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Carbonation of cementitious binders implies gradual capture of CO2 and significant compensation for the abundant cement-related CO2 emissions. Therefore, one should always look at the CO2-sequestration-to-emission ratio (CO2SP/EM). Here, this was done for High-Volume Fly Ash (HVFA) mortar (versus two commercial cement mortars). Regarding their CO2 sequestration potential, effects of accelerated testing (at 1–10% CO2) on as such estimated natural carbonation degrees and rates were studied. Production related CO2 emissions were evaluated using life cycle assessment with no/economic allocation for fly ash. Natural carbonation rates estimated from accelerated tests significantly underestimate actual natural carbonation rates (with 29–59% for HVFA mortar) while corresponding carbonation degrees are significantly overestimated (67–74% as opposed to the actual 58% for HVFA mortar). It is advised to stick with the more time-consuming natural tests. Even then, CO2SP/EM values can vary considerably depending on whether economic allocation coefficients (Ce) were considered. This approach imposes significant portions of the CO2 emissions of coal-fired electricity production onto fly ash originating from Germany, China, UK, US and Canada. Ce values of ≥0.50% lower the potential CO2SP/EM values up to a point that it seems no longer environmentally worthwhile to aim at high-volume replacement of Portland cement/clinker by fly ash. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obtaining new materials capable of meeting society's demands motivates the search for new solutions that are capable of satisfying twofold requirements: respect for the environment and obtaining more durable and resistant materials. Cupola slag is a by-product generated in the process of obtaining ductile iron. When the slag undergoes rapid cooling, its vitrification is favored, leaving the silica in an amorphous structure and, thus, susceptible to reacting. Through reaction, the slag can develop cementing properties and cement can consequently be partially replaced with residue, providing savings in economic and environmental costs compared to traditional hydraulic binders. In this study, the physical and chemical properties of cupola slag and its recovery process are analyzed. Mortars that incorporate traditional admixtures (fly ash and limestone filler) have been manufactured and consistency and mechanical properties have been compared with mortars that incorporate cupola slag admixture. Mortars have also been manufactured with normalized sand and with Portland cement replacements (0, 10, 20, and 30% by weight) with cupola slag, and both the consistency and the mechanical properties have been compared at 7, 28, 60, and 90 days. The results obtained show the suitability of cupola slag as a binder and as an admixture, with respect to the traditional ones, and how the mechanical properties tend to converge for all of the replacement levels characterized, for ages close to 90 days of age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given their low tensile strength, cement-based materials are very susceptible to cracking. These cracks serve as preferential pathways for corrosion inducing substances. For large concrete infrastructure works, currently available time-consuming manual repair techniques are not always an option. Often, one simply cannot reach the damaged areas and when making those areas accessible anyway (e.g., by redirecting traffic), the economic impacts involved would be enormous. Under those circumstances, it might be useful to have concrete with an embedded autonomous healing mechanism. In this paper, the effectiveness of incorporating encapsulated high and low viscosity polyurethane-based healing agents to ensure (multiple) crack healing has been investigated by means of capillary absorption tests on mortar while monitoring the time-dependent water ingress with neutron radiography. Overall visual interpretation and water front/sample cross-section area ratios as well as water profiles representing the area around the crack and their integrals do not show a preference for the high or low viscosity healing agent. Another observation is that in presence of two cracks, only one is properly healed, especially when using the latter healing agent. Exposure to water immediately after release of the healing agent stimulates the foaming reaction of the polyurethane and ensures a better crack closure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beneficiating fly ash as valuable construction material such as artificial lightweight aggregate (LWA) could be an alternative solution to increase the utilization of the industrial by-product. However, generally, LWA is characterized by high porosity and a related high water absorption, which on the one hand allows production of lightweight mortar, but on the other hand can affect its performance. Thus, in this research, the durability performance of mortar composed with alkali-activated fly ash-based LWA, and commercial expanded clay (EC) LWA was investigated. The fly ash LWA was prepared in a pan granulator, with a 6-molar solution of NaOH mixed with Na2SiO3 in a Na2SiO3/NaOH weight ratio of 1.5 being used as activator (FA 6M LWA). The results revealed that mortar containing FA 6M LWA had equivalent mechanical strength with mortar containing EC LWA. The mortar containing FA 6M LWA had comparable capillary water uptake and chloride migration resistance with the reference and EC LWA mortar. Furthermore, the addition of FA 6M LWA was proven to enhance the carbonation resistance in the resulting mortar, due to the denser interfacial transition zone (ITZ) of mortar with LWA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Binders with large portions of carbon-intensive Portland cement replaced by supplementary cementitious materials (e.g. fly ash) are more susceptible to carbonation mainly due to their lower CO 2 buffering capacity. This conclusion is usually drawn from accelerated experiments at elevated CO 2 levels involving processes that seriously differ from natural carbonation. The resulting presence of H 2 O reactant in the pore system and the carbonated microstructure itself may be very different. In this paper, these phenomena were investigated for High-Volume Fly Ash (HVFA) mortar via carbonation tests at ±0.04% CO 2 (natural carbonation), 1% CO 2 and 10% CO 2. Internal humidity sensor monitoring and 1H NMR relaxometry revealed the highest water vapour and liquid water contents after carbonation at 10% CO 2. Carbonation at 10% CO 2 results in a coarser pore structure than carbonation at 1% CO 2 , and this probably due to a higher degree of C–S–H carbonation. • Internal relative humidity after carbonation is higher at 10% CO 2 than at 1% CO 2. • MRE resistivity after carbonation is lower at 10% CO 2 than at 0.04 and 1% CO 2. • NMR assessed liquid H 2 O content after carbonation is higher at 10% CO 2 than at 1% CO 2. • Coarsening of pore structure after carbonation is higher at 10% CO 2 than at 1% CO 2. • A 10% CO 2 level is too high in view of still assessing natural carbonation phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alkali activation may help to increase the early strength and reduce the setting time of mixtures with high contents of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs). In this research, the effect of sodium sulfate activator on reaction kinetics, compressive strength and pore structure of hybrid systems produced with 70 wt% ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) and 30 wt% Portland cement (PC) was determined. The setting time was shortened by adding sodium sulfate, but increasing the dose above 3 wt% did not influence it drastically. In-situ XRD measurements revealed an increasing ettringite formation within the first 2 days of hydration. A greater reaction of the GGBFS resulted in a pore refinement of the mortars studied and consequently raised the early age compressive strength. The assessment of a convenient dosage of activator was based on both technological and environmental parameters. The contribution of PC and GGBFS to compressive strength was "decoupled". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]