Article
Construction & Building Technology
Yichen Shan, Lihua Zhang, Laibao Liu
Summary: Phosphorus slag (PS) is a sustainable and efficient treatment method as a mineral admixture in cementitious systems. In this study, the reaction process of PS in composite paste was systematically analyzed, and the results showed that incorporating PS delayed the appearance of exothermic hydration peak and increased the strength of the paste. Overall, this study provides theoretical basis and technical guidance for the application of phosphorus slag as a mineral admixture in cementitious systems.
JOURNAL OF BUILDING ENGINEERING
(2023)
Review
Construction & Building Technology
Cuifang Lu, Zuhua Zhang, Caijun Shi, Ning Li, Dengwu Jiao, Qiang Yuan
Summary: This paper comprehensively reviews the rheological properties of alkali-activated materials (AAMs) and the influence of composition factors on their rheology, providing guidance for future research directions in the field of AAM workability and mechanical requirements.
CEMENT & CONCRETE COMPOSITES
(2021)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Meng Wu, Yunsheng Zhang, Zhiyong Liu, Wei She, Cheng Liu, Dafu Wang, Shiyu Sui
Summary: The study investigated the composition of CASH in lime-activated low carbon cementitious materials (LCM) and analyzed the effect of alkaline additives on the composition of CASH in LCM, particularly on the hydration rim of slag. Alkali additives improved the hydration of GGBFS and increased the thickness of the hydration rim. The hydration rim contained various compounds, including C(N)ASH, ettringite, U-phase, and a minor amount of amorphous or poorly crystalline hydrotalcite-like phase.
CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Ruiquan Jia, Qiang Wang, Ting Luo
Summary: This study reveals how the alkali dose and silicate modulus affect the workability of alkali-activated phosphorus slag pastes. Waterglass accelerates the dissolution of the phosphorus slag, resulting in faster slump loss in waterglass-activated pastes. Moderate waterglass modulus leads to slower slump loss due to the minimized difference in mutual inhibition between Ca, Mg, and Al, allowing hydrates to form slowly. However, higher and lower waterglass moduli result in faster slump loss as a result of the excessive formation of hydrates with excess elements.
CEMENT & CONCRETE COMPOSITES
(2022)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Saeid Ghorbani, Yubo Sun, Manu K. Mohan, Stijn Matthys
Summary: Reusing and recycling waste materials in construction can have positive impacts on the environment and economy. This study focuses on the use of three industrial by-products (metallurgical slags) - copper slag (CS), stainless steel slag (SS), and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) - as solid precursors to produce binary blend alkali activated materials (AAMs). The behavior of the mixtures was analyzed in terms of flow spread, compressive and flexural tensile strengths, porosity, and water absorption. Partially replacing GGBFS with CS or SS improved workability properties of the mixture, but reduced its strength. However, the 28-day compressive strength of the studied mixtures remained higher than 50 MPa. The capillary porosity of the specimens increased with higher contents of CS or SS. The water absorption results were influenced by the drying temperature used in the test method. Overall, replacing GGBFS with CS or SS up to 50% showed promise.
CASE STUDIES IN CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Zhenming Li, Irving Alfredo Flores Beltran, Yun Chen, Branko Savija, Guang Ye
Summary: By combining glass wool waste with blast furnace slag through alkali activation, a new material with good mechanical properties and workability can be obtained, without compromising the performance of the blended paste.
CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING MATERIALS
(2021)
Review
Construction & Building Technology
Y. K. Kong, Kiyofumi Kurumisawa
Summary: Alkali-activated materials (AAMs) are gaining popularity as ecofriendly and sustainable construction materials for their ability to reduce carbon emissions and utilize industrial byproducts. However, their practical application is hindered by variability in their properties during the early stages. This study provides an overview of the fresh properties of AAMs and discusses the influence of material composition on workability and setting. It also proposes data fusion and image-based analysis as methods to address the limitations of fresh AAMs.
