The Effects of Mineral Wool Fly Ash on Cohesive Soil Strength Behaviour

This research work represents updated results of cohesive soil strength improvement with mineral wool fly ash. In the investigations, these materials were used: Portland cement CEM I 42.5 R, fly ash obtained from a mineral wool production process, sand and clay. Mixtures were prepared as follows: dry mixing of Portland cement and fly ash; dry mixing of sand and clay; adding water into Portland cement and fly ash; adding sand and clay mixture into already prepared Portland cement and fly ash suspension. The content of fly ash replacing Portland cement varied from 0% to 40%, and the content of sand mixture varied from 20% to 60%. After 24 hours, investigated samples were taken out from cylinder forms and kept in a desiccator with a humidity of 90% and at 20 °C temperature. Uniaxial compressive strength of the samples was determined after 548 days and compared to previous research results obtained after 7, 28 and 183 days. The most predictable compressive strength is for samples, which composition is 100% cement and 0% fly ash. In these samples, the highest compressive strength was obtained, comparing them to the other investigated samples. Compressive strength change is minimal for samples with a 10–30% amount of fly ash. The most significant decrease in compressive strength was obtained for samples with a 40% fly ash after 183 days. Nonetheless, the compressive strength of these samples increased after 548 days and is almost the same as for samples with 100% Portland cement.

Experimental Study on Cracking Behaviour and Strength Properties of an Expansive Soil under Cyclic Wetting and Drying

Expansive soil is characterized by its unique structural morphology and drastic volume change. With infrastructure increasingly constructed in expansive soil areas, engineering problems caused by the properties of expansive soils have attracted more attention. Cyclic wetting-drying and shear testing were accordingly conducted on an expansive soil from Chengdu area in China. Crack development and shear strength change were analyzed using the Mohr–Coulomb equation for shear strength by fitting the experimental data. The results show the following: (1) With the increase in wetting-drying cycles, the crack ratio increases, the shear strength decreases, and the shear strength parameters gradually decrease at the same rate of change. The applied vertical load reduces the weakening effect of the wetting-drying cycles on the soil structure and strength by restraining the expansion and contraction deformation. (2) By analyzing the number of wetting-drying cycles and the crack images, the crack development (length, direction, etc.) of the expansive soil can be predicted and described. (3) There is a specific linear correlation between the crack ratio and strength that approached a limit value with ongoing wetting-drying cycles. The strength of the expansive soil can therefore be obtained based on crack development, improving the ability of designers to account for the behaviour of expansive soils.

Association between change in handgrip strength and cognitive function in Korean adults: a longitudinal panel study

Background Muscular function, such as handgrip strength, has been suggested as an associated factor for cognitive impairment. This study investigated the association between temporal change in handgrip strength and cognitive function using longitudinal, nationwide data from Korean older adults. Methods Our study used data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA). The analysis covered 6696 participants who had taken the handgrip strength test and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) from 2006 to 2018. We adopted general estimating equations to assess the temporal effect of handgrip strength change on cognitive function. Results After adjusting for covariates, we observed an association between handgrip strength and low MMSE scores (β = − 0.3142 in men, β = − 0.2685 in women). Handgrip strength as a continuous variable was positively correlated with MMSE scores after adjustment (β = 0.0293 in men, β = 0.0347 in women). The group with decreased handgrip strength over time also showed greater odds for mild cognitive impairment (OR = 1.23, 95%CI = 1.05–1.27 in men, OR = 1.15, 95%CI = 1.05–1.27 in women) and dementia (OR = 1.393, 95%CI = 1.18–1.65 in men, OR = 1.19, 95%CI = 1.08–1.32 in women). Conclusions This study identified the relationship between handgrip strength change and cognitive function among South Korean adults. According to our large, longitudinal sample, decreasing handgrip strength was associated with decline in cognitive function.

