Institute of Fundamental Technological Research

An alkali–silica reaction (ASR) is a chemical process that leads to the formation of an expansive gel, potentially causing durability issues in concrete structures. This article investigates the properties and behaviour of ASR products in mortar with the addition of low-purity calcined clay as an additional material. This study includes an evaluation of the expansion and microstructural characteristics of the mortar, as well as an analysis of the formation and behaviour of ASR products with different contents of calcined clay. Expansion tests of the mortar beam specimens were conducted according to ASTM C1567, and a detailed microscopic analysis of the reaction products was performed. Additionally, their mechanical properties were determined using nanoindentation. This study reveals that with an increasing calcined clay content, the amount of the crystalline form of the ASR gel decreases, while the nanohardness increases. The Young’s modulus of the amorphous ASR products ranged from 5 to 12 GPa, while the nanohardness ranged from 0.41 to 0.67 GPa. The obtained results contribute to a better understanding of how the incorporation of low-purity calcined clay influences the ASR in mortar, providing valuable insights into developing sustainable and durable building materials for the construction industry.

alkali–silica reaction, ASR products, calcined clay, mortar, expansion

The paper presents and discusses the results of a study of the thermal properties of cement composites with different contents of magnetite aggregate (0%, 20%, 40% and 60% by volume). The effect of grain size on the evaluated thermal properties was also investigated. For this purpose, concrete containing 50% by volume of magnetite aggregate with four different fractions (1–2 mm, 2–4 mm, 4–8 mm and 8–16 mm) was used. Thermal parameters were evaluated on specimens fully saturated with water and dried to a constant mass at 65 °C. The series with varying grain sizes of magnetite achieved thermal conductivity values in the range of 2.76–3.03 W/(m·K) and 2.00–2.21 W/(m·K) at full water saturation and after drying to a constant mass, respectively. In the case of the series with 20% magnetite by volume, the thermal conductivity was 2.65 W/(m·K) and 1.99 W/(m·K) for the material fully saturated with water and dried to a constant mass, respectively. The series with a 60% volume share of magnetite obtained values of this parameter of 3.47 W/(m·K) and 2.66 W/(m·K), respectively, under the same assumptions.

shielding concrete, thermal properties, magnetite aggregate

Results of experimental investigation on the mitigation of alkali–silica reaction (ASR) by low-grade calcined clay are presented. Domestic clay with an Al2O3 content equal to 26% and SiO2—58% was used. The calcination temperatures were as follows: 650 °C, 750 °C, 850 °C and 950 °C, which were chosen much more widely than presented in previous studies. Pozzolanity of the raw and calcined clay was determined with the Fratini test. The performance of calcined clay to mitigate ASR was evaluated according to ASTM C1567 using reactive aggregates. A control mortar mixture was prepared with 100% Portland cement (Na2Oeq = 1.12%) as a binder with reactive aggregate, and test mixtures were made with 10% and 20% of calcined clay as a cement replacement. The microstructure of the specimens was observed on the polished sections using scanning electron microscope (SEM) operated in backscattered mode (BSE). The results of expansion of mortar bars with reactive aggregate showed that replacing cement with calcined clay reduced the expansion of the mortar bars. The greater the cement replacement, the better results in terms of ASR mitigation. However, the influence of the calcination temperature was not as clear. The opposite trend was found with the use of 10% or 20% calcined clay.

alkali–silica reaction (ASR), expansion, low grade calcined clay, mitigation, Fratini test, microscopic analysis

This article presents the results of an experimental investigation into the mitigation of the alkali–silica reaction (ASR) resulting from using low-grade clay calcined at 850 °C. The clay used in the experiment was domestic clay with an Al2O3 content equal to 26% and a SiO2 content of 58%. The performance of calcined clay in ASR mitigation was evaluated according to ASTM C1567 using reactive aggregates. The control mortar mixture consisted of 100% Portland cement (Na2Oeq = 1.12%) binder and reactive aggregate. The test mixtures used the same reactive aggregate and binders, in which part of the cement was replaced with either 10%, 20% or 30% calcined clay. The microstructure of specimens was examined on the polished sections using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) operated in the backscattered mode (BSE). The results of expansion obtained from the mortar bars made with the reactive aggregate showed that replacing cement by calcined clay reduced their expansion, with the level of expansion decreasing with the increase in the level of cement replacement.