JOURNAL OF BUILDING ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Alireza Komaei, Ali Noorzad, Pooria Ghadir
Summary: Stabilization and solidification of arsenic-contaminated soil using alkaline activated slag shows promising results in reducing leachability and improving strength.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Yannian Zhang, Daokui Yang, Qingjie Wang
Summary: This paper studied the workability, mechanical properties, and hydration characteristics of alkali-activated phosphorus slag-granulated blast furnace slag (AAPG) by mixing phosphorus slag with granulated blast furnace slag. The results showed that the addition of granulated blast furnace slag improved the fluidity and early strength of AAPG, but excessive content led to flash setting of the slurry. The hydration products of AAPG were mainly C-S-H and C-(N)-A-S-H, with some hydrotalcite by-products, but exhibited uneven distribution.
ARCHIVES OF CIVIL AND MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Zuwang Bian, Guowang Jin, Tao Ji
Summary: Utilizing a combined activator of Ca(OH)2 and Na2CO3, this study investigated the effect of combined activator content on the performance of alkali-activated ferronickel slag system. The workability decreases with the increase of Na2O equivalent, while compressive strength first increases and then decreases, with the optimal Na2O equivalent identified as 5%.
CEMENT & CONCRETE COMPOSITES
(2021)
Review
Construction & Building Technology
Xinyue Liu, Xiaoming Liu, Zengqi Zhang
Summary: Yellow phosphorus slag (YPS), a solid waste from phosphorus ore smelting, can be used as a raw material for building materials such as cement and concrete. It has the potential to achieve large-scale resource recycling, improve utilization rate, and generate economic and environmental benefits for sustainable development.
CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Lukas Kalina, Vlastimil Bflek, Petr Hruby, Valeriia Iliushchenko, Michal Kalina, Jiri Smilek
Summary: The effectiveness of lignosulfonate-based plasticizers (LS) in alkali-activated materials depends on the silicate modulus of the activator. LS is most effective for silicate moduli of 0 and 0.10, resulting in a significant reduction in the viscoelastic moduli.
CEMENT AND CONCRETE RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Juan He, Tingting Hu, Junhong He, Xuefeng Song, Yonghua Wu, Guochen Sang
Summary: The study explores the adjustment of fluidity and setting time of alkali-activated slag (AAS) paste by using inorganic salts composed of negative hydration ions. The results show that this method can significantly improve the fluidity and setting time of AAS paste, thereby enhancing its construction performance.
CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Alaa M. Rashad, Ashraf K. Eessaa, Mervat H. Khalil, O. A. Mohamed
Summary: For the first time, the possibility of adding nano-zirconium (NZ) into alkali-activated slag (AAS) cement as a modifier against seawater attack was studied in this article. Different ratios of NZ were added into the neat AAS cement, and their effects on workability and compressive strength were measured. The results showed that the incorporation of 1% and 3% NZ had a positive effect on compressive strength before and after exposure to different media, while the incorporation of 5% had a negative effect.
CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Kala Kondepudi, Kolluru V. L. Subramaniam
Summary: The study focuses on enhancing the buildability of printable alkali-activated mixtures by modifying the baseline mixture with alkaline activating solution and components like CMC, influencing the viscosity and properties of the mixture for achieving constructability in 3D concrete printing.
CEMENT & CONCRETE COMPOSITES
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Hamideh Mehdizadeh, Tung-Chai Ling, Xiongfei Cheng, Kim Hung Mo
Summary: This study investigated the effects of CO2 treatment, particle size, and cement replacement content on the physical properties and microstructure of blended cement paste. The results indicated that carbonation can improve flowability and reduce porosity, while decreasing particle size led to higher compressive strength of the cement paste.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Hamideh Mehdizadeh, Tung-Chai Ling, Xiongfei Cheng, Shu-Yuan Pan, Kim Hung Mo
Summary: This study aimed to enhance the properties of residual hydrated cement powder (HCP) from recycled concrete via CO2 treatment. The study found that carbonation can effectively reduce the porosity of HCP by forming calcite, leading to higher compressive strength in concrete.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS IN CIVIL ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
P. Padilla-Encinas, L. Fernandez-Carrasco, A. Palomo, A. Fernandez-Jimenez
Summary: The study investigates the early-age hydration of calcium sulfoaluminate clinker using neutral or alkaline solutions of different concentrations. The results show that the concentration and alkalinity of the solution have a significant impact on the hydration reaction rate and product formation.
