Enhancing durability and sustainability of industrial floors: A comparative analysis of dry-shake surface hardeners.

This study investigates the development of a cost-effective and sustainable dry-shake surface hardener for enhancing the durability of industrial concrete floors. Utilizing locally sourced materials, the research aimed at not only ensuring the hardener's strength and finish but also its economic viability and environmental friendliness. Fourteen unique mixtures were formulated by altering the sand ratios and incorporating superplasticizers to optimize the composition. These mixtures underwent rigorous testing over 7, 14, and 28 days, evaluating their compressive and flexural strengths, flowability, water absorption, and impact resistance. The findings revealed that the modified floor hardener, specifically the FH-12 mixture, exhibited superior performance across all tested parameters. It showed higher compressive and flexural strengths, enhanced impact resistance, and reduced water absorption compared to other variants and commercially available hardeners. Notably, the use of finer coarse sand and the adjustment of superplasticizer quantities significantly contributed to these outcomes. This breakthrough demonstrates the potential of employing locally available materials to create a durable, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly solution for industrial flooring. The study underscores the importance of material characterization and methodical formulation in developing construction materials that meet the dual criteria of performance and sustainability. This option is preferred for its lower environmental impact and compatibility with sustainable practices, contributing to Sustainable Development Goal 9 on industry, innovation, and infrastructure. It highlights the role of floor hardeners in global sustainability efforts.

Comparative analysis of enriched flyash based cement-sand compressed bricks under various curing regimes.

This study investigates the substitution of traditional burnt clay bricks (BCB), used since 7000 BCE, with environmentally friendly Fly Ash-Cement and Sand Composite Bricks (FCBs), utilizing industrial waste like Coal Fly Ash (CFA) from thermal power plants. The research encompasses two phases: the first involves experimental production of FCBs, while the second focuses on optimizing FCBs by varying CFA (50%, 60%, 70%), Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) content (9%-21%), and incorporating stone dust (SD) and fine sand. Comprehensive tests under normal and steam curing conditions, adhering to ASTM C 67-05 standards, include X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Energy Dispersive X-Ray (EDX), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analyses. Results indicate that steam curing enhances early strength, with an optimized mix (MD: 5S) achieving a compressive strength of 15.57 MPa, flexural strength of 0.67 MPa, water absorption rate of 20.08%, and initial rate of water absorption of 4.64 g/min per 30 in2, devoid of efflorescence. Notably, a 9% OPC and 50% CFA mix (MD: 1S) shows improved early strength of 4.95 MPa at 28 days. However, excessive CFA replacement (70%) with lesser cement content negatively impacts physio-mechanical properties. This research underscores the potential of FCBs as a sustainable and economically viable alternative to BCBs in the construction industry.

Predicting the performance of existing pre-cast concrete pipes using destructive and non-destructive testing techniques.

One of the most significant and critical urban assets for a sustainable community is the sewer pipeline network and water distribution system. Water sewer networks and distribution systems have a definite service life span to provide continuous facilities to end users. Therefore, it is pertinent to continuously evaluate the condition of water and sewer concrete pipelines to ensure the reliable, sustainable, and cost-efficient transport of water and sewerage for the safety of society. The condition assessment is commonly carried out by visual observations followed by some non-destructive testing methods. However, it is the need of the hour to shift assessment methods to advance assessment techniques to save time and money for our community. Currently, in this project, the condition assessment of pre-cast concrete pipes was carried out by destructive and non-destructive methods. Different test trials i.e., ultra-sonic pulse velocity, Schmidt hammer also known as rebound hammer test, visual inspection, three edge bearing test, and core cutting test on the old buried and new concrete pipes were performed. It was observed that concrete used for the construction of existing precast concrete pipes still has better quality indices after 20 years as compared to that of concrete of new pipes. However, steel has deteriorated with time and clear corrosion of steel was identified in existing pre-cast concrete pipes. At the same time, it was observed that there should be an automated mechanism to continuously asses the condition of pre-cast existing pipes which will address the sustainable development goals (SDG 6, 9, 11). Consequently, it can be said that condition assessment of pre-cast concrete pipes will lead to sustainable societies and infrastructure.

Debonding of Thin Bonded Rubberised Fibre-Reinforced Cement-Based Repairs under Monotonic Loading: Experimental and Numerical Investigation.