Pressed Magnesia Composites with Improved Weather Resistance Properties

The results of studies aimed at increasing the resistance to weathering of building products based on magnesia cement are presented. This goal was achieved by the use of mine burnt rock as a modifying additive and the use of molding sands compaction pressing method. The influence of the modifier on the compressive strength change of compressed composites in dried and water-saturated state, the softening and air resistance coefficients, as well as the linear deformations of the control samples after a specified number of alternating wetting and drying cycles, was investigated. The physical and mechanical characteristics of the control samples were determined according to the standard and generally accepted methods. The formation of a complex combined structure of modified magnesian composites, containing coagulation, condensation and crystallization phases with a clear predominance of the first, has been confirmed by the physicochemical analysis methods. It is shown that modification of magnesian cement with burnt rock purposefully changes the processes of structure formation and causes an increase in water and air resistance of pressed composites based on it. The proposed method for modifying pressed magnesia products prevents loosening of their structure under alternating stresses, reduces linear deformations and, as a result, slows down fatigue failure. The involvement of a secondary resource in the composition of molding sands as an active mineral additive leads to a decrease in the cost of products and allows the method of their production to be attributed to the best available technologies. The developed compositions of pressed magnesia composites are recommended for the production of small-piece products used in building envelopes, as well as for flooring in the rooms with more than 60% humidity.

Experimental Study on Mechanical Properties of Paste Backfill with Flue-Gas Desulphurisation Gypsum under Combined Action of Dry–Wet Cycles and Chloride Erosion

Flue-gas desulphurisation gypsum—a solid waste from power plants—can be used to prepare paste backfill for reducing costs. Most paste backfills are exposed to dry–wet cycles and chloride salt-rich water in mines. Therefore, the mechanical properties and damage mechanisms of paste backfill with desulphurised gypsum under the coupling action of erosion due to chloride with different concentrations and dry–wet cycles were investigated using methods such as visual observation, mass measurement, uniaxial compression, acoustic emission, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, and field-emission scanning electron microscopy. With an increasing number of dry–wet cycles, the mass, elastic modulus, and strength of the paste backfill exhibited the trend of increasing first and then decreasing. The failure mechanism changed from mainly vertical fractures to the alternating development of vertical and horizontal fractures. The surface denudation effect of the specimens in a solution with a higher concentration was more severe under the same number of dry–wet cycles. In this study, the laws governing the mass change, strength change, degree of surface denudation, and failure pattern of desulphurised gypsum-filled specimens under different concentrations of chloride salt and different numbers of dry–wet cycles were derived.

Mechanical Properties and Energy Dissipation of Sandstone under Cyclic Loading-Unloading

For the bearing rock in geotechnical engineering, it is frequently affected by external loads. This paper adopted different upper limits of stress to carry out cyclic loading-unloading on the sandstone specimens to make them in different damage degrees and analyzed the mechanical mechanism of the damaged sandstone under different stresses. Then, the strength change and energy evolution of sandstone with different damage degrees were analyzed, and the damage of the loaded sandstone was quantitatively characterized. The experimental results showed that the strength and plastic deformation of sandstone after cyclic loading-unloading with different upper-stress limits gradually decreased with the increase of the upper-stress limit. In the loading-unloading stages of cyclic loading-unloading, the elastic modulus increased with the increase of the upper-stress limit. In general, as the number of cycles increased, the total strain energy density and elastic deformation energy density gradually increased, and as the upper-stress limit increased, both of them also increased. The damage factor of sandstone after cyclic loading-unloading, which was characterized by dissipated energy, increased in an S-shape with the increase of the upper-stress limit, and the growth rate first increased and then decreased.