CEMENT AND CONCRETE RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Ghazal Enteshari, Ebrahim Najafi Kani
Summary: In this study, microencapsulated phase change material (MEPCM) was developed using the emulsion-polymerization method for application in gypsum plaster tiles as a passive thermal energy storage (TES) solution. The addition of MEPCM was found to impact the thermal conductivity, density, and mechanical strength of the gypsum plaster tiles. The synthesized MEPCM exhibited high encapsulation efficiency and thermal stability.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS IN CIVIL ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Samira Moukannaa, Abdelilah Aboulayt, Rachid Hakkou, Mostafa Benzaazoua, Katja Ohenoja, Angel Palomo, Ana Fernandez-Jimenez
Summary: Landfilling of mine and industrial waste leads to environmental and economic issues. Current research focuses on sustainable management methods for recycling these waste streams into manufacturing green construction materials. This study presents a promising process for recycling mine tailings and identifies the optimal conditions through experimental investigations.
COMPOSITES PART B-ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Hamideh Mehdizadeh, Xiongfei Cheng, Kim Hung Mo, Tung-Chai Ling
Summary: This study aims to improve the quality of waste hydrated cement paste powders and investigate their possible use as new supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) through CO2 pre-treatment. The results show that carbonation can enhance the compressive strength of the cement paste and change the silicate network. The carbonated waste powders can be used as new SCMs up to 30% without compromising the 28-day strength.
JOURNAL OF BUILDING ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Yuqing Wu, Hamideh Mehdizadeh, Kim Hung Mo, Tung-Chai Ling
Summary: The carbonation of recycled concrete fines (RCF) can be improved by using high temperature CO2, leading to better performance and making it a suitable substitute for cement in the construction industry.
JOURNAL OF BUILDING ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
J. Manosa, A. M. Gomez-Carrera, A. Svobodova-Sedlackova, A. Maldonado-Alameda, A. Fernandez-Jimenez, J. M. Chimenos
Summary: This study aims to enhance the reactivity of kaolin through mechanical activation and assess its potential reactivity. The results showed that mechanical activation could produce a highly amorphous and reactive material, which was confirmed by chemical attacks and the availability of SiO2 and Al2O3.
APPLIED CLAY SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Hamideh Mehdizadeh, Xin Shao, Kim Hung Mo, Tung-Chai Ling
Summary: Yellow phosphorus slag, an industrial waste, can be carbonated to enhance its reactivity and used as a cement substitute. Carbonated yellow phosphorus slag improves the early-age characteristics of cement paste and accelerates the hydration rate of cement clinker.
CEMENT & CONCRETE COMPOSITES
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Bo Qu, A. Martin, J. Y. Pastor, A. Palomo, A. Fernandez Jimenez
Summary: This paper aimed to study the physical and chemical changes taking places in a hybrid alkaline-belite cement (HYP, with a high level of fly ash, 47.5%) paste at high temperature. The stress-strain behavior, compressive strength, and microstructural variations of HYP and an alkaline-activated fly ash cement (FAN) paste were investigated. The study found that HYP did not experience softening at high temperature compared to FAN, and an increase in total porosity was observed with temperature. The different stress-strain behaviors of HYP and FAN and the pathways for phase recrystallization contribute to their high-temperature resistance.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY-JMR&T
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Xin Shao, Hamideh Mehdizadeh, Lufan Li, Tung-Chai Ling
Summary: Accelerated carbonation of industrial by-products is an effective method to convert waste into valuable construction materials. Dry carbonation has slow reaction and low CO2 fixation efficiency, while the challenge of aqueous carbonation is water consumption. This study evaluated the environmental impact of carbonation and the use of CO2-treated waste slags as cement replacements.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Angela D'Elia, Marina Clausi, Ana Fernandez-Jimenez, Angel Palomo, Giacomo Eramo, Rocco Laviano, Daniela Pinto
Summary: This study investigates alkaline binders obtained from carbonate-rich illitic clay, blast furnace slag, and F fly ash. The results show that the mixture of illitic clay and blast furnace slag forms a more compact matrix and achieves a higher mechanical strength than the individual components. However, the combination of illitic clay and F fly ash exhibits relatively low compressive strength due to the poor reaction potential of fly ash at room temperature.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Andres Cano, Jose Antonio Suarez-Navarro, Francisca Puertas, Ana Fernandez-Jimenez, Maria del Mar Alonso
Summary: The manufacture of Portland cement has high energy and environmental costs, but various solutions have been implemented to mitigate this impact, such as using supplementary cementitious materials. These materials can increase the radiological content of cement, so a new approach using X-ray fluorescence analysis is proposed. Principal component analysis is used to establish relationships between the chemical composition and radiological content of different cementitious materials. Models were validated and showed good accuracy for determining the activity concentration and radiation protection suitability of these materials.
