. The imaging results demonstrated that the type of SFS and its spatial composition greatly influences the bulk properties of mortar and concrete, mainly as a function of porosity content in the ITZ and the outer layer and interior porosity of the SFS aggregate.     

The influence of mixing on the microstructure of the cement paste/aggregate interfacial zone and on the strength of mortar

The influence of mixing on the microstructure of the cement paste/aggregate bond has been investigated. Back-scattered electron microscopy was used in conjunction with quantitative image analysis to examine the microstructure of the interface between limestone aggregate and the cement matrix in a series of mortars. The distribution of porosity and anhydrous material along the paste/aggregate interface was shown to be dependent upon the relative abundance of water at the aggregate surface during mixing. Improvements in the interfacial microstructure were shown to correlate with improvements in strength and fracture properties. The interfacial zones seen in the limestone mortars were compared with a model interfacial system. A new classification system for two types of interfacial regions in mortar is proposed.     

新型聚合物水泥胶浆界面剂粘结性能及作用机理研究

采用新型聚合物水泥胶浆作为界面剂以提高新旧混凝土之间的粘结性能,通过拉拔粘结强度与劈裂抗拉粘结强度实验对5种不同类型的聚合物水泥胶浆界面剂的粘结性能进行了测试,并利用扫描电镜(SEM)分析研究了丁苯聚合物水泥胶浆的界面增强机理。实验结果表明,5种聚合物乳液中,丁苯聚合物水泥胶浆具有较好的拉拔粘结性能,当优选m(水泥)∶m(DB-1乳液)=3∶2时,其7d、28d拉拔粘结强度分别达到1.83MPa、2.41MPa,相比水泥净浆空白样分别提高了144%、96%;在劈裂抗拉粘结强度方面,水平方向浇筑时劈裂抗拉粘结强度相对较高,当聚合物水泥胶浆的优选m(水泥)∶m(DB-1乳液)=3∶2,水平浇筑时其28d劈拉粘结强度达到2.96MPa,明显高于不掺界面剂的试样以及掺加其它配比界面剂的混凝土试样;经过微观测试分析,丁苯DB-1聚合物水泥砂浆内部界面过渡区(ITZ)相比空白样明显致密,表明丁苯聚合物的加入有效填充了水泥基材料内部的宏观与微观缺陷,提高了界面过渡区的密实程度。     

Modeling the elastic properties of concrete composites: Experiment,differential effective medium theory,and numerical simulation

Concrete is a mixture of cement, water and aggregates. In terms of microstructure, besides the cement paste matrix and aggregate inclusions, there is a third phase, which is called the interfacial transition zone (ITZ), which forms due to the wall effect and can be thought of as a thin shell that randomly forms around each aggregate. Thus, concrete can be viewed as a bulk paste matrix containing composite inclusions. To compute the elastic properties of a concrete composite, a differential effective medium theory (D-EMT) is used in this study by assigning elastic moduli to corresponding bulk paste matrix, ITZ and aggregate. In this special D-EMT, each aggregate particle, surrounded by a shell of ITZ of uniform thickness and properties, is mapped onto an effective particle with uniform elastic moduli. The resulting simpler composite, with a bulk paste matrix, is then treated by the usual D-EMT. This study shows that to assure the accuracy of the D-EMT calculation, it is important to consider the increase in the water:cement mass ratio (w/c) of the ITZ and the corresponding decrease in w/c ratio of the bulk matrix. Because of this difference in w/c ratio, the contrast of elastic moduli between the ITZ and the bulk paste matrix needs to be considered as a function of hydration age. The Virtual Cement and Concrete Testing Laboratory (VCCTL) cement hydration module is used to simulate the microstructure of cement paste both inside and outside the ITZ. The redistribution of calcium hydroxide between ITZ and bulk paste regions can further affect the elastic contrast between ITZ and bulk paste. The elastic properties of these two regions are computed with a finite element technique and used as input into the D-EMT calculation. The D-EMT predictions of the elastic properties of concrete composites are compared with the results measured directly with a resonant frequency method on corresponding composites. This comparison shows that the D-EMT predictions agree well with experimental measurements of the elastic properties of a variety of concrete mixtures.     

