Nano Concrete and Its Classified Applications in Nano Technology

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Nano Concrete and Its Classified Applications in Nano Technology NANO CONCRETE AND ITS CLASSIFIED APPLICATIONS IN NANO TECHNOLOGY 1ANUPRIYA P. JADHAV, 2A. P. PATIL, 3 D. D. PARKHE, 4S. D. BHAGAT, 5RAJENDRA PAWAR 1,2,3,4,5 MAHARASHTRA ENGINEERING RESEARCH INSTITUTE, NASHIK, MAHARASHTRA, INDIA . Email: [email protected] Abstract - This paper presents a modified design of Nanotechnology, which is one of the most active research areas that include a Number of disciplines including civil engineering and construction materials. In this paper, nano –silica has been replaced in various properties such as 2.5%, 3%, 3.5% to the weight of cement. Then the properties of concrete such as compressive strength of respective specimens were tested after 7 & 28 days of curing. Result has been obtained & compared with normal concrete mix. Nano concrete was concluded to have a higher strength than the ordinary concrete. Nanotechnology is the understanding, control, and restructuring of matter on the order of nano meters (i.e., less than 500nm) to create materials with fundamentally new properties and functions. The main advances have been in the nano science of cementitious materials with an increase in the knowledge and understanding of basic phenomena in cement at the nano scale. Keywords - Nano Scale, Asr, Nano Tube, Nano Silica, Polycarboxylates, Atomic Scale, Nano Concrete. I. INTRODUCTION C. WHAT IS NANO CONCRETE? A concrete made with portland cement particles that A. GNERAL are less than 500nm as a cementing agent. Nano Nanotechnology encompasses main approaches: (i) concrete is concrete made by filling the pores in the top down” approach, in which larger structures are conventional concrte using nano particals of size less reduced in size to the nano scale while maintaining than 500 nm.Currently cement particle sizes range their original properties order constructed from larger from a few nano-meters to a maximum of about 100 structures in to their smaller, composite parts and (ii) micro meters. the bottom-up” approach, also called molecular nano Nano technology generated products have unique technology” or molecular manufacturing,” in which characteristics, and can significantly fix current materials are engineered from atoms or molecular construction problems, and may change their components through a process of assembly or organization of construction process. The recent self-Traditionally nano technology has been developments in the study and manipulation of concerned with developments in the fields of micro materials and processes at the nano scale offer the electronics, medicine and material sciences. However great prospect of producing new macro materials, the potential for applications of many developments in properties and products. Exploitation of nano the nanotechnology field in the area of construction technology in concrete on a commercial scale remains engineering is growing. limited with few results successfully converted in to In this study nano silica has added in various marketable products. properties such as 2.5%, 3%, 3.5% to the weight of cement. The Compressive strength of respective II. OBJECTIVES specimens were tested after 7 & 28 days of curing. Then obtained results compared with traditional a) To achieve the desired compressive strength in concrete. Addition of nano silica in concrete improves concrete. the properties of materials which results densifying the b) To elaborate the study over nano technology field. nano structures. Thus nano particals act as a filler of c) To focus on effects of nano concrete on other pores in concrete which influences the results. materials. d) To focus on effects of nano concrete on B. WHY NANOTECHNOLOGY FOR environment health etc. CONCRETE? e) To analyse the economic difference of nano a) Improves the materials’ bulk properties. concrete and ordinary routine concrete. b) Ability to control or manipulate materials at the f) To elaborate study over the types of nano atomic scale. Nano scale attack on ASR (Alkali concrete. Silicate Reaction) c) To obtain thinner final products and faster setting III. LITERATURE REVIEW time. d) It is having cost effectiveness. 