calcined clay, alkali–silica reaction, expansion, mitigation, microstructure

The kinetics of heat transfer in hardening concrete is a key issue in engineering practice for erecting massive concrete structures. Prediction of the temperature fields in early age concrete should allow for proper control of the construction process to minimize temperature gradients and the peak temperatures, which is of particular importance for concrete durability. The paper presents a method of identification of the thermophysical parameters of early age concrete such as the thermal conductivity, the specific heat, and the heat generated by cement hydration in time. Proper numerical models of transient heat conduction problems were formulated by means of finite-element method, including two types of heat losses. The developed experimental–numerical approach included the transient temperature measurements in an isolated tube device and an in-house implementation of an evolutionary algorithm to solve the parameter identification task. Parametric Bezier curves were proposed to model heat source function, which allowed for identifying such function as a smooth curve utilizing a small number of parameters. Numerical identification tasks were solved for experimental data acquired on hardening concrete mixes differing in the type of cement and type of mineral aggregate, demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed method (the mean-squared error less than 1 °C). The proposed approach allows for the identification of thermophysical parameters of early age concrete even for mixtures containing non-standard components while omitting drawbacks typical for classical optimization methods.

early age concrete, evolutionary algorithm, inverse solution, heat transfer problem, mass concrete, thermal properties

Calcined clays are the only potential materials available in large quantities to meet the requirements of eco-efficient cement-based materials by reducing the clinker content in blended cements or reducing the cement content in concrete. More than 200 recent research papers on the idea of replacing Portland cement with large amounts of calcined clay are presented and discussed in detail. First, the fundamental information about the properties and structure of clay minerals is described. Then, the process of activation and hydration of clays is discussed, including the methods of pozzolanic activity assessment. Additionally, various testing methods of clays from different worldwide deposits are presented. The application of calcined clay in cement and concrete technology is then introduced. A separate chapter is devoted to lime calcined clay cement. Then an influence of calcined clay on durability of concrete is summarized. Finally, conclusions are formulated.

calcined clay, binder, supplementary cementitious materials, cement-based materials

The results of studying the effect of the vibration processing time on the size of calcium hydroxide particles are given. The physicochemical processes affecting the size and morphology of calcium hydroxide particles have been studied. A stage-by-stage mechanism of the process of the carbonation of lime, depending on its specific surface, is established. The results show that the optimal period for the vibration treatment of lime to obtain the most active material is 20 min. A longer period of vibration results in the merging of particles into larger agglomerates.

lime, portlandite, vibration treatment, carbonation, crystallization

The procedure of numerical identification of thermophysical properties of concrete during its hardening is presented. Heat of cement hydration, thermal conductivity and specific heat are determined for purpose of modelling temperature evolution in massive concrete elements. The developed method is based on point temperature measurements in a cylindrical mould and the numerical solution of the inverse heat transfer problem by means of direct search optimization algorithm. The determined thermal characteristics of concrete are not constant and depend on the maturity of concrete. The procedure was verified on set of concrete mixes designed with Portland cement CEM I 42.5R and Portland-slag cement CEM II/B-S 32.5 N. Calcareous fly ash was also used for partial replacement of cement in the mixtures. The obtained results have been compared with experimentally measured temperature in concrete and a fair agreement has been found.

Results of measurements of the specific heat and the thermal conductivity of concrete with blended special aggregate for neutron and gamma radiation shielding are presented. Experimental tests were performed on concrete with heavyweight aggregate (magnetite, barite), hydrogen-bearing aggregate (serpentine) and amphibolite aggregate. The thermal properties of concrete were determined using a nonstationary method. The highest specific heat was found for concrete with serpentine aggregate. Simple models for predicting the specific heat and the thermal conductivity on the basis of concrete mix design were evaluated to include the blends of heavyweight and hydrogen-bearing aggregates. The thermal conductivity of concrete was found to be linearly dependent on the concrete density in the range from 2200 to 3500 kg/m3. Its increase due to water saturation of concrete was not dependent on the open porosity of concrete. It was found that the specific heat can be fairly well predicted using the rule of mixtures formula. The thermal conductivity of concrete can be approximately predicted using a parallel model in the case of water-saturated concrete. The thermal conductivity prediction for dry concrete is also discussed.

blended aggregate, concrete mix design, density, non-stationary method, open porosity, thermal properties, thermal conductivity, specific heat, radiation shielding

The paper presents the results of the study of the influence of the addition of retarding superplasticising admixture based on triisobutyl phosphate and modified phosphonates on the amount of heat generated by hardening shielding concrete. A four-point measurement of the heat generated during the hardening of concrete with an admixture dose of 0, 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0% by weight of the cement was made and the concurrent measurement of the heat released by the hardening cement paste was measured with an isothermal calorimeter. Based on the results from the calorimeter, the effect of the admixture on the temperature field in the hardening concrete mass elements was simulated for different aggregates. The results indicate that the admixture clearly lowers the temperature gradient in hardening mass concrete. In the simulations, the most clear effect was achieved in the case of concrete with barite aggregate, where the gradient value was reduced from 10°C/m to 8°C/m for an admixture content equal to 2.0%.