核电厂预应力混凝土安全壳中氯离子扩散系数的预测方法EI北大核心CSCD

氯离子扩散系数是评价沿海环境中核电厂预应力混凝土安全壳耐久性的重要参数。该文基于两尺度方法,通过分析双轴等压下水泥浆基体、界面和混凝土细观结构,建立了水泥浆基体和界面毛细孔隙率与预应力之间的定量关系。为了量化预应力对微裂纹闭合、产生和扩展的影响,提出了临界毛细孔隙率与预应力之间的经验公式。将混凝土模拟成由骨料、界面和水泥浆基体组成的三相复合材料,获得预应力混凝土氯离子扩散系数比。通过与试验结果比较,校正了经验公式中的两个参数。用三组试验数据初步验证了该预测方法的有效性。     

The ITZ microstructure,thickness and porosity in blended cementitious composite: Effects of curing age,water to binder ratio and aggregate content

Due to its higher porosity, the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) in cementitious composite is often considered as a weak phase, compared to aggregate and bulk paste. In this paper, we present some results of a study on the ITZ including microstructure, thickness and porosity for the case of a ternary blended cementitious system, i.e., Portland cement, blast furnace slag and limestone filler. In particular, based on the backscattered electron image analysis and the HYMOSTRUC model, the ITZ microstructure, thickness and porosity are investigated in an elaborative way. The effects of casting factors such as curing age, water to binder (w/b) ratio and aggregate content are discussed, and two new formulas are proposed to fit the ITZ thickness and porosity. Results indicate that curing age influences both the ITZ thickness and porosity, while w/b ratio and aggregate content only influence the ITZ porosity.     

Study of interfacial microstructure,fracture energy,compressive energy and debonding load of steel fiber-reinforced mortar

The properties of the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) of steel fiber and the bulk matrix were quantified using the backscattered electron imaging analysis (BSE-IA) and the scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM-EDX), and their relationship with the mechanical properties of steel fiber-reinforced mortars was studied. The water and binder ratio (w/b) of mortar, the amount of silica fume and steel fiber were varied. From the quantitative analysis, a higher build-up of calcium hydroxide was found from the steel fiber’s interface up to 2 or 4 μm distance away and its build-up was reduced with the 10% cement replacement by silica fume. Porosity in the ITZ and bulk matrix decreased the fracture energy, compressive energy and debonding load of steel fiber-reinforced mortar. However, its effect became marginal if a substantial amount of C–S–H or steel fibers appeared in the ITZ and bulk matrix, which increased the studied mechanical properties.     

低应力水平下混凝土中氯离子扩散行为多尺度分析方法

混凝土的扩散渗透性能与其微观结构（包括细观尺度上粗骨料颗粒与砂浆之间的界面过渡区及砂浆本身的微观结构等）密切相关。在微观尺度上,砂浆和界面过渡区均可视为由无孔砂浆基质和孔隙水夹杂相组成的两相复合材料,二者的主要区别表现为孔隙率不同。在外荷载作用下,砂浆和界面过渡区的毛细孔隙率及孔隙连通性会发生改变,从而改变混凝土的扩散渗透性能。基于此,该文建立了低应力水平下混凝土中氯离子扩散行为多尺度理论分析方法,获得了混凝土表观扩散系数与外荷载（以体应变表征）及砂浆和界面过渡区当前孔隙率的定量关系。分析所采用的主要参数为砂浆和界面过渡区的毛细孔隙率、无孔砂浆基质和骨料相的力学参数、骨料相和界面过渡区的体积分数、外荷载等。与已有文献数据对比知,该文分析结果与之吻合良好,表明了理论分析方法的合理性与准确性。此外,基于该方法,探讨分析了混凝土微/细观结构对其宏观扩散性能的影响。     

Modeling the influence of the interfacial zone on the DC electrical conductivity of mortar

The interfacial zone separating cement paste and aggregate in mortar and concrete is believed to influence many of the properties of these composites. The available experimental evidence, obtained on artificial geometries, indicates that the DC electrical conductivity of the interfacial zone, because of its higher porosity, may be considerably larger than that of the bulk cement paste matrix. This paper presents the theoretical framework for quantitatively understanding the influence of the interfacial zone on the overall electrical conductivity of mortar, based on realistic random aggregate geometries. This understanding is also used, via an electrical analogy with Darcy's law, to make predictions about the effect of the interfacial zone on fluid permeability. The results obtained for mortar should also pertain to concrete.     

