Search

Traditional supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) have been proven to reduce the negative impact of Portland cement production on the environment. However, the availability of SCMs becomes limited due to their extensive usage. For this reason, our work aimed to investigate the effect of partial substitution of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) with two different types of carbon-rich waste powders—biochar (BC) and coal dust (CD), dosed separately up to 10 wt.% of OPC, on the physical, microstructural and mechanical properties of hardened specimens. Obtained data pointed out that replacing OPC with small amounts of BC and CD (not exceeding 5.0 wt.% and 2.5% wt.%, respectively) initiated an increment in mechanical strengths due to a decrease in total open porosity and enhanced formation of hydration products of such composites compared with the reference. Overall, both examined alternatives, if added in appropriate amounts, have the perspective to be effectively applied in cement manufacturing and concrete production, and thus to importantly contribute to the long-term sustainability of the construction industry in view of energy savings, reduced releasing of the greenhouse gasses and mitigating of global climate changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Acrylic latex additives were produced with and without keto-hydrazide crosslinking from standardly available low-cost raw monomers. • The results indicate that the highest effect on heat flow evolution changes has been detected in the case of latexes without crosslinking. • An important mitigation of liquid water transport properties of latex-modified composites has been achieved. • The developed latex cement-based composites may find utilization as special materials for structures or products for water-loaded constructions. Polymer-modified Portland-based composites are of interest for specific applications, in reason of their properties. There are different types of commercial additives and waste polymer-based materials applied to cement-based composites, however, their impacts on the environment are debatable. This work has prepared new acrylic latex additives with and without keto-hydrazide crosslinking from standardly available low-cost raw monomers. The influence of their incorporation into Portland cement-based fine-grained mortars has been investigated. The obtained results indicate that the highest effect on heat flow evolution changes has been detected in the case of latexes without crosslinking. The incorporation of both latex types into produced cement composites resulted in a significant increase in open porosity connected with the gradual decrease in mechanical resistance, especially the compressive strength. On the other hand, an important mitigation of liquid water transport properties of latex-modified composites has been achieved, and such properties can be tuned according to the used latex type and its concentration. The developed latex cement-based composites may find utilization as special materials for structures or products for water-loaded constructions or in areas with high concentrations of water-soluble salts or other pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Materials resulting from incorporation of solid waste incineration fly ash into phosphate-based geopolymers, to partially replace metakaolin (up to 50% wt), were studied. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and infrared spectroscopy were adopted to describe the mineralogical changes and the structural modifications of the geopolymer networks which impacted on the mechanical performance (compressive strength) of the materials. The results indicated that fly ash displays a different reactivity compared with metakaolin, behaving preferentially as a source of alkali that compete with the aluminosilicate metakaolin fraction by precipitating crystalline and amorphous phosphates. At 10 wt% of metakaolin substitution with fly ash, the extent and reticulation of the amorphous geopolymer matrix is preserved, and the mechanical properties are retained. At higher waste content (30–50% wt), the fast kinetics of the acid-base reactions involving the fly ash reactive phases prevail over the metakaolin dealumination, and the nature of the material shifts to an alkali-phosphate cement/phosphate-geopolymer composite. This behaviour, together with the development of porosity and presence of low-strength phases in the ash, led to a decline in the mechanical performance with increasing amount of substitution. All in all, this work provides fundamental information in the direction of a sustainable employment of phosphate-based geopolymers, which is limited by the relatively high cost of both metakaolin and phosphoric acid. Moreover, it indicates a recycling opportunity for this type of fly ash. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the historical and old building stock in Europe are constructed from masonry, when brick, stones, or their combination are bound with traditional mortars. Rising damp, due to accompanying effects, is the main factor influencing the quality of indoor climate as well as having an important impact on the durability of masonry structures. In this study, new types of lightweight concrete with waste aggregate content as a suitable material for remediation of damp damaged masonries were designed and tested. Alternative aggregate served as silica sand substitution in the range of 0–100 vol.%. Basic structural properties, mechanical resistance, water, and water vapor transport properties were measured after 28 days of water curing and were compared with dense reference concrete and with traditional masonry materials as well. Moreover, the porous structure of produced concretes and changes caused by usage of alternative aggregate usage were evaluated with the mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) technique. Obtained experimental data showed the suitability of modified concretes with 25–50 vol.% of waste aggregate content to ensure acceptable strength and hydric properties, and these properties were found to be comparable with masonry structures and materials used in the past. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]