In this study, the durability of cement-based repairs was observed, especially at the interface of debonding initiation and propagation between the substrate-overlay of thin-bonded cement-based material, using monotonic tests experimentally and numerically. Overlay or repair material (OM) is a cement-based mortar with the addition of metallic fibres (30 kg/m3) and rubber particles (30% as a replacement for sand), while the substrate is a plain mortar without any addition, known as control. Direct tension tests were conducted on OM in order to obtain the relationship between residual stress-crack openings (σ-w law). Similarly, tensile tests were conducted on the substrate-overlay interface to draw the relationship between residual stress and opening of the substrate-overlay interface. Three-point monotonic bending tests were performed on the composite beam of the substrate-overlay in order to observe the structural response of the repaired beam. The digital image correlation (DIC) method was utilized to examine the debonding propagation along the interface. Based on the different parameters obtained through the above-mentioned experiments, a three-point bending monotonic test was modelled through finite elements using a software package developed in France called CAST3M. Structural behaviour of repaired beams observed by experimental results and that analysed by numerical simulation are in coherence. It is concluded from the results that the hybrid use of fibres and rubber particles in repaired material provides a synergetic effect by improving its strain capacity, restricting crack openings by the transfer of stress from the crack. This enhances the durability of repair by controlling propagation of the interface debonding.

Potential of Waste Marble Sludge for Repressing Alkali-Silica Reaction in Concrete with Reactive Aggregates.

The continuous development of the marble industry has led to an increase in the accumulation of waste marble sludge causing landfilling and health-associated issues. The intention of the current study is to explore the potential of waste marble sludge powder (MS) utilization as a means of controlling alkali-silica reaction (ASR) in concrete. Specimen (cubes, prisms, and mortar bars) were prepared to incorporate reactive aggregates and various proportions of MS ranging from 5% to 40% as a replacement for aggregates. Expansion and mechanical strength characteristics were determined to investigate the effectiveness of MS to control ASRfor up to 150 days. Results revealed that on replacing aggregates in the control specimen with 25% MS, the ASR expansion at 14 days reduced from 0.23% to 0.17%, and the expansion at 28 days reduced from 0.28% to 0.17% which is within limits as per American Standard for Testing of Materials (ASTM) C1260. Furthermore, specimens incorporating MS exhibited improved compressive and flexural strength as compared to the identical specimen without MS. Microstructural analysis using Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed micro-cracks in the control specimen while the specimen incorporating MS was found intact. Thus, it can be foreseen that the use of MS as a partial replacement of aggregates can control ASR in concrete as well as reduce the dumping and harmful emissions issue.

Manufacturing of Sustainable Untreated Coal Ash Masonry Units for Structural Applications.

Burnt clay bricks are one of the most important building units worldwide, are easy and cheap to make, and are readily available. However, the utilization of fertile clay in the production of burnt clay bricks is also one of the causes of environmental pollution because of the emission of greenhouse gases from industrial kilns during the large-scale burning process. Therefore, there is a need to develop a new class of building units (bricks) incorporating recycled industrial waste, leading toward sustainable construction by a reduction in the environmental overburden. This research aimed to explore the potential of untreated coal ash for the manufacturing of building units (coal ash unburnt bricks). Coal ash unburnt bricks were manufactured at an industrial brick plant by applying a pre-form pressure of 3 MPa and later curing them via water sprinkling in a control shed. Various proportions of coal ash (i.e., 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, and 55%) were employed to investigate the mechanical and durability-related properties of the resulting bricks, then they were compared with conventional burnt clay bricks. Compressive strength, flexural strength, an initial rate of water absorption, efflorescence, microstructural analysis via scanning electron microscopy, and cost analysis were conducted. The results of the compressive strength tests revealed that the compressive strength of coal ash unburnt brick decreased with an increase in the content of coal ash; however, up to a 45% proportion of coal ash, the minimum required compressive strength specified by ASTM C62 and local building codes was satisfied. Furthermore, bricks incorporating up to 45% of coal ash also satisfied the ASTM C62 requirements for water absorption. Coal ash unburnt bricks are lighter in weight owing to their porous developed microstructure. The cost analysis showed that the utilization of untreated, locally available coal ash in brick production leads us on the path toward more economical and sustainable building units.

Recycled Untreated Rubber Waste for Controlling the Alkali-Silica Reaction in Concrete.

Recycled rubber waste (RW) is produced at an alarming rate due to the deposition of 1.5 billion scrap tires annually around the globe, which causes serious threats to the environment due to its open land filling issues. This study investigates the potential application of RW in concrete structures for mitigating the alkali-silica reaction (ASR). Various proportions of RW (5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, and 25%) partially replaced the used aggregates. RW was procured from a local rubber recycling unit. Cubes, prisms, and mortar bar specimens were prepared using a mixture design recommended by ASTM C1260 and tested for evaluating the compressive and flexural strengths and expansion in an ASR conducive environment for specimens incorporating RW. It was observed that the compressive and flexural strength decreased for specimens incorporating RW compared to that of the control specimens without RW. For example, an 18% and an 8% decrease in compressive and flexural strengths, respectively, were observed for specimens with 5% of RW by aggregates volume at 28 days. Mortar bar specimens without RW showed an expansion of 0.23% and 0.28% at 14 and 28 days, respectively, indicating the potential ASR reactivity in accordance with ASTM C1260. A decrease in expansion was observed for mixtures incorporating RW. Specimens incorporating 20% of RW by aggregate volume showed expansions of 0.17% at 28 days, within the limit specified by ASTM C1260. Moreover, specimens incorporating RW showed a lower reduction in compressive and flexural strengths under an ASR conducive environment compared to that of the control specimen without RW. Micro-structural analysis also showed significant micro-cracking for specimens without RW due to ASR. However, no surface cracks were observed for specimens incorporating RW. It can be argued that the use of RW in the construction industry assists in reducing the landfill depositing issues with the additional benefit of limiting the ASR expansion.

