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Concretes and Cement-Based Composites: Additives/Admixtures, Hydration Process and Durability Research II

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Construction and Building Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 October 2024 | Viewed by 5291

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Jurgita Malaiškienė

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory of Composite Materials, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Institute of Building Materials, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, 10223 Vilnius, Lithuania
Interests: cement-based composites; various natural or industrial by-products; pozzolanic activity; hydration process; physical–mechanical properties; alkali resistance; durability; statistical data analysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cement-based composites with different aggregates, natural or industrial by-products such as pozzolans, various chemical admixtures, nanosized additives, and fibres have received intense attention in the last few decades. These composites can provide improved performance in terms of consistency, strength, shrinkage, durability, etc. New additives/admixtures have positive effects on cement hydration and the formation of a denser material structure. Moreover, cement-based composites with industrial waste have major environmental advantages, such as lower CO2 emissions, the ability to utilize industrial by-products in the manufacture of cement-based composites, a lower cost, and creating an effective circular economy.

This Special Issue aims to present in-depth studies of the influence of various additives—pozzolans, micro-fillers, nanomaterials, chemical admixtures, and fibres—on cement-based composite (blended cements, concrete, and special concrete) properties (consistency, shrinkage, strength, durability, alkali resistance, etc.). Moreover, articles focused on the regulation and analysis of the hydration process, structure, and sustainability of cement-based composites are welcome.

Research areas of interest for this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, material, chemical, civil, and environmental engineering.

The first volume entitled " Concretes and Cement-Based Composites: Additives/ Admixtures, Hydration Process and Durability Research" attracted great interest from authors and readers. Therefore, we will continue to study this field by compiling a second volume of this Special Issue.

https://www.mdpi.com/journal/materials/special_issues/cement_based_composite_additive_admixture_hydration_durability

Dr. Jurgita Malaiškienė
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. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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

  • concretes
  • cement-based composites
  • nano-additives
  • micro-fillers and pozzolans
  • fibres
  • various natural and by-product aggregates
  • hydration process
  • physical-mechanical properties
  • durability
  • microscale analysis
  • statistical data analysis