1. R. Sakthivel Research Scholar Karpagam e) Lowered levels of environmental contamination. University, Coimbatore studied he influence of Nano-Silica on various properties of concrete is Proceedings of IRAJ International Conference, 28th October 2018, Pune, India 8 Nano Concrete and its Classified Applications in Nano Technology obtained by replacing the cement with various silica, durability and strength performance is percentages of Nano-Silica. Nano-Silica is used increased than conventional concrete. as a partial replacement for cement in the range of 2.5%, 3%, and 3.5% for M25 mix. Specimens are IV. NANO MATERIALS casted using Nano-Silica concrete. Laboratory tests were conducted to determine the Following are the nano matrials which are used in compressive strength, split tensile and flexural concrete to improves the nano structures. strength of Nano-Silica concrete at the age of 7 1. Carbon Nanotubes. and 28 days. Results indicate that the concrete, by 2. Nano-silica. using Nano-Silica powder, was able to increase its 3. Polycarboxylates. compressive strength. However, the density is reduced compared to standard mix of concrete. 1. Carbon Nanotubes- Carbon nanotubes are The replacement of cement with 3% Nano-Silica molecular-scale tubes of graphitic carbon with results in higher strength and reduction in the outstanding properties. They can be several permeability than the controlled concrete. The millimeters in length and can have one “layer” or wall replacement of cement with Nano-Silica more (single walled nanotube) or more than one wall (multi than 3% results in the reduction of various walled nanotube). properties of Nano-Silica concrete. 2. P.Vasanthi and S .Senthilselvan said the use of nano materials in concrete is gaining increasing attention in the construction industry. Studies have shown that concrete containing nano particles has demonstrated increased strength, durability and reduction of pores in the concrete due to the pore filling properties of the nano materials. This also results in increased resistance to corrosion of the steel reinforcements. Hence, the nano materials are useful to improve the life of the building. The use of large quantity of cement produces increasing CO2 emissions and also consequents the greenhouse effect. The nano materials are used in order to reduce the cement content in the concrete mix. Nano material represents one of the most outstanding advances Properties of carbon nano tube- in concrete technology during the last decade. Due to its specific properties, nano materials may CNT are also highly flexible. constitute the significant improvement of the Mechanically, CNT appear to be the strongest quality of the concrete structure and open up new material. fields for the application of concrete. Nano The smaller diameters. material is spread all over the world with a steady Stiffest and strongest fibers. increase in number of applications. Nano materials are intentionally produced and designed 2. Nano-silica- It is the first nano product that with very specific properties related to shape, size replaced the micro silica. Advancement made by the and surface properties. The main use of nano study of concrete at nano scale have proved nano silica materials in concrete is to increase the strength. much better than silica used in conventional concrete. Nano Silica produces high compressive strength concrete. It also provides high workability with reduced water cement ratio. 3. Mani M. and Dr. G. Nandini Devi studied over nano technology and said it is one of most active research areas which have wide application in all construction fields. In this paper, a study is carried out about Nano materials used like nano silica, nanoTio2, and carbon nanotubes which are less than 500 nano meter. Nano silica has heat transfer. Nano Tio2 also has heat transfer and UV absorption character. By the addition of nano Proceedings of IRAJ International Conference, 28th October 2018, Pune, India 9 Nano Concrete and its Classified Applications in Nano Technology Properties of nanosilica- Fine aggregate = 794 Kg/m3 Coarse aggregate = 1204 Kg/m3 It increases strength and durability of concrete. Water-cement ratio = 0.45 High workability with reduced water/cement ratio. Water content = 140 Kg/m3 Use of super plasticizing additives is unnecessary. C: FA: CA = 1:1.52:2.75 Fills up all the micro pores and micro spaces. The mix proportion for M25 concrete is calculated using IS 456:2000, IS 10262:2009. Superplastisizer is 3. Polycarboxylates- Polycarboxylates or polymer also added to increase the workability of concrete. based concrete admixtures are High Range Water Reducing admixture (HRWR).Low dosage-reduce Test Specimens: water as much as high dosage of conventional admixtures. Higher dosage-produce Self Compacting The compressive stress of normal concrete & nano Concrete (SCC). This admixture type is very suitable concrete are determined by casting cubes of size for underwater anti-washout concrete. 