A Fresh View on Limestone Calcined Clay Cement (LC3) Pastes

In this work, the factors controlling the fresh state properties of limestone calcined clay cement (LC3) are assessed and compared to Portland and binary cements, extending the scope of previous research by combining rheological measurements with setting time determination and the evaluation of plastic shrinkage by a novel method. Yield stress and elastic modulus are considered indicators for the structural build-up/breakdown process when stress is applied to the system. On the other hand, plastic shrinkage occurs from the mixing to the setting of fresh paste and plays an important role in governing microstructural changes due to settlement and evaporation. Evaluation of the rheological properties with time was appropriate to give an overview of the influence and behavior of different added materials. The elastic modulus of all binders (clinker, LC3, clinker–limestone, and clinker–calcined clay) was increased from mixing to 60 min of curing as follows: 5.27 × 103 to 9.50 × 105 Pa, 5.94 × 103 to 9.87 × 105 Pa, 6.89 × 103 to 5.62 × 105 Pa and 7.85 × 103 to 1.27 × 106 Pa, respectively. Moreover, during the first three hours of curing, LC3 exhibited a reduction of plastic shrinkage by more than a factor of 2 compared to clinker cement. The use of calcined clay with clinker increases the elastic modulus of the system due to the flocculation effect and increased water absorption, while a dilution effect is contributed due to deflocculation and a free-water increase in the system when a high fraction of limestone is present in the binary cement. The combination of limestone and calcined clay with clinker can induce additional chemical reactions, which control the early age properties, such as plastic shrinkage. The obtained results can contribute to optimizing the fresh state properties of ternary blends of OPC, calcined clay, and limestone through a knowledge-based approac

Mechanical performance and physico-chemical properties of limestone calcined clay cement (LC3) in Malawi

Malawi is one of the least-developed countries in Sub-Saharan Africa with disaster-prone housing infrastructure characterized by poor construction materials. Therefore, there is a need to provide resilient and cost-effective materials, such as limestone calcined clay cement (LC3). However, the exploitation of LC3 in Malawi is limited due to a lack of mineralogical information about the clays and limestone and related strength and durability when used as a cementitious material. In this study, the strength and physico-chemical properties of LC3 systems with 50% and 40% clinker contents (LC3-50 and LC3-40) were investigated. Cement mortar specimens were prepared at water to cement (w/c) ratios of 0.45, 0.5, and 0.6 with varying calcined clay (CC) to limestone (CC/LS) ratios (1:1, 2:1, and 3:1). The effects of CC/LS ratio on the fresh properties, strength, and durability were investigated. The results showed that specimens with 40% Portland cement replacement levels (LC3-40) exhibited higher standard consistency (up to 45%) than LC3-50, porosity in the range of 8.3–13.3%, and maximum water uptake in the range of 3.8–10.9%. On the other hand, LC3-50 samples offered the highest strength of approximately 40 MPa, complying with requirements for pozzolanic cementitious materials, whereas LC3-40 conforms to the strength requirements for masonry cements. This work shows that LC3 systems can be manufactured with local clays and limestone available in Malawi, and used as a sustainable construction material to mitigate carbon emissions as well as boost the local economy

Durability of ternary blended concrete incorporating rice husk ash and calcined clay

Research on the combined substitution of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) has already demonstrated that it might be one of the few viable options to produce low-carbon concrete at scale. This paper presents an experimental investigation on the performance and durability of rice husk ash (RHA) and calcined clay (CC) in ternary blended concrete exposed to chloride attacks under wet/dry cycles. Portland cement (PC) was replaced by RHA and CC up to 50% by weight to produce low-carbon concrete. Samples were subjected to wet/dry cycles in 3.5% NaCl water, with mineralogical composition and microstructure development before and after exposure analysed by TGA-DSC, MIP, XRD, and SEM. The durability of the concrete against wet/dry cycles was investigated in terms of compressive strength, water absorption, open porosity, density, thermal conductivity, and electrical resistivity. The results showed that concrete mixes with CC and RHA up to 60% exhibited an increase of 33% in compressive strength, followed by minimal changes in water absorption. While a decrease in electrical resistivity was measured in all samples with RHA and CC, increasing the CC content to 50% resulted in improved resistance to chloride penetration. Increasing the CC content resulted in a more refined microstructure, with an overall decrease in porosity of up to 32% compared to the control series. While RHA alone did not contribute to significant improvements after wet/dry cycles, the combined substitution of RHA and CC at SCM replacement levels of 60% showed an overall improvement in hardened properties and durability. This investigation provides valuable insights into the long-term performance and strength of innovative low-carbon concrete

Chloride Ingress in Chemically Activated Calcined Clay-Based Cement

Chloride-laden environments pose serious durability concerns in cement based materials. This paper presents the findings of chloride ingress in chemically activated calcined Clay-Ordinary Portland Cement blended mortars. Results are also presented for compressive strength development and porosity tests. Sampled clays were incinerated at a temperature of 800°C for 4 hours. The resultant calcined clay was blended with Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) at replacement level of 35% by mass of OPC to make test cement labeled PCC35. Mortar prisms measuring 40 mm × 40 mm × 160 mm were cast using PCC35 with 0.5 M Na2SO4 solution as a chemical activator instead of water. Compressive strength was determined at 28th day of curing. As a control, OPC, Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC), and PCC35 were similarly investigated without use of activator. After the 28th day of curing, mortar specimens were subjected to accelerated chloride ingress, porosity, compressive strength tests, and chloride profiling. Subsequently, apparent diffusion coefficients (Dapp) were estimated from solutions to Fick’s second law of diffusion. Compressive strength increased after exposure to the chloride rich media in all cement categories. Chemically activated PCC35 exhibited higher compressive strength compared to nonactivated PCC35. However, chemically activated PCC35 had the least gain in compressive strength, lower porosity, and lower chloride ingress in terms of Dapp, compared to OPC, PPC, and nonactivated PCC35

