Effect of Ground Slag on Mechanical Properties of Concrete under Low Temperature

Through using cube resisting compression test, fracture properties and micro-structure, the mechanical properties of high volume ground slag concrete under low temperature are studied in this paper. The results show that low temperature can improve the compressive strength of high volume ground slag concrete. And strength increased with the decreased of temperature. Low temperature can also improve the fracture energy and fracture toughness. Not only can ground slag reduce the content of calcium hydroxide in hardened cement paste, but ground slag can improve the compactness of hardened cement paste, reduce porosity and improve the strength of the interface.

Difference between Internal and External Hydration of Hardened Cement Paste under Microwave Curing

In order to investigate the difference between internal and external hydration of hardened cement paste under microwave curing, a comparative study on the hydration products, hydration degree, fracture morphology, and pore structure between the inner part and outer part of hardened cement paste (Φ120 mm × 120 mm) under microwave curing was carried out by XRD-Rietveld refinement, TG-DSC, SEM, and MIP methods. The results show that the total hydration degree of the inner part is lower at early ages, but with the hydration, there is little difference in the hydration degree between inner and outer parts at later ages. Apart from granular AFt crystal formed in the inner part of hardened cement paste, there is little difference in the fracture morphology between internal and external hydration. The total porosity of the outer part is lower than that of the inner part.

A Numerical Approach to Multiscale Simulation of Cement Paste Strength

Recent experimental investigations on the nanoscale of hardened cement paste revealed that the tensile strengths of the microstructural phases present amount to several hundreds of MPa. Confrontation with macroscopic tensile strength testing, by e.g. Brazilian splitting, shows a decrease over two orders of magnitude. A computational model based on a hierarchical representation of hardened cement paste microstructure is presented in this paper, attempting to shed light on the factors affecting the scaling of strength from the nanoscopic scale up to the macroscopic scale. The model is validated on a case study featuring a Portland-limestone cement paste subjected to an external sulfate attack. Such conditions compromise the nanoscopic integrity of the C-S-H gel as a consequence of the progressive decalcification and affect the overall load-bearing capacity of the macroscopic cement paste specimen.