150x150x150 mm allowed for 7 and 28 days curing and the test results have been obtained and compared with normal concrete. Compressive Compressive Specimen stress in 7 days stress in 28 days (N/mm2 ) (N/mm2 ) CC 18.99 27.60 NS 2.5% 25.95 29.15 NS 3% 27.75 34.50 NS 3.5% 26.66 32.50 Table 2: compressive stress of controlled concrete cubes and Properties of Polycarboxylates- Nano silica cube Resistance to compression - 40 to 90MPa in 1 day. Resistance to compression from 70 a 100 MPa (or more) in 28 days. Produces high resistance even with low addition (1 to 1.5 % of the cements weight) and gives self compacting characteristics with higher proportions (2.5 %). V. EXPERIMENTAL WORKS The nano silica used in making of nano concrete by partial replacement of cement in various properties such as 2.5%, 3%,3.5% and to study the properties of it. Then compared with normal concrte. The preliminary tests were conducted on cement, fine Figure: shows the compressive stress of cubes aggregate, coarse aggregate and the test results were Note: CC- controlled concrete, NS- Nano silica obtained.
Recommended publications
  • White Concrete & Colored Concrete Construction
    WHITE CEMENT CONCRETE AND COLORED CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION and developers Owners seeking dynamic architectural results demand the benefits that only white or colored concrete can deliver. Informed designers rely on careful selection of materials and attention to mixing and placement details to achieve eye-catching architectural and decorative finishes. Because of its versatility, concrete offers endless design possibilities. A wide variety of decorative looks are achieved by using colored aggregates and pigments, and by varying surface finishes, treatments, and textures. Combining white cement with pigments and colored aggregates expands the number of colors available to discerning customers. Colors are cleaner and more intense because pigments and specialty Figure 1. The Condell Medical Center is built with load-bearing precast concrete aggregates don’t have to overcome the panels with an architectural finish achieved by using white cement. grayish paste of common concrete. Courtesy of Condell Medical Center. Mix Designs • CSA A3000 cements that conform to the Canadian From a structural design perspective, white cement-based Standards Association standards for Cementitious Materials concrete mixes are identical to gray cement-based mixes. Mix • American Association of State Highway and Transportation designs for white or colored concrete differ from common Officials, AASHTO M85 Standard Specification for Portland concrete in that they are formulated based on each ingredient’s Cement effect on concrete color. Listed in order of decreasing
    [Show full text]
  • An Investigation of High-Performance Self Compacting Concrete Under Flexural Loading
    Civil Engineering and Architecture 8(6): 1414-1418, 2020 http://www.hrpub.org DOI: 10.13189/cea.2020.080624 An Investigation of High-Performance Self Compacting Concrete under Flexural Loading Theerthananda M P1,*, P C Srinivasa1, G M Naveen2 1Department of Civil Engineering, Government Engineering College, Kushalnagar, India 2Department of Civil Engineering, Government Engineering College, Chamarjanagar, India Received October 20, 2020; Revised November 25, 2020; Accepted December 30, 2020 Cite This Paper in the following Citation Styles (a): [1] Theerthananda M P, P C Srinivasa, G M Naveen, "An Investigation of High-Performance Self Compacting Concrete under Flexural Loading," Civil Engineering and Architecture, Vol. 8, No. 6, pp. 1414 - 1418, 2020. DOI: 10.13189/cea.2020.080624. (b): Theerthananda M P, P C Srinivasa, G M Naveen (2020). An Investigation of High-Performance Self Compacting Concrete under Flexural Loading. Civil Engineering and Architecture, 8(6), 1414 - 1418. DOI: 10.13189/cea.2020.080624. Copyright©2020 by authors, all rights reserved. Authors agree that this article remains permanently open access under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 International License Abstract To shorten construction period, to assure compaction in the structure especially in confined zones where vibrating compaction is difficult and to eliminate noise due to vibration effective especially at concrete 1. Introduction products plants SCC is developed in practice. Also, SCC is applied to tunnel lining for preventing the cold joint High Performance Self Compacting Concrete (HPSCC) Self-compacting concrete has been used. Currently, the is the one which ability to Flow, good viscosity, main reasons for the employment of self-compacting segregation resistance and passing ability.
