Experimental Study on Mechanical Properties of Repair Materials for Underwater Rapid Construction

Several strength grades of sulphoaluminate cement concrete were designed, and the mechanical properties with different mix ratios were studied. This paper mainly analyzes the mechanical properties of sulphoaluminate cement concrete with the setting time test, compressive strength test and flexural test. The test results show that the setting time of cement concrete can be controlled by mixing different admixtures. One hand, the initial setting time increases from 34 min to 340 min, and the final setting time increases from 57 min to 580 min when the incorporated borax content changes from 0 to 1.0 %. Other hand, the initial setting time decreased from 34 min to 11 min, and the final setting time increased from 57 min to 18 min, when the incorporated borax content changed from 0 to 0.5 %. Furthermore, the compressive strength can reach 40 MPa, and the flexural strength can reach more than 2.5MPa after 6 hours of curing. The experiment results illustrate that the setting time and the mechanical properties satisfy the needs of the rapid construction requirements under normal temperature conditions.

Regional Differences in COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in December 2020: A Natural Experiment in the French Working-Age Population

It can be assumed that higher SARS-CoV-2 infection risk is associated with higher COVID-19 vaccination intentions, although evidence is scarce. In this large and representative survey of 6007 adults aged 18–64 years and residing in France, 8.1% (95% CI, 7.5–8.8) reported a prior SARS-CoV-2 infection in December 2020, with regional variations according to an East–West gradient (p < 0.0001). In participants without prior SARS-CoV-2 infection, COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy was substantial, including 41.3% (95% CI, 39.8–42.8) outright refusal of COVID-19 vaccination. Taking into account five characteristics of the first approved vaccines (efficacy, duration of immunity, safety, country of the vaccine manufacturer, and place of administration) as well as the initial setting of the mass vaccination campaign in France, COVID-19 vaccine acceptance would reach 43.6% (95% CI, 43.0–44.1) at best among working-age adults without prior SARS-CoV-2 infection. COVID-19 vaccine acceptance was primarily driven by vaccine characteristics, sociodemographic and attitudinal factors. Considering the region of residency as a proxy of the likelihood of getting infected, our study findings do not support the assumption that SARS-CoV-2 infection risk is associated with COVID-19 vaccine acceptance.

Hydro-Mechanics Analysis on the Strength Development of Cement-Stabilized Sand

Deep cement mixing is an effective ground stabilization technique to control the ground movement on sand areas, and most of the projects have the problem of seepage. The cement slurry is in a fluid state before the initial setting time, the seepage may affect the diffusion process of cement slurry during this period. A hydro-mechanical approach is proposed to investigate the interaction between the seepage and the strength of cement-stabilized sand. The diffusion of the cement slurry under seepage is considered in this study and the diffusion process is simulated by the finite element method. According to the cement concentration at the end of the diffusion process, the strength of cement-stabilized sand can be predicted by combining an empirical formula. Simulation results examine that the existence of seepage and cracks can enhance the non-uniform diffusion process of cement slurry, and the actual strength distribution of the deep cement-mixed sand is far from the ideal state. This indicates that the influence of seepage on the strength of cement-stabilized sand should be considered in the design of projects.

Investigation of the material mixtures and fiber addition for 3D concrete printing

The era of Construction 4.0 is characterized by technological advances used in the construction industry. One of the advancements is the use of 3D concrete printing in construction. However, until now, the development of 3D concrete printing in Indonesia is still minimal. The main challenge is to determine the composition of the material mixtures for making the mortar, having good extrudability but still has sufficient strength. The rapid initial setting time required was also different for the concrete for typical construction. Our previous mixture composition incorporating calcium oxide to accelerate the initial setting time was adequate. However, the extrusion process was still not satisfactory. In this study, the effect of cement to sand ratio, sand particle size, and the addition of synthetic micro-fiber was investigated on the main properties of 3D printing materials, i.e., initial setting time, flowability, extrudability, and compressive strength. It was found that using smaller maximum particle size sand increases the initial setting time. The addition of synthetic microfiber reduces the strength and the workability of the mortar. However, fiber inclusion has advantages as it reduces the possibility of cracking in the printed concrete. The extruded concrete specimens were shown to have significant strength reduction due to lack of compaction, and it was affected by the direction of printing showing orthotropic properties of the 3D printed concrete.

Physical Characteristics and Compressive Strength of Na-Geopolymer Paste Designed by a Taguchi Method

Geopolymer paste is a revolutionary building material that the chemical activity of inorganic molecules will create. It is an alternative to traditional Portland cement and is more Eco-friendly. This analysis aimed to classify the mixtures and their process parameters suitable for the development of Geo-polymer paste with one of the ultimate compressive powers, the highest-lowest porosity, and the lowest-lowest final and initial setting time. In the experimental design of the Geo-polymer-based-metakaolin, a Taguchi methodology has been utilized. Five variables parameters were chosen that are mostly to influence the properties of the geopolymer. These are the quantity of Si, alkali, the proportion of alkali reagents, duration of blending, and water amount. These variables’ influence has been calculated at 7 and 28 days on compressive strengths, porosity, density, and setting time. The analysis indicates that the strong compressive strength (115MPa) of Geopolymer paste could be achieved with the formula (1Na2O. Al2O3. 3.8SiO2.xH2O) utilizing suitable processing conditions under which the molar ratio of alkali silicate to alkali hydroxide must be held within the range of 3.25-3.02.

