Concrete and Concrete Composites: Manufacturing, Performance and Applications

A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Building Materials, and Repair & Renovation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2023) | Viewed by 6938

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Structural Engineering and Construction Management, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Future University in Egypt, New Cairo, Egypt
Interests: combined loading; FRP; FRC; lightweight concrete; UHPC; high strength concrete; artificial intelligence; numerical simulation; reliability analysis; recycled materials

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Guest Editor
Associate Professor, Structural Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering at Shoubra, Benha University, Cairo, Egypt
Interests: ferrocement; rice and straw ashes; GFRP; BFRP and CFRP bars; recycling; porous concrete; UHPC; UHPSCC; nanomaterials; seismic analysis and design; sustainability and durability
Associate Professor, Civil Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering at Matarya, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt
Interests: geopolymer concrete; GFRP; BFRP and CFRP bars; UHPC; recycling

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Concrete technology is evolving with new materials added to the concrete mix to improve its performance. Weakness. Many concrete types are being implemented to fit all purposes, including but not limited to fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC), ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC), high-strength concrete (HSC), lightweight concrete (LWC), and fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) reinforced concrete. In addition, recycled waste is being implemented in concrete production, which is a step forward toward sustainable construction and minimizing climate change. Such advancements could have significant effects on our society. Moreover, these new advanced materials can be applied to new and existing structural elements under various loading conditions, including and not limited to flexure, shear, punching shear, compression, tension, and combined loading.

This Special Issue will provide an overview of existing knowledge related to various aspects of concrete mixture and recycled waste in concrete manufacturing and applications.

Original research, theoretical and experimental case studies, and comprehensive review papers are invited for possible publication in this Special Issue. Relevant topics for this Special Issue include but are not limited to the following subjects:

  • Experimentally investigating behavior and durability of various advanced concrete and concrete composite mixtures under various conditions;
  • Numerically simulating the behavior and durability of various advanced concrete and concrete composites mixtures under various conditions;
  • Assessing existing design codes and guidelines for the strength and durability of various advanced concrete and concrete composite mixtures under various conditions;
  • Artificial intelligence models for the strength and durability of various advanced concrete and concrete composite mixtures under various conditions;
  • Experimentally investigating the behavior of structural elements with various advanced concrete and concrete composite mixtures under various loadings;
  • Evaluation of existing design codes of structural elements with various advanced concrete and concrete composite mixtures under various loadings;
  • Numerical simulation of structural elements with various advanced concrete and concrete composites mixtures under various loadings;
  • Artificial intelligence models for structural elements with various advanced concrete and concrete composite mixtures under various loadings;
  • Investigation of the performance of various advanced concrete and concrete composite mixtures in regard to minimizing or eliminating the risks related to the effects of climate change;
  • Assessment of costs and benefits for various advanced concrete and concrete composite mixtures in new and existing buildings.

Prof. Dr. Ahmed F. Deifalla
Dr. Taha A. El-Sayed
Dr. Hala Mamdouh
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Buildings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • innovative concrete
  • concrete composites
  • strengthening concrete using composites
  • shear
  • torsion
  • punching shear
  • combined loading
  • UHPC
  • lightweight concrete
  • recycled waste
  • RC columns
  • heritage buildings and structures
  • novel repair and retrofitting