Review of Carbonation Resistance in Hydrated Cement Based Materials

Blended cements are preferred to Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) in construction industry due to costs and technological and environmental benefits associated with them. Prevalence of significant quantities of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere due to increased industrial emission is deleterious to hydrated cement materials due to carbonation. Recent research has shown that blended cements are more susceptible to degradation due to carbonation than OPC. The ingress of CO2 within the porous mortar matrix is a diffusion controlled process. Subsequent chemical reaction between CO2 and cement hydration products (mostly calcium hydroxide [CH] and calcium silicate hydrate [CSH]) results in degradation of cement based materials. CH offers the buffering capacity against carbonation in hydrated cements. Partial substitution of OPC with pozzolanic materials however decreases the amount of CH in hydrated blended cements. Therefore, low amounts of CH in hydrated blended cements make them more susceptible to degradation as a result of carbonation compared to OPC. The magnitude of carbonation affects the service life of cement based structures significantly. It is therefore apparent that sufficient attention is given to carbonation process in order to ensure resilient cementitious structures. In this paper, an indepth review of the recent advances on carbonation process, factors affecting carbonation resistance, and the effects of carbonation on hardened cement materials have been discussed. In conclusion, carbonation process is influenced by internal and external factors, and it has also been found to have both beneficial and deleterious effects on hardened cement matrix

Physicochemical Properties of Hydrated Portland Cement Blended with Rice Husk Ash

In the presence of significant quantities of carbon dioxide (CO2) and elevated temperatures in the atmosphere due to climate change, cement-based materials are susceptible to carbonation. Blended cements are more prone to carbonation attack than Portland cement. There is a need to evaluate the carbonation resistance of blended cements in a carbonation-prone environment. This paper presents experimental findings obtained from an evaluation of carbonation resistance tests on Rice Husk Ash- (RHA-) blended cement. The blended cement was made by intergrinding of Portland Cement (PC) and RHA to make the test cement (PC-RHA). The RHA dosage in the PC-RHA was varied from 0 to 30% by mass of PC. Pozzolanicity, standard consistency, and setting time tests were conducted on PC-RHA. Mortar prisms measuring 160 mm × 40 mm x 40 mm were separately cast at a water/cement ratio (w/c) of 0.50 and 0.60 and cured in water for 2, 7, 14, 28, and 90 days. Compressive strength tests were conducted on the mortar prisms at each of the testing ages. The prepared mortars were also subjected to accelerated carbonation tests in two Relative Humidity (RH) curing regimes, one maintained at an RH greater than 90% and the other between 50–60%. Carbonation resistance of the mixtures was evaluated in terms of the changes in carbonation depth using a phenolphthalein test at the age of 7, 14, 28, and 56 days of curing in a continuous flow of CO2. Compressive strength measurements were also taken during each of the carbonation testing ages. For comparison, similar tests were conducted using commercial PC. The results showed that PC-RHA was pozzolanic while PC was nonpozzolanic. Higher water demand and longer setting times were observed in PC-RHA than in PC. Moreover, there was increased strength development in water-cured samples with increased curing duration. Carbonation results indicated that there was a marked increase in carbonation depth with increased dosage of RHA in PC-RHA binders, increased duration of exposure to CO2, and decreased RH (RH between 50–60%). PC-RHA binders exhibited lower carbonation resistance than PC. In conclusion, for mortars at any w/c ratio, carbonation resistance decreased with increase in RHA dosage and increased w/c ratio

Physicochemical Performance of Portland-Rice Husk Ash-Calcined Clay-Dried Acetylene Lime Sludge Cement in Sulphate and Chloride Media

This paper reports leach and/or intake of SO42−, Cl−, Ca2+, Na+, and K+ from and/or into cement mortar cubes made from a novel cementious material in naturally encountered environmental simulated media. The paper also reports changes in pH of the media over time of exposure to the cement mortar cubes. The compressive strength changes of the test cement in simulated media are also reported. The novel cement, labelled PCDC, made from intermixing ordinary Portland cement (OPC) with waste materials which included rice husks, waste bricks, acetylene lime sludge, and spent bleaching earth was previously tested and found to meet the Kenyan Standard requirements for Portland pozzolana cement (PPC). 100 mm mortar cubes were prepared, and their compressive strengths were determined after exposure to the sea water. The media included sea water, distilled water, and solutions of sulphates and chlorides separately for a period of six months. The tests were carried alongside commercial PPC and OPC. The results showed that the PCDC exhibited comparable selected ions intake and/or leach to PPC in sea water, sulphate solutions, and distilled water. In chloride solutions, the cement exhibited the highest leach in the selected ions except K+ and Na+ ions. The results further showed that PCDC exhibited lower pH in all the media compared to OPC and PPC. The tests showed that the novel cement can be used for general construction work in the tested media in a similar manner to PPC