Performance of plain and slag-blended cements and mortars exposed to combined chloride-sulphate solution

The durability of reinforced concrete structures exposed to aggressive environments remains a challenge to both researchers and the construction industry. This study investigates the hydration, mechanical properties and durability characteristics of ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS) - blended cements and mortars exposed to a combined sodium chloride - sulphate environment, at temperatures of 20°C and 38°C. The conditions were chosen so as to assess the performance of slag blends under typical temperate and warm tropical marine climatic conditions. Slags, having CaO/SiO2 ratios of 1.05 and 0.94, were blended with CEM I 52.5R at 30% replacement level to study the influence of slag composition and temperature. Parallel control tests were carried out with CEM I 42.5R. Pastes and mortar samples were cast using 0.5 water to binder ratio, pre-cured for 7 days in water before exposure. Flexural strengths were determined once the samples were 7, 28 or 90 days old. Hydration was followed using x-ray diffraction (XRD), thermal analysis, and calorimetry. Also, sorptivity, gas permeability and chloride diffusion tests were carried out on mortar samples to measure transport and durability characteristics. The results show improved mechanical and transport properties for slag blended cements exposed to environments rich in sodium chloride and sulphate

Sustainable subgrade improvement using limestone dust and sugarcane bagasse ash

The study investigated the suitability of Limestone Dust (LSD) and Sugarcane Bagasse Ash (SCBA) as stabilizer for the improvement of the geotechnical properties of Calabar subgrade soil. Limestone Dust (LSD) and Sugarcane Bagasse Ash (SCBA) wastes were employed as stand-alone stabilizers and in combination, to improve the geotechnical properties of Calabar subgrade soil. The soil was classified as clay with low plasticity using the USC-system and, A-6 under the AASHTO classification. The un-stabilized soil had a maximum dry density of 1.74 kg/m3 at an optimum moisture content of 24.5%, with a 48-hours soaked California Bearing Ratio (CBR) value of 6.92%, and, an unconfined compressive strength of 103.66 KN/m3. Stabilizers were added at 0% – 50% by weight of soil. Results showed a reduction in the swelling potential of the soil, improvements in compaction characteristics by a range of 4.3–9,8%, an increase in CBR by 50% -78.5%, unconfined compressive strength by 23.8%-38.1%, as well as improvements in shear strength, and secant modulus. It was observed that LSD as a stand-alone stabilizer and in combination with SCBA, showed better improvement compared to SCBA as a stand-alone stabilizer. It was concluded that a combination of limestone dust and sugarcane bagasse ash can be used for soil stabilization, contributing to the useful conversion of wastes and supporting the global advocacy for sustainable development in term of economic resource utilizatio

Scheffe’s Simplex Optimization of Flexural Strength of Quarry Dust and Sawdust Ash Pervious Concrete for Sustainable Pavement Construction

Pervious concrete provides a tailored surface course with high permeability properties which permit the easy flow of water through a larger interconnected porous structure to prevent flooding hazards. This paper reports the modeling of the flexural properties of quarry dust (QD) and sawdust ash (SDA) blended green pervious concrete for sustainable road pavement construction using Scheffe’s (5,2) optimization approach. The simplex mixture design method was adapted to formulate the mixture proportion to eliminate the set-backs encountered in empirical or trials and the error design approach, which consume more time and resources to design with experimental runs required to evaluate the response function. For the laboratory evaluation exercise, a maximum flexural strength of 3.703 N/mm2 was obtained with a mix proportion of 0.435:0.95:0.1:1.55:0.05 for water, cement, QD, coarse aggregate and SDA, respectively. Moreover, the minimal flexural strength response of 2.504 N/mm2 was obtained with a mix ratio of 0.6:0.75:0.3:4.1:0.25 for water, cement, QD, coarse aggregate and SDA, respectively. The test of the appropriateness of the developed model was statistically verified using the Student’ t-test and an analysis of variance (ANOVA), and was confirmed to be acceptable based on computational outcomes at the 95% confidence interval. Furthermore, the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) were used to evaluate the morphological and mineralogical behavior of green prior concrete samples with various additive mixture compositions. The addition of QD and SDA, on the other hand, aided the creation of porous microstructures in the concrete matrix due to fabric changes in the concrete mixture, potentially aided by the formation of cementitious compounds such as calcium aluminate hydrate and calcium silicate hydrate

Expansion of CEM I and slag-blended cement mortars exposed to combined chloride-sulphate environments

This study investigates the effects of specimen curing duration, temperature, and slag composition on expansion of CEM I and composite slag-cement mortars exposed to a combined NaCl and Na2SO4 solution for up to 664 days. Test prisms prepared at 0.5 w/b ratio, were wet-cured for either 7 or 28 days prior to submersion in a combined salt solution at temperatures of 20 or 38 °C, to simulate temperate or warm tropical climates respectively. Equivalent reference specimens were stored in saturated limewater at 20 °C and tested in parallel. Mortar samples were used to investigate expansion and sorptivity, while corresponding paste specimens were prepared, cured and exposed under similar conditions for chemical and microstructural investigation. Such characterisation was performed on specimens immediately prior to exposure to salt solution and after the onset of expansion. The results show significant resistance to sulphate-induced expansion for specimens cured and exposed at 38 °C. For slag blends, the influence of exposure temperature was found to be more pronounced than curing duration. Differences in slag composition and curing duration also played key roles on the expansion resistance of mortar specimens. Expansion was attributed to the formation of ettringite crystals due to the reaction of aluminate phases of the binders with sulphate ions, although Friedel's salt and Kuzel's salt were also formed. The presence of chloride mitigated sulphate expansion of CEM I. For slag blends, it was shown that sulphate expansion was significantly reduced with increasing slag contents