temperature gradient, heat release, shielding concrete, mass concrete, fresh concrete, phosphorus compounds

In this paper, the evolutionary computation procedures for identifying thermophysical properties in hardening massive concrete structures are presented. The heat of cement hydration, thermal conductivity and specific heat are determined for the purpose of modeling temperature evolution in massive concrete elements. Knowledge about temperature fields is very important due to their link with undesirable thermal stresses that can cause a weakening of structures because of thermal cracking. The proposed method is based on point temperature measurements in a cylindrical mould and the numerical solution of the inverse heat transfer problem by means of the finite element method and evolutionary computation

thermal properties of concrete, inverse heat transfer problem, early age concrete, evolutionary algorithm, FEM

W artykule opisano podstawowe wyniki uzyskane w trakcie realizacji projektu badawczego „Trwałość i skuteczność betonowych osłon przed promieniowaniem jonizującym w obiektach energetyki jądrowej” [1]. Przedstawiono też wytyczne techniczne i kryteria oceny betonu osłonowego. Uzyskane wyniki mogą stanowić podstawę dalszych prac przy projektowaniu obiektów elektrowni jądrowych, składowisk materiałów radioaktywnych i innych miejsc powstawania, stosowania lub przechowywania materiałów wytwarzających promieniowanie jonizujące. Artykuł obejmuje zagadnienia związane z wymaganą skutecznością betonowych konstrukcji osłonowych przez zapewnienie bezpieczeństwa personelu i otoczenia przed oddziaływaniem promieniowania jonizującego. Rozpatrzono również trwałość osłon betonowych, tzn. zachowanie właściwości mechanicznych i nieprzepuszczalności w okresie przewidzianej eksploatacji pod wpływem przewidywanych oddziaływań zewnętrznych i procesów starzenia, a także przy podwyższonej temperaturze i promieniowaniu jonizującym. Artykuł nie obejmuje zagadnień integralności osłon pod obciążeniami wyjątkowymi, spowodowanymi awarią reaktora, uderzeniem samolotu, działaniami terrorystycznymi itp.

Alkali-silica reaction (ASR) is considered as a potential aging-related degradation phenomenon that might impair the durability of concrete in nuclear containments. The objective of this paper is the application of digital analysis of microscopic images to identify the content and size of quartz grains in heavy mineral aggregates. The range of investigation covered magnetite and hematite aggregates, known as good absorbers of gamma radiation. Image acquisition was performed using thin sections observed in transmitted cross-polarized light with λ plate. Image processing, consisting of identification of ferrum oxide and epoxy resin, and the subsequent application of a set of filtering operations resulted in an adequate image reduction allowing the grain size analysis. Quartz grains were classified according to their mean diameter so as to identify the reactive range. Accelerated mortar bar tests were performed to evaluate the ASR potential of the aggregates. The SiO2 content in the heavyweight aggregates determined using the image analysis of thin sections was similar to XRF test result. The content of reactive quartz hematite was 2.7%, suggesting that it would be prone to ASR. The expansion test, according to ASTM C1260, confirmed the prediction obtained using the digital image analysis.

alkali-silica reaction, grain size, heavyweight aggregate, image analysis, radiation shielding concrete, reactive aggregate, quartz

We present a review of freeze-thaw durability requirements laid down in both European standards and in the national specifications in relation to concrete for road structures. The principles of material selection for concrete mix are presented. We discuss local variations in the severity of the winter season and the extent of frost action in the components of road structures. The characteristic parameters of the test procedure for direct assessment of the resistance of concrete to internal damage are analysed, with particular attention paid to the specimen cooling rate. The temperature distribution in specimens was determined in standard freeze-thaw resistance tests carried out at two accredited laboratories. We discuss the criteria used in indirect assessment of freeze-thaw durability of air-entrained concrete on the basis of air void characteristics. Based on the determined temperature distribution in concrete specimens we postulate an improvement of the standard test procedure to clearly specify the cooling rate. It would be beneficial to distinguish frost impact zones depending on the severity of action of frost and de-icing salts on concrete in road structures.

air void characteristics, concrete, cooling rate, durability, internal frost resistance, mix design, performance specification, test methods