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

9 pages, 4748 KiB  
Communication
Effects of Lithium Carbonate and Superplasticizer on Ultra-Early Strength of Alite-Ye’elimite-Belite-Ferrite Cement
by Peng Du, Hao Sun, Xiaolei Lu, Yongbo Huang and Xin Cheng
Materials 2024, 17(8), 1742; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17081742 - 10 Apr 2024
Viewed by 482
Abstract
Alite-ye’elimite-belite-ferrite cement (AYBFC) integrates the advantages of calcium sulfoaluminate cement and Portland cement, but its ultra-early strength needs to be further improved when applied to rush repair and construction works. In this study, the ultra-early strength of AYBFC was improved using lithium carbonate [...] Read more.
Alite-ye’elimite-belite-ferrite cement (AYBFC) integrates the advantages of calcium sulfoaluminate cement and Portland cement, but its ultra-early strength needs to be further improved when applied to rush repair and construction works. In this study, the ultra-early strength of AYBFC was improved using lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) and superplasticizer. The results showed that an appropriate amount of Li2CO3 could significantly improve the ultra-early strength of AYBFC, since it was capable of promoting the hydration reaction of AYBFC. After polycarboxylate superplasticizer was doped on this basis, the ultra-early compressive strength of AYBFC was further improved. This was because the superplasticizer could markedly enhance the matrix compactness despite its inhibitory effect on the hydration reaction of cement and the generation of hydration products. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Concretes and Cement-Based Composites: Additives/Admixtures, Hydration Process and Durability Research II)
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17 pages, 4054 KiB  
Article
Experimental Investigation on the Effects of Mineral Water Composition on the Leaching of Cement-Based Materials
by Alienor Pouyanne, Sonia Boudache, Benoît Hilloulin, Ahmed Loukili and Emmanuel Roziere
Materials 2024, 17(7), 1548; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17071548 - 28 Mar 2024
Viewed by 458
Abstract
The common phenomenon observed for concrete in aggressive water is leaching, which involves the dissolution of cement hydration products. Many studies have focused on leaching in demineralised water or acid attacks, but mineral water still deserves further investigation. In most standards, the aggressiveness [...] Read more.
The common phenomenon observed for concrete in aggressive water is leaching, which involves the dissolution of cement hydration products. Many studies have focused on leaching in demineralised water or acid attacks, but mineral water still deserves further investigation. In most standards, the aggressiveness of a given water body is determined by its pH and not its composition. The effect of the calcium content of the water on degradation is yet to be determined. In this paper, the leaching of Portland cement-based mortar was induced by two types of drinking water with different calcium contents and buffer capacity in controlled conditions. The Langelier saturation index (LSI) was used to describe water aggressiveness based on the calco-carbonic equilibrium. The studied waters had the same pH but LSIs of +0.5 and −1.0 corresponding to scaling with respect to aggressive water; demineralised water was used as a reference. Microstructural damage was checked by TGA and X-ray microtomography. Macroscopic measurements were used to monitor global degradation. The soft water caused a 53% deeper deterioration of the mortar sample than the hard water. Soft water-induced leaching was found to be similar yet slower to leaching via demineralised water (with a mass loss of −2.01% and −2.16% after 200 days, respectively). In contrast, hard water induced strongly time-dependent leaching, and the damage was located close to the surface. The roughness of leached specimens was 18% higher in hard water than in soft water. The formation of calcite on the sample surface not only affects the leaching rate by creating a protective surface layer, but it could also act as a calcium ion pump. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Concretes and Cement-Based Composites: Additives/Admixtures, Hydration Process and Durability Research II)
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26 pages, 12487 KiB  
Article
Effect of Polymer/Nano-Clay Coatings on the Performance of Concrete with High-Content Supplementary Cementitious Materials under Harsh Exposures
by M. A. Abuzeid, M. T. Bassuoni and M. R. Sakr
Materials 2024, 17(5), 1030; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17051030 - 23 Feb 2024
Viewed by 596
Abstract
In recent concrete research, a novel category of coatings has emerged: polymers/nanoparticles blends. The efficacy of such coatings warrants extensive examination across various concrete mixtures, particularly those incorporating high-volume supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) to mitigate carbon footprints, an industry imperative. This study used [...] Read more.