橡胶混凝土的抗裂性能和弯曲变形性能

通过净浆、砂浆和混凝土3 个层面的试验研究, 探讨了橡胶混凝土的抗裂性能和弯曲变形特性。根据圆环试件的开裂时间, 对3 种水灰比( 0. 3, 0. 4, 0. 5) 水泥净浆中掺入不同体积含量橡胶颗粒( 10%, 15%, 20%,30% , 50%) 后的开裂敏感性进行了对比分析。结果表明, 在水泥净浆中掺入橡胶颗粒可以显著延缓试件的开裂时间, 提高抗裂性, 延缓时间随着橡胶颗粒掺量的增加和水灰比的增大而延长。弯曲试验考察了4 个橡胶颗粒体积含量( 8%, 16%, 21. 4%, 32%) 砂浆试件和3 个橡胶颗粒体积含量( 10%, 12. 5%, 15%) 混凝土试件的弯曲变形性能。结果表明, 含橡胶颗粒的砂浆试件和混凝土试件在弯曲过程中会产生明显的塑性变形, 试件不会在承受最大荷载时产生脆性断裂, 而是经过较大的塑性变形后延性破坏。与基准试件相比, 砂浆试件和混凝土试件破坏时的极限变形值均有大幅度提高。      

Micromechanical investigation on size effect of tensile strength for recycled aggregate concrete using BFEM

In this paper, the validity and performance of base force element method (BFEM) based on potential energy principle was studied by some numerical examples. And the BFEM on damage mechanics is used to analyze the size effect on tensile strength for recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) at meso-level. The recycled aggregate concrete is taken as five-phase composites consisting of natural coarse aggregate, new mortar, new interfacial transition zone (ITZ), old mortar and old ITZ on meso-level. The random aggregate model is used to simulate the meso-structure of recycled aggregate concrete. The size effects of mechanical properties of RAC under uniaxial tensile loading are simulated using the BFEM on damage mechanics. The simulation results agree with the test results. This analysis method is the new way for investigating fracture mechanism and numerical simulation of mechanical properties for RAC.     

考虑不均匀界面时混凝土弹性模量预测

提出了考虑不均匀界面时混凝土弹性模量预测的解析法。根据界面层上水泥颗粒的分布特性, 给出了界面层上任一点处的局部水灰比和孔隙率。将不均匀界面层划分成一系列同心球壳单元, 通过反演方法确定了每个球壳单元和水泥石基体的弹性模量。将三相混凝土分解成一系列两相复合子结构, 应用两相复合球模型的正确解导出混凝土弹性模量。通过与文献中的两组实验结果比较验证了本文方法的有效性。数值结果表明, 对于给定的骨料体积分数, 混凝土弹性模量随着最大水泥颗粒直径和水灰比的增大而减小, 但随着最大骨料直径的增大而增大, 骨料级配对混凝土弹性模量也有一定的影响。      

The Effect of Initial Defects on Overall Mechanical Properties of Concrete Material

Considering the fact that the initial defects, like the imperfect interfacial transition zones (ITZ) and the micro voids in mortar matrix, weaken the mechanical properties of concrete, this study develops corresponding constitutive models for ITZ and matrix, and simulates the concrete failure with finite element methods. Specifically, an elastic-damage traction-separation model for ITZ is constructed, and an anisotropic plastic-damage model distinguishing the strength-difference under tension and compression for mortar matrix is proposed as well. In this anisotropic plastic-damage model, the weakening effect of micro voids is reflected by introducing initial isotropic damage, the distinct characteristic of tension and compression which described by decomposing damage tensor into tensile and compressive components, and the plastic yield surface which established on the effective stress space. Furthermore, by tracking the damage evolution of concrete specimens suffering uniaxial tension and compression, the effects of imperfect status of ITZ and volume fraction of initial voids on the concrete mechanical properties are investigated.     