    [Show full text]
  • Fiber in Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavements 6
    Technical Report Documentation Page 1. Report No. 2. Government 3. Recipient’s Catalog No. FHWA/TX-07/0-4392-2 Accession No. 4. Title and Subtitle 5. Report Date January 2006; Revised December 2006 Fiber in Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavements 6. Performing Organization Code 7. Author(s) 8. Performing Organization Report No. Dr. Kevin Folliard, David Sutfin, Ryan Turner, and David P. 0-4392-2 Whitney 9. Performing Organization Name and Address 10. Work Unit No. (TRAIS) Center for Transportation Research 11. Contract or Grant No. The University of Texas at Austin 0-4392 3208 Red River, Suite 200 Austin, TX 78705-2650 12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address 13. Type of Report and Period Covered Texas Department of Transportation Technical Report 9/1/01–8/31/03 Research and Technology Implementation Office 14. Sponsoring Agency Code P.O. Box 5080 Austin, TX 78763-5080 15. Supplementary Notes Project conducted in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration and the Texas Department of Transportation. Project Title: Use of Fibers in Concrete Pavement 16. Abstract Continuously reinforced concrete pavement (CRCP) is a major form of highway pavement in Texas due to its increase in ride quality, minimal maintenance, and extended service life. However, CRCP may sometimes experience pavement distress that results in early failure, either due to under-design or the use of poor construction materials. Significant effort has been made to improve the performance of some of these materials (e.g. siliceous river gravel) to achieve an acceptable level of performance but has been unable to provide a practical solution. This research study investigates whether fiber reinforcement may solve some of the problems associated with siliceous river gravel, particularly spalling.
    [Show full text]
  • Experimental Investigation on Nano Concrete with Nano Silica and M-Sand
    International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395-0056 Volume: 06 Issue: 03 | Mar 2019 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072 EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION ON NANO CONCRETE WITH NANO SILICA AND M-SAND Mohan Raj.B1, Sugila Devi.G2 1PG Student, Nadar Saraswathi College of Engineering and Technology, Theni, Tamilnadu, India. 2Assistant Professor, Nadar Saraswathi College of Engineering and Technology, Theni, Tamilnadu, India. ---------------------------------------------------------------------***--------------------------------------------------------------------- Abstract - The influence of Nano-Silica on various material is Nano Silica (NS). The advancement made by the properties of concrete is obtained by replacing the cement study of concrete at Nano scale has proved the Nano silica is with various percentages of Nano-Silica. Nano-Silica is used as much better than silica fume used in conventional concrete. a partial replacement for cement in the range of 3%, 3.5%, Now, the researchers are capitalizing on nanotechnology to and 10% for M20 mix. Specimens are casted using Nano-Silica innovate a new generation of concrete materials that concrete. Laboratory tests conducted to determine the overcome the above drawbacks and trying to achieve the compressive strength, split tensile and flexural strength of sustainable concrete structures. Evolution of materials is Nano-Silica concrete at the age of 7, 14 and 28 days. Results need of the day for improved or better performance for indicate that the concrete, by using Nano-Silica powder, was special engineering applications and modifying the bulk able to increase its compressive strength. However, the density state of materials in terms of composition or microstructure is reduce compared to standard mix of concrete.