Proceedings Paper
Construction & Building Technology
A. Fernandez-Jimenez, I. Garcia-Lodeiro, O. Maltseva, A. Palomo
Summary: The production of ordinary Portland cement (PC) accounts for 2-3% of global energy use and 8-10% of worldwide carbon dioxide emissions. It is projected that the CO2 emissions associated with PC manufacturing could increase by 240-260% by 2050 compared to 1990 emissions. To address this issue, the cement industry has been exploring options such as replacing Portland clinker with low-carbon Supplementary Cementitious Materials (SCMs) to create blended cement. The use of alkaline activation technology allows for higher replacement levels of up to 60% or 70%, known as Hybrid Alkaline Cements (HAC).
PROCEEDINGS OF THE 75TH RILEM ANNUAL WEEK 2021
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Pilar Padilla-Encinas, Angel Palomo, Ana Fernandez-Jimenez
Summary: This paper examined how the amount and type of sulphate salt affect the hydration of calcium sulphoaluminate clinker, and found that both factors affect the hydration kinetics, reaction product formation, and mechanical strength development.
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Qi Zheng, Chengyao Liang, Jinyang Jiang, Haiyan Mao, Karen C. Bustillo, Chengyu Song, Jeffrey A. Reimer, Paulo J. M. Monteiro, Haimei Zheng, Shaofan Li
Summary: This study used scanning transmission electron microscopy to examine defects in cement particles at the single-atom level. The researchers identified different types of defects and found that they play a crucial role in cement hydration, facilitating dissolution and providing nucleation sites for hydration products.
CEMENT AND CONCRETE RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Anuj Parashar, Shashank Bishnoi
Summary: This study investigated the hydration of siliceous fly ash, slag, and metakaolin with calcium hydroxide, and found that the rate of hydration and phase assemblage is influenced by the alkali and sulphate content, while siliceous fly ash is less affected by alkalis and sulphates.
CEMENT AND CONCRETE RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Peimin Zhan, Juan Wang, Hanbing Zhao, Wengui Li, Surendra P. Shah, Jing Xu
Summary: This study investigates the influence of hydrothermal synthetic conditions on the properties of C-S-H seeds and reveals the correlations between C-S-H seeds properties, hydration kinetics, and paste performances. It is found that low reactant concentrations and calcium-to-silicon ratios facilitate the production of C-S-H seeds with small size and high purity. Using C-S-H seeds with high effective surface area accelerates the hydration process of cement, resulting in refined pore structure and enhanced strength.
CEMENT AND CONCRETE RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Zhaozheng Meng, Qing-feng Liu, Neven Ukrainczyk, Song Mu, Yufei Zhang, Geert De Schutter
Summary: This study developed a numerical framework to investigate the combined attack of sulfate and chloride ions on cementitious materials in marine and saline environments. The study quantified various chemical reactions and solved the electrostatic potential caused by multi-ion coupling. The results showed that neglecting the multi-ions coupling effect could result in an underestimated chemical coupling strength in competitive chloride-sulfate binding.
CEMENT AND CONCRETE RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Ning Li, Cise Unluer
Summary: This study aimed to improve the carbonation efficiency and reduce processing time of recycled concrete aggregates (RCAs). Wet carbonation with seawater was found to be more efficient than dry carbonation, leading to significant reduction in water absorption and increase in density of RCAs. The compressive strength of recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) prepared with 1-hour seawater carbonated RCAs was also improved. The formation of ettringite and calcite under wet carbonation contributed to the increased density and strength, as well as improved bond strength in the interfacial transition zone of RAC. Seawater presents several advantages as a medium for wet carbonation, including its abundant availability, CO2 capture capacity, and accelerated hydration and carbonation.
CEMENT AND CONCRETE RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Yong Tao, Yining Gao, Yanjie Sun, Roland J. -M. Pellenq, Chi Sun Poon
Summary: Decalcification of calcium silicate hydrates (C-S-H) is an important issue for the long-term safety of cement-based infrastructures. Using molecular simulations, this study reveals an important mechanism of accelerated C-S-H decalcification in seawater, which involves ion exchange between surface Ca and electrical double layers, resulting in a decrease in Ca dissolution free energy. This finding enhances the understanding and prediction of cementitious materials' degradation.