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

0 pages, 10543 KiB  
Article
Effect of Using Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) and Deformed Steel Bars on the Bonding Behavior of Lightweight Foamed Concrete
by Suhad M. Abd, Rafal Hadi, Shaker Abdal, Saba Shamim, Hadee Mohammed Najm and Mohanad Muayad Sabri Sabri
Buildings 2023, 13(5), 1153; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13051153 - 26 Apr 2023
Viewed by 1091
Abstract
The study aims to conduct a direct pull-out test on fifty-four cube specimens considering different variables, including the type of reinforcement (sand-coated glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) and ribbed steel bars); the type of concrete (normal weight concrete NWC and lightweight foamed concrete LWFC); [...] Read more.
The study aims to conduct a direct pull-out test on fifty-four cube specimens considering different variables, including the type of reinforcement (sand-coated glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) and ribbed steel bars); the type of concrete (normal weight concrete NWC and lightweight foamed concrete LWFC); the diameter of the reinforcing bars (10 mm; 12 mm; and 16 mm) and the bonded length (3∅, 4∅, and 5∅). The hybrid fiber hooked-end steel (0.4% by volume) and polypropylene (0.2% by volume), respectively were used to improve the properties of LWFC by converting the brittle failure to ductile. The results showed that in the case of strengthened foamed concrete (FC), the bond strength with steel bars was greater compared to that with the GFRP bars. The bond strength ratio between the GFRP and steel bars of the FC specimens was found to vary between 37.8–89.3%. Additionally, in all specimens of FC, pull-out failure was witnessed with narrower crack width compared to NWC. Furthermore, mathematical equations have been proposed for predicting the bond strength of FC with steel and GFRP bars and showed good correlation with the experimental results. Full article
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18 pages, 6767 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Magnetized Water on the Fresh and Hardened Properties of Slag/Fly Ash-Based Cementitious Composites
by Ozer Sevim, İlhami Demir, Erdinc H. Alakara, Selahattin Guzelkucuk and İsmail Raci Bayer
Buildings 2023, 13(2), 271; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13020271 - 17 Jan 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1572
Abstract
The physicochemical structure of the mixing water used in concrete has a significant effect on the physical and mechanical properties of cementitious composites. The studies on the effect of magnetized water (MW) on the properties of FA/BFS-based cementitious composites are still in their [...] Read more.
The physicochemical structure of the mixing water used in concrete has a significant effect on the physical and mechanical properties of cementitious composites. The studies on the effect of magnetized water (MW) on the properties of FA/BFS-based cementitious composites are still in their infancy. This study explores the effect of MW on the fresh and hardened properties of fly ash (FA)/blast furnace slag (BFS)-based cementitious composites. A total of 22 different mixture groups having FA/BFS (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25%) by weight of cement were produced using tap water (TW) and MW. The fresh-state properties (the initial and final setting times and the consistency) and hardened-state properties (the compressive strength, water absorption properties, and rapid chloride ion permeability test) of produced cementitious composites were investigated. The development of hydration products was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) test. The results reveal that the fresh- and hardened-state properties of cementitious composite samples produced with MW are significantly improved. The properties of the samples utilizing MW showed that FA and BFS could be used at a higher rate for the same target properties in cementitious composites by using MW as mixing water. Using up to 25% FA/BFS in cementitious composites prepared with MW is recommended. Full article
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16 pages, 6999 KiB  
Article
Design and Study of Physical and Mechanical Properties of Concrete Based on Ferrochrome Slag and Its Mechanism Analysis
by Meiyan Hang, Jiechao Wang, Xuebin Zhou and Mengjie Sun
Buildings 2023, 13(1), 54; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13010054 - 26 Dec 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1668
Abstract
In this study, high-carbon ferrochrome slag powder produced by grinding was used to replace different proportions of cement, and the effect of the amount of ferrochrome slag powder on the physical and mechanical properties of ferrochrome-slag-cement composites was analyzed. Water-cooled ferrochrome slag with [...] Read more.
In this study, high-carbon ferrochrome slag powder produced by grinding was used to replace different proportions of cement, and the effect of the amount of ferrochrome slag powder on the physical and mechanical properties of ferrochrome-slag-cement composites was analyzed. Water-cooled ferrochrome slag with a particle size of <5 mm was optimized to replace part of river sand as fine aggregate, and air-cooled ferrochrome slag with a particle size of >5 mm was used to completely replace coarse aggregate to prepare ferrochrome-slag-based concretes. The microstructure of ferrochrome-slag-cement composites was analyzed by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and thermogravimetry–differential scanning calorimetry analysis. The compressive strength, water absorption, and aggregate–slurry interface bonding properties of ferrochrome-slag-based concrete were studied. The results demonstrate that a ferrochrome slag powder amount of 15% leads to the highest performance of ferrochrome-slag-cement composite material, and the fluidity ratio of ferrochrome-slag-cement mortar is 103, higher than reference samples. Furthermore, the compressive strengths of ferrochrome slag concretes are 15.8% and 3.6% higher than conventional concrete, and the water absorption of ferrochrome slag low-carbon concrete is better than that of conventional concrete. The interface bonding structure between concrete aggregate and slurry was optimized. This research can provide a reference for studying the application of ferrochrome slag, both the feasibility of high-carbon ferrochrome slag powder as supplementary cementitious material and the application of ferrochrome slag as concrete aggregate, and it can help to achieve the purpose of saving energy and reducing carbon emissions. Full article
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16 pages, 2791 KiB  
Article
Prediction of Blast-Induced Structural Response and Associated Damage Using Machine Learning
by Ayman Abd-Elhamed, Soliman Alkhatib and Ahmed M. H. Abdelfattah
Buildings 2022, 12(12), 2093; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12122093 - 29 Nov 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2024
Abstract
Terrorist bombing-induced casualties are not only related to immediate fatalities but also to structural deterioration, damage, or even collapse that might occur and may lead to tremendous loss of life. Efficient assessment of blast-induced structural damage following explosion events is becoming a growing [...] Read more.
Terrorist bombing-induced casualties are not only related to immediate fatalities but also to structural deterioration, damage, or even collapse that might occur and may lead to tremendous loss of life. Efficient assessment of blast-induced structural damage following explosion events is becoming a growing problem in modern societies. An attempt based on machine learning is made in this study to anticipate structures’ responses and the associated structural damage to reinforced concrete (RC) buildings exposed to extremely short-duration explosive loads. A program is developed to generate a set of analytically derived data for nonlinear building models subjected to explosive loads. Common machine learning models and Python libraries were utilized during the development of our program implementation to learn from a dataset. The latter has different features or input parameters, such as the amount of explosive charge, the distance from the building, fundamental period, and the building’s mass and rigidity, as well as the soil type. Our database is thus used, along with our regression-and-classification based implementations, to generate an output index that estimates and categorizes the state of damage based on the several most-important parameters of the explosion exposure. In the input database, the state of damage, based on the values of captured damage indices, is classified into one of four cases. Our code efficiently predicts those cases using a model that learns from the database. The prediction rates of the presented model reach an overall high accuracy. Therefore, the proposed model provides an accurate prediction of the level of structural damage by using the computed damage indices. Full article
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