    [Show full text]
  • Portland Cement Types I, IA, II
    Product Data Sheets Portland Cement Types I, IA, II, III General Purpose, General Purpose Air Entrained Type I, Moderate Sulfate Resistance and Moderate Heat of Hydration Properties and High Early Strength Type III Manufacturer: Provides higher strengths at an earlier Fairborn Cement Company age as compared to Type I. Type III is Fairborn Cement Company 3250 Linebaugh Rd very similar to Type I, except its offers the following Cement Xenia, OH 45385 particles have been ground finer, Types: 800-762-0040 making it more reactive. Type III Portland cements are useful when I www.fairborncement.com quick form turn- around times are IA Product Description: necessary. Type I, Type IA, Type II, Type III II Cements. Quality: III Fairborn Cement Company is Type I committed to quality and takes pride in IL (10) This is a general-purpose cement that the products we manufacturer. We is suitable for all uses where the manufacture products using only high Oil Well (Class A) special properties of other types of quality raw materials and strict quality MIAMI Masonry N,S,M Portland cement are not required. control procedures. Fairborn Cement Company is the local leader in quality MIAMI Color Colored Type IA cement production. Masonry N,S Same as Type I except an air entraining MIAMI Mortar Cement N,S admixture has been added during the Standards: manufacturing process. Used where Type I, Type IA, Type II, Type III cement Block Cement exposure to freeze-thaw cycles in the meets the standard requirements of the presence of de-icing chemicals is following: expected.
    [Show full text]
  • To the One Who Loved Me, Died for Me and Has Been Raised
    To the One Who loved me, died for me and has been raised. (Bible 2 Corinthians 5:14-15) Acknowledgements In this age, with the next millennium fast approaching, no one can carry out research work alone. Therefore, the author would like to show his appreciation to the many people who assisted with this study. First, I would like to give thanks to my supervisor Dr. P. L. Domone, who helped with this work, gave valuable suggestions and also corrected my written English patiently. I also appreciated Dr. Y. Xu's kind suggestions and encouragement, and both Dr. K. Ozawa and Dr. J.C. Liu supplied useful information concerning this study. I also enjoyed discussing this research work with my junior colleagues: Mr. V. Sheikh, Mr. E.M. Ahmed and Mrs. J. Jin. Furthermore, Mr A. Tucker and Miss H. Kinloch carried out several mixes concerning the early strength of SCC as their final year project under my guidance. The help I received from the technical staff of the Elvery Concrete Technology Laboratory cannot be ignored, especially from Mr. 0. Bourne and Mr. M. Saytch. Furthermore, I would like to acknowledge the scholarship from my government, without which the dream of studying in this country could not have come true, after having spent 12 years teaching. I especially want to give thanks to my family - my mother, my wife Priscilla and May and Boaz for their support. I owe them very much. I also appreciated the care from the saints in the church - it is impossible to list all of them.
    [Show full text]
  • Vermiculite Concrete Introduction Vermiculite Concrete Is a Low Density Non-Structural Construction Product
    Vermiculite Concrete Introduction Vermiculite concrete is a low density non-structural construction product. It is insulating (both thermally and acoustically) and intrinsically fire resistant. It is normally made simply by mixing exfoliated vermiculite as the aggregate, with cement and water, plus additives such as plasticisers if required. The ratio of exfoliated vermiculite aggregate to cement and the vermiculite grade can be varied to the properties such as strength and insulation as required for the concrete. The applications for vermiculite concrete are however, all non-structural. Vermiculite concretes can also be produced containing other lightweight aggregates, such as expanded perlite, to give differing physical properties. Normally the type of cement used in these mixes is Ordinary Portland Cement (O.P.C), although a higher initial strength may be obtained using Rapid Hardening Portland Cement (R.H.P.C). For high temperature refractory applications, high alumina (luminate in the USA) cements may be used with great success to manufacture lightweight in-situ cast insulation mixes and back up insulation products. However, these applications are beyond the scope of this specific application note. Applications for Vermiculite Concrete The principal applications for vermiculite concrete are for in-situ site mixed applications such as: • Floor and roof screeds • Void filling insulation mixes around chimneys, back boilers and fire backs • Blocks and slabs • Swimming pool bases [see separate application note for this application] Vermiculite concrete can be easily cut, sawed, nailed or screwed. The lower density vermiculite concrete screeds are usually covered with a denser topping mix of 4:1 or 5:1 sand to cement mix to a minimum depth of 25mm (1 inch); the screed and denser more load distributing topping should ideally be laid monolithically to prevent dis-bonding and shear fracturing between the screed and the topping.