CEMENT AND CONCRETE RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Kumaran Coopamootoo, Enrico Masoero
Summary: This study uses kinetic simulations to investigate the relationship between dissolution rate and saturation index in minerals in solution. Two distinct regimes are observed, with stresses at crystallographic defects controlling the transition between them. A parameterization of the interaction potentials is proposed to obtain consistent interfacial energies with water. The findings contribute to the current discussion on controlling reactivity using materials and defects.
CEMENT AND CONCRETE RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Faping Li, Qianshi Chen, Yiyan Lu, Yunlong Zou, Shan Li
Summary: In this study, the impact of functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes and a silane coupling agent on the performance and microstructure of alkali-activated fly ash/slag pastes was investigated. The results showed that the addition of these materials can prolong setting time, improve flowability and mechanical strength, and reduce mass loss and drying shrinkage.
CEMENT AND CONCRETE RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Yaozeng Wang, Wencui Yang, Ai Zhang, Penghuan Liu, Yong Ge
Summary: Low-temperature low-field nuclear magnetic resonance was used to analyze icing in water saturated white cement paste specimens during the freeze-thaw process at different temperatures. The experimental results were compared with classical theory, showing agreement at certain temperatures but discrepancies at others. New equations were proposed based on the analysis of specimens saturated with different solutions to relate the volume of frozen water to temperature during freezing and thawing of cementitious materials.
CEMENT AND CONCRETE RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Shengjie Yan, Yingjie Liang
Summary: This paper proposes a fractal derivative model with a non-linear distributed-order (DOFM) to describe the multi-scaling behaviors of particle diffusion in alkali-activated materials. The DOFM is tested using experimental data and is found to effectively describe the multi-scaling diffusion behaviors of particles in the materials.
CEMENT AND CONCRETE RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Cecilia Pesce, Richard J. Ball, Marco Molinari, Shaun Reeksting, Giovanni Luca Pesce
Summary: This study evaluates the effect of ten organic additives on the microstructure of portlandite crystals during CaO hydration. It was found that the presence of carbohydrates and sulfonates can alter the structure of portlandite and the properties of lime can be controlled by adding carbohydrates. This has significant implications for the development of new binders and reducing CO2 emissions.
CEMENT AND CONCRETE RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Daniel Jansen, Alexander German, Dominique Ectors, Frank Winnefeld
Summary: This study used X-ray diffraction and Rietveld refinement technique to investigate a hydrous carbonate-containing brucite and found that the 001 reflection of this phase split into different patterns at different temperatures. The presence of water and/or carbonate influenced the distance between the layers in the brucite structure.
CEMENT AND CONCRETE RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Dylan Singh, Trinh Thao My Nguyen, Evann Bustamantes, Abdul Wahab, Ahmad Hamzah Yousaf, Ian Shortt, Frank W. Foss Jr, Maria Konsta-Gdoutos, Sang Soo Lee, Erika La Plante
Summary: This study analyzes the chemical structure and morphology of magnesium silicate hydrate (MSH) grown under different concentration ratios and temperatures. The results show that increasing the magnesium to silicon ratio reduces silicate polymerization in MSH, and at higher temperatures and longer reaction times, oriented attachment of nanoparticles and enhanced crystallinity are observed. These findings provide insights into the precise chemical synthesis of MSH and its widespread use as a binder in construction.
CEMENT AND CONCRETE RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
J. C. O. Zepper, S. R. van der Laan, K. Schollbach, H. J. H. Brouwers
Summary: This study presents a method to calculate the main phases of BOF slag based on chemical composition and validates the proposed final model through quantitative model assessment and validation approaches.
CEMENT AND CONCRETE RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Yierfan Maierdan, Samuel J. Armistead, Rebecca A. Mikofsky, Qiqi Huang, Lola Ben-Alon, Wil V. Srubar III, Shiho Kawashima
Summary: This research investigated the effects of sodium alginate on the stability and 3D printability of kaolinite suspensions. The findings showed that sodium alginate could enhance the stability of kaolinite and improve the strength of printable mixtures, as well as shift the printability window.
CEMENT AND CONCRETE RESEARCH
(2024)
