The high strength concrete(HSC)was produced by partially replacingthe normal portland cement with special ground granulatedblast-furnace slag(GGBS)ranging up to 60/100. The effects of the GGBSon the flowabilityand mechanical properties of HSC were studied. Thehydration process and microstructure char- acteristics wereinvestigated by X-ray diffraction(XRD)and scanning microscopy(SEM),respectively. The test results indicate that the GGBS has especiallysupplementary effect on water reducing and excellent property Ofbetter control of lump loss.
A superfine slag powder (SP) made from granulated blast furnace slag incorporating activators by using special millingtechnique, was used as supplementary cementitious material in high performance concrete (HPC), replacing part ofthe mass of normal Portland cement. The effects of the SP on the workability, mechanical and crack self-healingproperties of HPC were studied. The hydration process and microstructure characteristics were investigated by X-raydiffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques, respectively. The crack self-healing capacitywas evaluated by Brazilian test. The test results indicate that the SP has especially supplementary effect on waterreducing and excellent property of better control of slump loss. The concrete flowability increases remarkably withthe increase of SP replacement level in the range of 20% to 50%. The compressive and splitting tensile strengthsof HPC containing SP are higher than the corresponding strength of the control concrete at all ages. The crackself-healing ability is highly dependent on SP content of HPC.
The strength and deformation characteristics of polypropylene fiber reinforced concrete ( PFRC) beams were investigated by four-point bending procedures in this paper. Two kinds of polypropylene fibers with different fiber contents (0.2% , 0.5% , 1.0% and 1.5% ) by volume were used in, the beam, which measured 100 × 100 mm with a span of 300 mm. It was found that the strength of the reinforced concrete beams was significantly decreased, whereas the flexural toughness was improved, compared to those unreinforced concrete beams. Geometry properties and volume contents of polypropylene fiber were considered to be important factors for improving the flexural toughness. Moreover, the composite mechanism between polypropylene fiber and concrete was analyzed and discussed.
The electrical characteristics of cement-based material can be remarkably improved by the addition of short carbon fibers. Carbon fiber reinforced cement composite (CFRC) is an intrinsically smart material that can sense not only the stress and strain, but also the temperature. In this paper, variations of electrical resistivity with external applied load, and relation of thermoelectric force and temperature were investigated. Test results indicated that the electrical signal is related to the increase in the material volume resistivity during crack generation or propagation and the decrease in the resistivity during crack closure. Moreover, it was found that the fiber addition increased the linearity and reversibility of the Seebeck effect in the cement-based materials. The change of electrical characteristics reflects large amount of information of inner damage and temperature differential of composite, which can be used for stress-strain or thermal self-monitoring by embedding it in the concrete structures.
Wu YAO, Bing CHEN Keru WUState Key Laboratory of Concrete Materials Research, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