Investigation on the Compressive Strength and Time of Setting of Low-Calcium Fly Ash Geopolymer Paste Using Response Surface Methodology

Approximately 2.78 Mt of coal fly ash is produced in the Philippines, with a low utilization rate. Using fly ash-based geopolymer for construction will lessen the load sent to landfills and will result in lower GHG emissions compared to OPC. It is necessary to characterize the fly ash and optimize the geopolymer components to determine if it can replace OPC for in situ applications. The activator-to-precursor ratio, the water-to-solids ratio, and the sodium hydroxide-to-sodium silicate ratio were optimized using a randomized I-optimal design from the experimental results of 21 runs with five replicates, for a total of 105 specimens of 50 mm × 50 mm × 50 mm paste cubes. The engineering properties chosen as the optimization responses were the unconfined compressive strength (UCS), the initial setting time, and the final setting time. The samples were also ambient-cured with the outdoor temperature ranging from 30 °C to 35 °C and relative humidity of 50% ± 10% to simulate the on-site environment. Runs with high unconfined compressive strength (UCS) and short setting times were observed to have a low water-to-solids (W/S) ratio. All runs with a UCS greater than 20 MPa had a W/S ratio of 0.2, and the runs with the lowest UCS had a W/S of 0.4. The initial setting time for design mixes with a W/S ratio of 0.2 ranged from 8 to 105 min. Meanwhile, five out of seven design mixes with a W/S ratio of 0.4 took longer than 1440 min to set. Specimens with an alkali activator ratio (NaOH/WG) of 0.5 (1:2) and 0.4 (1:2.5) also had significantly lower setting times than those with an alkali activator ratio of 1. The RSM model was verified through confirmatory tests. The results of the confirmatory tests are agreeable, with deviations from the expected UCS ranging from 0 to 38.12%. The generated model is a reliable reference to estimate the UCS and setting time of low-calcium FA geopolymer paste for in situ applications.

Analysis of the Influence of Crystalline Admixtures at Early Age Performance of Cement-Based Mortar by Electrical Resistance Monitoring

Crystalline admixtures are employed for waterproofing concrete. This type of admixtures can affect the early age performance of cement-based mixes. The electrical resistance properties of cement have been related to the initial setting time and to the hydration development. This paper proposes a system for remote monitoring of the initial setting time and the first days of the hardening of cement-based mortars to evaluate the effect of the incorporation of crystalline admixtures. The electrical resistance results have been confirmed by other characterization techniques such as thermogravimetric analysis and compressive strength measurements. From the electrical resistance monitoring it has been observed that the incorporation of crystalline admixtures causes a delay in the initial setting time and hydration processes. The measurements also allow to evaluate the influence of the amount of admixture used; thus, being very useful as a tool to define the optimum admixture dosage to be used.

Effect of retardant admixtures type and their using method on the behavior of concrete

Construction sites may be exposed to crisis conditions during the casting process, resulting in delays of several hours and causing destruction of ready-mix concrete. This study suggests an experimental analysis of the possibility of using a specific additional dose of retardant admixtures, which may be used to ready-mix concrete before the initial setting of the concrete occurs. The effect of this additional dose on concrete characteristics in terms of workability, setting time, and compressive strength is also being studied. To conduct this investigation, three types of retardant admixtures from three branded companies were used. In addition, a penetration resistance experiment was conducted on the concrete to determine its setting time. The setting time of concrete was measured at different period intervals depending on when the additional dose of the retardant admixtures was added from the start of the concrete mixing. The results showed that concrete maintained proper workability for a period of more than 5 hours after using the additional dose of retarding admixtures. The additional dose of retarding admixtures not only delayed the concrete setting but also improved the compressive strength of the concrete. This implies that the use of an additional dose of retardant admixtures specifically tailored for ready-mix concrete is an effective option to avoid the return of ready-mixed fresh concrete.

Optimization of Ternary Binders Based on Flash-Calcined Sediments and Ground Granulated Blast Furnace slag Using a Mixture Design

CO2 emissions resulting from the production of cement is a major issue, but can be limited by the partial substitution of cement by low-carbon-impact additions. The aim of this study was the formulation of a ternary binder based on ordinary Portland cement (OPC), ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS) and flash-calcined sediment (FCS), a dredged waste which was valorized after applying a new heat treatment: flash calcination. The used materials were physically, chemically and mineralogically characterized. The composition of the formulations was optimized using mixture designs. Five formulations, one reference formulation RM (100% OPC), one binary formulation (50% OPC/50% GGBS), and three ternary formulations with a variable FCS rate (10%, 15%, 20%), were selected and characterized fresh and hardened. Results showed that the incorporation of FCS reduced the workability and increased the density. In addition, a decrease in the initial setting time and the heat of hydration peak were observed. In the hardened state, the formulation containing 10% FCS showed 90-day mechanical strengths superior to that of RM. The use of FCS in ternary binders could reduce the environmental impact by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Influence of Colloidal Silica on Final Properties of no Cement Castables

This paper deals with sol-gel process and application in no cement castables based on andalusite. The use of calcium free binder increases the refractory parameters of material and allows its faster drying. Six colloidal sols from CWK Bad Köstritz based on SiO2 were tested, which differed not only in concentration and particle size, but also in pH. The influence of silica sols on the consistency of fresh castable, initial setting and final setting times were investigated. Furthermore, basic parameters after firing, such as bulk density, apparent porosity, flexural and compressive strength, were tested.