    [Show full text]
  • Alkali-Silica Reactivity: an Overview of Research
    SHRP-C-342 Alkali-Silica Reactivity: An Overview of Research Richard Helmuth Construction Technology Laboratories, Inc. With contributions by: David Stark Construction Technology Laboratories, Inc. Sidney Diamond Purdue University Micheline Moranville-Regourd Ecole Normale Superieure de Cachan Strategic Highway Research Program National Research Council Washington, DC 1993 Publication No. SHRP-C-342 ISBN 0-30cL05602-0 Contract C-202 Product No. 2010 Program Manager: Don M. Harriott Project Maxtager: Inam Jawed Program AIea Secretary: Carina Hreib Copyeditor: Katharyn L. Bine Brosseau May 1993 key words: additives aggregate alkali-silica reaction cracking expansion portland cement concrete standards Strategic Highway Research Program 2101 Consti!ution Avenue N.W. Washington, DC 20418 (202) 334-3774 The publicat:Lon of this report does not necessarily indicate approval or endorsement by the National Academy of Sciences, the United States Government, or the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials or its member states of the findings, opinions, conclusions, or recommendations either inferred or specifically expressed herein. ©1993 National Academy of Sciences 1.5M/NAP/593 Acknowledgments The research described herein was supported by the Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP). SHRP is a unit of the National Research Council that was authorized by section 128 of the Surface Transportation and Uniform Relocation Assistance Act of 1987. This document has been written as a product of Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP) Contract SHRP-87-C-202, "Eliminating or Minimizing Alkali-Silica Reactivity." The prime contractor for this project is Construction Technology Laboratories, with Purdue University, and Ecole Normale Superieure de Cachan, as subcontractors. Fundamental studies were initiated in Task A.
    [Show full text]
  • The Effects of Alkali-Silica Reaction on the Mechanical Properties of Concretes with Three Different Types of Reactive Aggregate
    Technical Paper Okpin Na* DOI: 10.1002/suco.201400062 Yunping Xi Edward Ou Victor E. Saouma The effects of alkali-silica reaction on the mechanical properties of concretes with three different types of reactive aggregate This paper investigates the degradation of the mechanical prop- environment, the product of ASR is expansive, which is erties of concretes made with three types of aggregate affected detrimental to concrete structures [1, 2]. by alkali-silica reaction (ASR). Three standard testing methods ASR is a chemical reaction between the reactive – ASTM C289, JASS 5N T-603 and ASTM C1260 – were used to silica in the aggregate and the alkalis (Na2O and K2O) in identify the reactivity of ASR of the three aggregates selected. Portland cement. This chemical reaction produces alkali- The test results show that all three aggregates are potentially silica gel swelling with the absorption of the moisture deleterious. A new acceleration method based on JASS 5N T-603 from the surrounding cement paste. The expansive gel and ASTM C1260 was proposed for concrete specimens. In the can cause cracking in the concrete. Therefore, the neces- acceleration method, cylindrical concrete specimens were used, sary conditions for the expansive ASR gel to form in the additional alkali material was added to the concrete mixture and concrete are a sufficiently high alkali concentration in the the specimens were stored under conditions similar to ASTM cement, high moisture content in the concrete and reac- C1260. The preconditioned concrete specimens were then used tive aggregates. for evaluating the mechanical properties of the ASR-affected In order to control or prevent the occurrence of concrete in terms of strength and stiffness.