W artykule przedstawiono wyniki badań parametrów termicznych procesu twardnienia mieszanek betonowych, z których dwie wykonano z wykorzystaniem kruszyw stosowanych w produkcji betonów osłonowych (kruszywo magnetytowe oraz serpentynitowe), a trzecią, referencyjną, z wykorzystaniem kruszywa amfibolitowego. Na podstawie analizy dokonanych pomiarów temperatury wyznaczono parametry procesu twardnienia betonu (m.in. maksymalny przyrost temperatury, maksymalny gradient i in.). Jednocześnie rozwiązując numerycznie tzw. zagadnie-nie odwrotne wyznaczono parametry cieplne betonu w trakcie pierwszych 72 godzin twardnienia. Tą samą metodą wyznaczono również wartości funkcji źródła ciepła, a następnie na jej podstawie oszacowano ilość ciepła wydzieloną w procesie hydratacji cementu. Uzyskano dobrą jakościową zgodność postaci funkcji źródła ciepła oraz wykresów zmian temperatury w mieszankach. W toku analiz uzyskanych wyników wyraźnie zaznaczył się wpływ zróżnicowania parametrów cieplnych zastosowanych kruszyw. W przypadku mieszanki z kruszywem serpentynitowym dały się także zauważyć istotne różnice w przebiegu przyrostu temperatury (opóźnienie) w stosunku do pozostałych mieszanek

młody beton, beton osłonowy, ciepło hydratacji, ciepło właściwe, współczynnik przewodzenia ciepła

Nuclear reactor containments must maintain high durability since they restrict the spread of radiation and radioactive contamination to the general public, which could have significant consequences. The containment integrity and impermeability for potentially contaminated media is ensured using sophisticated structural and materials solutions including prevention of early age cracking of concrete. The results of numerical and experimental investigation on thermal behavior of early age concrete are presented. Concrete mixes were prepared with low-heat blended cements and various mineral aggregates. Special aggregates were selected for enhancing the radiation shielding capacity of concrete, including minerals of high atomic weight and of increased content of bound water. The proposed approach consisted of several stages, consisting mainly of measurements of the one-dimensional heat distribution in cylindrical concrete elements and solving the equation of one-dimensional heat transferto determine thermal properties of hardening concrete. The proposed model of temperature distribution in hardening concrete is based on the non-linear inverse heat transfer problem solution. The obtained experimental results and numerically determined material characteristics are discussed in respect to the concrete mix design.

durability, heat transfer, hardening concrete, inverse solution, temperature, thermal properties

In the present study the potential appearance of the alkali-silica reaction (ASR) in heavy aggregates was studied. ASTM C1260 Standard Test Method for Potential Alkali Reactivity of Aggregates (Mortar-Bar Method) was applied. In order to investigate the effect of the content of alkalies in cement on the expansions due to ASR, three levels of total and soluble alkali content of cement were studied. Three portland cements Type I with different alkali content were selected. Two ordinary portland cements, which are commonly available in the market and one special cement were tested. That cement was specially made for the purpose of the nuclear shielding concrete CEM I NA-SR-LH of low-alkali, increased sulphate resistance and low heat of hydration. For the tests according to ASTM C 1260 the high-density aggregates, known as absorbing gamma radiation were selected: barite, magnetite and hematite. The expansion test revealed that hematite was highly reactive, regardless of the type of cement. Already after four days of storage in 1 N NaOH and 80°C the mortar bar expansion exceeded the limit of 0.1%, and after next four days was more than 0.2%., which qualifies it extremely reactive aggregate. Other aggregates after 14 days of testing did not exceed 0.1% elongation limit, but the influence of the type of cement was noticed. There was a noticeable tendency for increasing the total expansion with increasing the alkali content of cement.

Alkali-Silica Reaction (ASR), high density aggregate, cement composition

The paper presents the results of investigation of the specific heat and the thermal conductivity of shielding concrete and the specific heat of selected crushed aggregates used to produce them. The results of the specific heat were obtained by two methods: a stationary method, using a calorimeter, and a non-stationary method. The obtained results were compared to the results available in the literature. In addition, in the case of measuring the specific heat, the results obtained with the two methods were compared and attempt has been made to explain the differences between them.

shielding concrete, heavy aggregates, specific heat, thermal conductivity

The evolutionary computation procedures in identification of thermophysical properties of hardening concrete in massive structures are presented. Heat of cement hydration, thermal conductivity and specific heat are determined for purpose of modelling temperature evolution in massive concrete elements. The knowledge of temperature fields is very important due to a link with undesired thermal stresses, which can cause a weakening of the structure because of thermal cracking. The proposed method is based on point temperature measurements in a cylindrical mould and the numerical solution of the inverse heat transfer problem by means of finite element method and evolutionary computation

heat of cement hydration, inverse heat transfer problem, early age concrete, evolutionary algorithm, finite element method, thermophysical properties of concrete