In recent concrete research, a novel category of coatings has emerged: polymers/nanoparticles blends. The efficacy of such coatings warrants extensive examination across various concrete mixtures, particularly those incorporating high-volume supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) to mitigate carbon footprints, an industry imperative. This study used three vulnerable concrete mixtures to assess the effectiveness of ethyl silicate and high-molecular-weight methyl methacrylate blended with 2.5% and 5% halloysite and montmorillonite nano-clay. Findings from physical, thermal, and microstructural analyses confirmed vulnerabilities in concretes with a high water-to-binder ratio (0.6) under severe exposure conditions, notably with high SCM content (40% and 60% fly ash and slag, respectively). Neat ethyl silicate or high-molecular-weight methyl methacrylate coatings inadequately protected those concretes against physical salt attacks and salt–frost scaling exposures. However, the incorporation of halloysite nano-clay or montmorillonite nano-clay in these polymers yielded moderate-to-superior concrete protection compared to neat coatings. Ethyl silicate-based nanocomposites provided full protection, achieving up to 100% improvement (no or limited surface scaling) against both exposures, particularly when incorporating halloysite-based nano-clay at a 2.5% dosage by mass. In contrast, high-molecular-weight methyl methacrylate-based nano-clay composites effectively mitigated physical salt attacks but exhibited insufficient protection throughout the entire salt–frost scaling exposure, peeling off at 15 cycles. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Concretes and Cement-Based Composites: Additives/Admixtures, Hydration Process and Durability Research II)
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20 pages, 4162 KiB  
Article
Assessing the Influence of Banana Leaf Ash as Pozzolanic Material for the Production of Green Concrete: A Mechanical and Microstructural Evaluation
by Md. Hamidul Islam, David William Law, Chamila Gunasekara, Md. Habibur Rahman Sobuz, Md. Nafiur Rahman, Md. Ahsan Habib and Ashanul Kabir Sabbir
Materials 2024, 17(3), 720; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17030720 - 02 Feb 2024
Viewed by 1006
Abstract
This paper reports an investigation of the mechanical and microscopic properties of partially replaced banana leaf ash (BLA) concrete. In this research, the cement was partially replaced by BLA in two phases: Phase A (0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25% and 30%) and [...] Read more.
This paper reports an investigation of the mechanical and microscopic properties of partially replaced banana leaf ash (BLA) concrete. In this research, the cement was partially replaced by BLA in two phases: Phase A (0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25% and 30%) and Phase B (0%, 10%, 20% and 30%). The consequence of partially replacing cement with BLA in concrete was investigated by the application of a range of tests, namely X-ray fluorescence (XRF), compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, flexure strength, ultrasonic pulse velocity and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. The properties were then correlated with the properties of a standard 100% Portland cement concrete of similar strength. The XRF result of the BLA identified a composition with 48.93% SiO2 and 3.48% Al2O3, which indicates that the material potentially possesses pozzolanic properties. The mechanical properties of the partially replaced BLA concrete noted minor strength loss, approximately 5% with 20% partial replacement. The nondestructive testing data showed enhanced performance up to 20% partial replacement, with ultrasonic pulse values above 3500 m/s. The scanning electron microscopy analysis illustrated that the morphology of BLA specimens contained increased microcracks compared with the control. The decrease in strength observed is attributed to the fibrous composition of the BLA. The mechanical, nondestructive testing and microscopic results highlight the potential to utilize BLA as a partial replacement for cement as a pozzolanic material in concrete at up to 20% by weight of cement. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Concretes and Cement-Based Composites: Additives/Admixtures, Hydration Process and Durability Research II)
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15 pages, 8996 KiB  
Article
A Study on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Portland Cement Incorporating Aluminosilicate Waste
by Valentin Antonovič, Donatas Sikarskas, Renata Boris, Andrius Kudžma, Jurgita Malaiškienė and Rimvydas Stonys
Materials 2024, 17(2), 354; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17020354 - 10 Jan 2024
Viewed by 774
Abstract
The influence of aluminosilicate pozzolanic waste, specifically spent fluid catalytic cracking waste (FCCW) and metakaolin waste (MK) from the expanded glass industry, on the properties of hardened Portland cement paste were analysed. The study involved replacing part of cement with FCCW and MK [...] Read more.
The influence of aluminosilicate pozzolanic waste, specifically spent fluid catalytic cracking waste (FCCW) and metakaolin waste (MK) from the expanded glass industry, on the properties of hardened Portland cement paste were analysed. The study involved replacing part of cement with FCCW and MK and observing their impact on the hydration, microstructure, density, and compressive strength of hardened cement paste. Various analysis methods were employed, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TG), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), to understand the changes in the structure of the hardened cement paste during hydration. The findings revealed that FCCW tends to accelerate the cement hydration process due to its high surface area and pozzolanic activity. Notably, the formation of portlandite crystals was observed on FCCW particle surfaces in a specific direction. These crystals appeared smaller and developed in different directions in compositions containing a composite binder with mixture of FCCW and MK in a ratio 1:1. This could be influenced by pozzolanic reactions activated by fine particles of MK and the formation of calcium silicate hydrates (C-S-H) and calcium alumino silicate hydrates (C-A-S-H) in the presence of portlandite. The XRD and TG results indicated that the specimens containing a composite binder exhibited the least amount of portlandite. The compressive strength of these specimens increased compared to the control specimens, although the amount of cement was 9% lower. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Concretes and Cement-Based Composites: Additives/Admixtures, Hydration Process and Durability Research II)