Study on the strength property and ratio parameter selection of waste rock cemented backfill

When tailings are used for cemented backfill preparation, the extremely fine unclassified tailings may lead to slow consolidation and low strength of backfill material. Wasted rock as an additional filling aggregated was suggested to optimize the gradation composition of aggregate by scholars over the world. In this paper, the effect of waste rock addition, cement-tailing ratio and slurry concentration on strength and flow properties of waste rock cemented backfill were studied. The results indicate the strength of waste rock cemented backfill was significantly higher than that of unclassified tailings cemented backfill under same cement consumption, which the average strength improvements were 2.02MPa, 0.98MPa and 0.46MPa under cement-tailing ratio of 1:4, 1:8 and 1:10. With the increase of waste rock addition, the strength change of waste rock cemented backfill was less obvious, but the flow property (yield stress) of filling slurry was improved. Further analysis of the slurry stability illustrates that, with the increase of waste rock addition, the bleeding rate demonstrated a trend similar to that observed for the flow property, however, in an adverse manner. Overall, the optimal slurry concentration of 80% and waste rock addition of 40%～50% were determined. Based on the strength requirement, cement dosage was selected, which the cement-tailing ratio of top 10m and the bottom 10m was 1:8, the cement-tailing ratio of the centre stope was 1:10. The research findings can provide a reference for the ratio parameter determination of extremely fine unclassified tailings backfill of similar mines.

Adhesion Strength Change Analysis Based on the Application Surface Area Ratio of Spot-Bonded Tiles on Vertical Walls of High Humidity Facilities

Facility walls with high relative humidity, such as bathrooms or kitchens installed with tiles by spot-bonding methods, become far more prone to defect or adhesion failure when using large or heavy tiles and insufficient application area of adhesive but is still continued to be practiced due to their low costs in the material. Most importantly, if this practice is to be continued, the changes in adhesion strength of the tiles based on different adhesive application areas of adhesives must be clarified such that the very least secure application can be achieved even by using spot-bonding methods. In this regard, an experiment was conducted in this study where tile-adhered specimens with different adhesive-applied area ratios (AR) of 60 ± 2%, 80 ± 2%, and 100% were prepared. Tile adhesion strength was subsequently measured, after sectioning the entire surface of the tile into 40 pieces. Experimental results showed that the adhesion strength above the standard criteria could be achieved for about 75% of the entire tile with AR 100% conditioning, followed by 30% of the entire tile with AR 80 ± 2% conditioning, and 20% of the entire tile for AR 60 ± 2% conditioning. Further analysis showed that with AR 80 ± 2% and AR 60 ± 2% conditions, the overall adhesion strength decreased by the range of about 59–67% compared to the AR 100% application conditions. The results of the study intended to provide an analytical basis of guidelines and risks with the potential usage of spot-bonding and should only be used if AR 100% application is planned.

Strength Weakening Effect of High Prestatically Loaded Marble Subjected to Low-Frequency Dynamic Disturbance under Point Load

The deep high prestatically loaded rock is often subjected to low-frequency dynamic disturbance and exhibits unusual strength characteristics, and thus, it is important to investigate the strength characteristics under the coupling effect of prestatic load and low-frequency dynamic disturbance loading conditions. In this study, a series of point load tests were conducted on the high prestatically loaded marble subjected to low-frequency disturbance by the MTS system, focusing on exploring the role of prestatic load level and low-frequency disturbance frequency in the process of rock strength change. Based on the average static failure load (Fmax) of samples under the static point loading, the high prestatic load levels (Fp) were selected as 70%, 80%, and 90% of Fmax, the corresponding low-frequency dynamic disturbance was loaded by sinusoidal waves with amplitudes of 60%, 40%, and 20% of Fmax, and the low-frequency dynamic disturbance frequencies (f) are 1, 2, 5, and 10 Hz. The change curve of the point load strength with the prestatic load level or the disturbance frequency was analyzed, which indicates that the point load strength under the coupled high prestatic load and low-frequency dynamic disturbance load was significantly lower than that under the pure static loading, presenting a significant point load strength weakening effect. Only when Fp or f reaches a certain level, the point load strength decreases significantly as f or Fp increases. Moreover, the point load strength weakening rate was proposed to characterize the degree of strength weakening. The comprehensive analysis demonstrates that Fp has a greater effect on the point load strength weakening effect than f, which is mainly reflected in the point load strength weakening level dominated by the Fp, and the weakening degree is affected by f.