Nanoindentation and SEM/EDX characterization of the geopolymer-to-steel interfacial transition zone for a reactive porcelain enamel coating

The increasing use of alternative cementitious materials such as geopolymers as an environmentally-friendly alternative to traditional cements requires an improved understanding of the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) between the matrix and reinforcing steels. In this study, nanoindentation measurements were spatially coupled to images with scanning electron microscopy and chemical composition using energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis. The study focused on the microstructure and chemical composition of the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) for reinforcing steel embedded in a geopolymer mortar. The ITZ was analyzed for uncoated steel and steel coated with a reactive porcelain enamel that improves bonding and corrosion resistance. Results indicate that a more gradual transition of mechanical properties and chemical composition for the coated steel coupled with improved integration to the mortar correlates to increased bond strength measured in macroscale experiments.     

Experimental study of the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) of model rock-filled concrete (RFC)

Rock-filled concrete (RFC), a new type of concrete that was developed mainly for large scale concrete construction, has a different casting process than conventional concrete: large rocks are piled into the formwork first, then self-compacting concrete (SCC) is poured in and fill the voids of the rock skeleton under gravity due to its high flowability. One of the key issues about RFC lies in its large interfaces between the SCC and rocks. In this paper, laboratory-scale model RFC consisting of coarse aggregates (simulating rocks) and cement grout (simulating SCC) was cast to simulate RFC in construction. The effects of different factors (aggregate size, rheology of cement grout, etc.) on the properties of the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) between cement paste and aggregates of model RFC were investigated using Backscatter Electron (BSE) and nanoindentation techniques. Furthermore, by comparing the results of BSE and nanoindentation at identical regions, the relationship between porosity and elastic modulus was found to agree well with empirical formulas, bridging the microstructure with the mechanical properties of concrete.     

Influence of interface properties on fracture behaviour of concrete

Hardened concrete is a three-phase composite consisting of cement paste, aggregate and interface between cement paste and aggregate. The interface in concrete plays a key role on the overall performance of concrete. The interface properties such as deformation, strength, fracture energy, stress intensity and its influence on stiffness and ductility of concrete have been investigated. The effect of composition of cement, surface characteristics of aggregate and type of loading have been studied. The load-deflection response is linear showing that the linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) is applicable to characterize interface. The crack deformation increases with large rough aggregate surfaces. The strength of interface increases with the richness of concrete mix. The interface fracture energy increases as the roughness of the aggregate surface increases. The interface energy under mode II loading increases with the orientation of aggregate surface with the direction of loading. The chemical reaction between smooth aggregate surface and the cement paste seems to improve the interface energy. The ductility of concrete decreases as the surface area of the strong interface increases. The fracture toughness (stress intensity factor) of the interface seems to be very low, compared with hardened cement paste, mortar and concrete.     

Multi-scale investigation of microstructure,fiber pullout behavior,and mechanical properties of ultra-high performance concrete with nano-CaCO3 particles

The mechanical properties of a fiber-reinforced concrete are closely related to the properties of the matrix, fiber, and fiber-matrix interface. The fiber-matrix bond property is mainly governed by the adhesion between the fiber and surrounding cement materials, as well as the strength of materials at the interfacial transition zone. In this paper, the effect of nano-CaCO₃ content, varying between 0 and 6.4%, by mass of cementitious materials, on microstructure development, fiber-matrix interfacial bond properties, and mechanical properties of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) reinforced with 2% steel fibers were investigated. The bond properties, including bond strength and pullout energy, were evaluated. Mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP), backscattered electron microscopy (BSEM), optical microscopy, and micro-hardness testing were used to characterize the microstructure of matrix and/or interfacial transition zone (ITZ) around an embedded steel fiber. Test results indicated that the incorporation of 3.2% nano-CaCO₃ significantly improved the fiber-matrix bond properties and the flexural properties of UHPC. This was attributed to densification and strength enhancement of ITZ as observed from micro-structural analyses. Beyond the nano-CaCO₃ content of 3.2%, the fiber bond and mechanical properties of UHPC decreased due to increased porosity associated with agglomeration of the nano-CaCO₃.