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15 pages, 14013 KiB  
Article
The Material Heterogeneity Effect on the Local Resistance of Pultruded GFRP Columns
by Yongcheng Zhu, Viktor Gribniak, Chaofeng Ding, Hua Zhu and Baiqi Chen
Materials 2024, 17(1), 153; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17010153 - 27 Dec 2023
Viewed by 519
Abstract
Pultruded GFRP (glass fiber-reinforced polymer) materials are widely used in structural engineering because of their lightweight, corrosion immunity, and electromagnetic transparency. However, the design of load-bearing components facing substantial compressive stresses, e.g., columns, must be more stringent than steel structures due to excessive [...] Read more.
Pultruded GFRP (glass fiber-reinforced polymer) materials are widely used in structural engineering because of their lightweight, corrosion immunity, and electromagnetic transparency. However, the design of load-bearing components facing substantial compressive stresses, e.g., columns, must be more stringent than steel structures due to excessive deformability, material heterogeneity, and vulnerability to stress concentration. This manuscript investigates the failure performance of locally produced GFRP materials, focusing on the material heterogeneity effect on the mechanical resistance of a support joint of a pultruded tubular GFRP column. This experimental campaign employs relatively short rectangular profile fragments to isolate the support behavior and verify a simplified numerical finite element model, which neglects the nonlinearity of GFRP material. This work determines the material failure mechanisms behind the mechanical performance of pultruded profiles subjected to longitudinal compression for various column lengths. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Concretes and Cement-Based Composites: Additives/Admixtures, Hydration Process and Durability Research II)
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17 pages, 10633 KiB  
Article
Mechanical Properties and Microscopic Mechanism of a Multi-Cementitious System Comprising Cement, Fly Ash, and Steel Slag Powder
by Yuzhi Zhang, Shujing Zhang, Qingke Nie, Liang Shen and Wei Wang
Materials 2023, 16(22), 7195; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16227195 - 16 Nov 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1072
Abstract
The objective of this study was to reduce the stockpile of steel slag, which is a solid waste generated in the steelmaking process, and promote the resource utilization of steel slag powder (SSP) in construction projects. Experimental research was conducted on SSP and [...] Read more.
The objective of this study was to reduce the stockpile of steel slag, which is a solid waste generated in the steelmaking process, and promote the resource utilization of steel slag powder (SSP) in construction projects. Experimental research was conducted on SSP and fly ash (FA) as supplementary cementitious materials. Composite cement paste samples were prepared to investigate the effects of the water-to-binder ratio and cement-substitution rate on the macroscopic mechanical properties, including the setting time, fluidity, flexural strength, and compressive strength of the prepared paste. The mineral composition in the raw materials was measured using X-ray diffraction (XRD), and a micro-morphological and structural analysis of the hydrated cementitious material samples was performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM); the SEM and Image Pro Plus (IPP) image analysis techniques were combined for a quantitative analysis of the microstructure. The results showed that the addition of FA and SSP delayed the hydration of cement, thereby improving the flowability of the composite paste. Under the same curing age and cement substitution rate, the sample strength decreased with increasing water-to-binder ratio. Under the same water-to-binder ratio and curing age, the variations in the flexural and compressive strengths of the SSP group samples were inconsistent in the early and later stages, and the sample group with 20% SSP exhibited optimal mechanical strength in the later stage. The microscopic results showed that the needle-like AFt crystals in the hydrated pores decreased in number with the increase in the SSP content. The hydration products of the FA–SSP admixture, such as C–S–H gel and RO phase, acted as pore fillers in alkaline environments. When the water-to-binder ratio was 0.4 and the FA-to-SSP ratio was 1:1 to replace 40% cement, the performance of the hardened cement paste was the best among all the test groups containing both FA and SSP. This study provides a theoretical basis for the practical application of SSP and FA as cementitious materials in construction-related fields. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Concretes and Cement-Based Composites: Additives/Admixtures, Hydration Process and Durability Research II)
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