Effectiveness of Ternary Blend Incorporating Rice Husk Ash, Silica Fume, and Cement in Preparing ASR Resilient Concrete.

Although the disposal of waste ashes causes environmental hazards, recycling them helps in reducing their harmful impacts and improves the characteristics of building materials. The present study explores the possible use of locally available waste ashes including Rice husk ash (RHA)and Silica Fumes (SF) as a partial replacement for cement in concrete to counter the negative impact of alkali-silica reactions (ASRs). In the present study, ternary blends including RHA (0-30%), SF (5% and 10%) and Portland cement were investigated. The amorphous behavior of RHA and SF was confirmed by conducting an X-ray diffraction analysis. A petrography analysis was carried out to ensure the reactive nature of aggregates used to prepare the concrete specimen. Accelerated mortar bar tests were performed in accordance with ASTM C 1260 for up to 90 days. It was revealed that specimens incorporating a ternary blend of SF, RHA, and Portland cement exhibited less expansion compared to the control specimens without SF and RHA. The incorporation of 5% SF along with 20% RHA exhibited a 0.13% expansion at 28 days and 10% SF, along with 5% RHA which exhibited 0.18% expansion at 28 days which is within the range specified by ASTM C 1260, with the lowest compromise of the mechanical properties of concrete. Thus, the utilization of SF and RHA in the partial replacement of cement in concrete may be considered a practical approach to mitigate ASR effects as well as to reduce the environmental burden.

Optimization of the Fine to Coarse Aggregate Ratio for the Workability and Mechanical Properties of High Strength Steel Fiber Reinforced Concretes.

High-strength concrete is used to provide quality control for concrete structures, yet it has the drawback of brittleness. The inclusion of fibers improves the ductility of concrete but negatively affects the fresh properties of fiber-reinforced concrete. The effects of different fine to coarse aggregate ratios on the fresh and hardened properties of steel fiber reinforced concrete were investigated in this study. Mixtures were prepared with various fine to coarse aggregate (FA/CA) ratios incorporating 1% steel fiber content (by volume) at constant water to cement ratio. The workability, unit weight, and temperature of the concrete in the fresh state, and the mechanical properties of steel-fiber-reinforced concrete (SFRC) were investigated. The inclusion of fiber in concrete influenced the mobility of concrete in the fresh state by acting as a barrier to the movement of coarse aggregate. It was observed that the concrete with an FA/CA ratio above 0.8 showed better flowability in the fresh state, whilst an above 0.9 FA/CA ratio requires excessive superplasticizer to maintain the flowability of the mixtures. The compressive and flexural strength of SFRC increased with an increase in the FA/CA ratio by around 10% and 28%, respectively. Experimental values of compressive strength and flexural strength showed good agreement, however, modulus of elasticity demonstrated slightly higher values. The experimentally obtained measurements of the mechanical properties of SFRC conformed reasonably well with the available existing prediction equations, and further enabled establishing predictive isoresponse interactive equations within the scope of the investigation domain.

Experimentation and Predictive Models for Properties of Concrete Added with Active and Inactive SiO2 Fillers.

Cement is one of the main constituents of concrete material and it is one of the main sources of carbon dioxide emissions in the environment. Fillers within a range of 5⁻7% from different sources can be used as a replacement of cement without compromising the properties of concrete or even tailoring for required property. This paper investigates the influence of inactive silica filler and silica fume on the mechanical- and durability-related properties of concrete with different strengths. The investigated mechanical properties focused on compressive strength at different ages up to 400 days, while the durability-related properties focused on porosity and rapid chloride ion penetrability (RCPT). Two types of ultrafines, namely quartz ultrafine and silica fume, were used. Concrete mixtures with four different water/binder ratios (0.25, 0.30, 0.35, 0.40) were prepared for various dosages of quartz ultrafine (0%, 5%, 8%, 10%, 15%, 25%, and 35%) and different dosages of silica fume (0%, 8%, 10%, and 12%). The results revealed that the compressive strength and durability related properties of concrete with different dosages of ultrafines and silica fume were significantly affected; however, there was a negative impact of ultrafine filler on the compressive strength after replacement of more than 8% of ultrafines. The strength relationships for the concrete with different water-to-cement ratio were assessed and certain modifications were proposed for ultrafines and silica fume. Predictive models were proposed for predicting the compressive strength of concrete in terms of RCPT and porosity for different levels of replacements of ultrafines and silica fume.