    [Show full text]
  • Portland Cement Concrete
    B Highway Materials Engineering Course PARTICIPANT WORKBOOK Portland Cement Concrete MODULE G Ti Table of Contents About This Workbook .................................................................................................................. 2 Course Overview .......................................................................................................................... 3 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 3 Module G Overview ..................................................................................................................... 4 Module Goals ............................................................................................................................... 5 Learning Outcomes ...................................................................................................................... 5 ILT Instruction Icons ..................................................................................................................... 9 Module G Lesson 8 Review ..................................................................................................... G8-1 Module G Lesson 9 Basic Mix Design and Proportioning ....................................................... G9-1 Module G Lesson 10 Reinforcing and Corrosion ..................................................................G10-1 Module G Lesson 11 Hot Topics ...........................................................................................G11-1
    [Show full text]
  • Proposing a New Method Based on Image Analysis to Estimate the Segregation Index of Lightweight Aggregate Concretes
    materials Article Proposing a New Method Based on Image Analysis to Estimate the Segregation Index of Lightweight Aggregate Concretes Afonso Miguel Solak 1,2 , Antonio José Tenza-Abril 1 , Francisco Baeza-Brotons 1 and David Benavente 3,* 1 Department of Civil Engineering, University of Alicante, 03080 Alicante, Spain; [email protected] (A.M.S.); [email protected] (A.J.T.-A.); [email protected] (F.B.-B.) 2 CYPE Ingenieros S.A., 03003 Alicante, Spain 3 Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Alicante, 03080 Alicante, Spain * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 18 October 2019; Accepted: 1 November 2019; Published: 5 November 2019 Abstract: This work presents five different methods for quantifying the segregation phenomenon in lightweight aggregate concretes (LWAC). The use of LWACs allows greater design flexibility and substantial cost savings, and has a positive impact on the energy consumption of a building. However, these materials are susceptible to aggregate segregation, which causes an irregular distribution of the lightweight aggregates in the mixture and may affect the concrete properties. To quantify this critical process, a new method based on image analysis is proposed and its results are compared to the well-established methods of density and ultrasonic pulse velocity measurement. The results show that the ultrasonic test method presents a lower accuracy than the other studied methods, although it is a nondestructive test, easy to perform, and does not need material characterization. The new methodology via image analysis has a strong correlation with the other methods, it considers information from the complete section of the samples, and it does not need the horizontal cut of the specimens or material characterization.
    [Show full text]
  • Reducing Cement Content in Concrete Mixtures
    No. 0092-08-08 Wisconsin Highway Research Program • http://wisdotresearch.wi.gov/whrp December 2011 Reducing Cement Content in Concrete Mixtures oncrete mixtures contain crushed rock or gravel, and sand, bound together by Portland cement in combination with supplemental cementitious materials (SCMs), which harden through Ca chemical reaction with water. Portland cement is the most costly component of concrete mixtures, and its production creates significant amounts of green house gases. To reduce costs and environmental impacts, current WisDOT practice allows a for replacement of a portion of Portland cement supplemental cementitious materials (SCMs) such as coal fly ash or slag cement, both industrial by-products of coal and iron production, respectively. WisDOT has set a maximum limit on Portland cement replacement through use of SCMs to ensure its performance on concrete pavements. Therefore, the only opportunity to reduce the usage of Portland cement is to lower the required cementitious materials content for WisDOT approved mix designs. The potential benefits in terms of economic costs and environmental impacts are significant, however decreasing the cementitious materials content of a mixture too drastically can reduce pavement strength and durability. It can also reduce workability, or the ease with which a mixture can be compacted and placed during construction. What’s the Problem? Research was needed to help determine the minimum amount of cementitious material that WisDOT can use in its concrete mixtures and still preserve pavement performance. Several other upper Mid- western states allow the use of concrete mixtures with a lower minimum cementitious material content PUTTING RESEARCH TO WORK TO RESEARCH PUTTING than currently required by WisDOT specifications, but there is a lack of data on the long-term perfor- mance of pavements built with these mixtures.
    [Show full text]