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Advances in Performance of Mortar, Concrete and Composites Based on Portland and Alternative Binders

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Civil Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 May 2024) | Viewed by 4669

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Mechanical, Energy and Management Engineering Department, University of Calabria, 87036 Cosenza, Italy
Interests: building materials; innovative families of binders; greenhouse gas emission; pollutant degradation; photocatalysis; globalization; geopolymers; durability and sustainability of traditional or innovative mortars
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E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Bergamo, 24044 Dalmine, BG, Italy
Interests: alternative binders to Portland cement (alkali activated slag-based cements and calcium sulphoaluminate cements); durability and sustainability of traditional or innovative concretes; admixtures for cementitious materials; ce-ment-based repair materials.
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
UMechanical, Energy and Management Engineering Department, University of Calabria, 87036 Cosenza, Italy
Interests: building materials; innovative families of binders; microporous materials; fabric-reinforced cementitious composites
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years academic and professional players have given increasing attention to the development of advanced materials and technologies in the hope of promoting high-performance (mechanically stronger, improved response to service and extreme loads and more durable), smart/multifunctional, and sustainable (low environmental footprint and energy consumption) construction materials for application to new and existing structures and infrastructures. The advance in our understanding of materials behavior also necessitates the development of performance assessment procedures that are based on effective experimental verification methods and refined numerical simulation models.

This Special Issue aims to collect scientific contributions on:

  • Mix design, rheology, microstructure, mechanical properties, and durability of mortars and concrete based on alternative, innovative, sustainable binders and to suggest validation and standardization methods of testing.
  • Applications of the different types of fiber-reinforced mortars and concrete composites in civil engineering. Topics may include the durability and overall performance of structural members reinforced and strengthened with FRCM composites under severe environmental exposure, sustained loading, elevated temperatures, seismic activity, fatigue, fire, blast, and impact. Experimental tests, finite element and numerical analysis, theoretical and code equations, and algorithms are welcome.
  • Mortars and concrete with non-conventional aggregates (e.g., industrial wastes, insulating aggregates, agricultural wastes and aquaculture farming and municipal wastes).
  • Mortars and concrete with natural fibers.
  • Water (e.g., seawater, recycling water recovered from discarded ready-mix concrete, and treated and untreated wastewater).
  • Mortar with phase-change materials (PCMs), or nanomaterials.
  • Self-sensing, self-adjusting, and self-healing concrete and mortars3D-printed mortars.

Dr. Sebastiano Candamano
Dr. Denny Coffetti
Dr. Fortunato Crea
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • alkali-activated materials
  • geopolymers
  • building materials
  • calcium solfoaluminate binders
  • cementitious compo-sites
  • hybrid binders
  • calcinated clays
  • fly ash
  • blast furnace slag
  • natural pozzolans
  • waste management
  • immobili-zation of
  • toxic wastes
  • foamed and lightweight concretes
  • mortars
  • grouts and renders
  • reinforced concrete
  • precast concrete
  • corrosion
  • durability
  • environmental assessment
  • material processing
  • rheology
  • performance-based speci-fications
  • activators
  • additives
  • natural fibers
  • fiber-reinforced mortars and concrete
  • textile-reinforced mortars (TRM)
  • harsh exposure
  • FRCM
  • 3D printing
  • supplementary cementitious materials
  • nanomaterials
  • unconventional reinforcement
  • recycled aggregates
  • waste
  • phase-change materials

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

24 pages, 6431 KiB  
Article
Investigation and Utilization of Alkali-Activated Grouting Materials Incorporating Engineering Waste Soil and Fly Ash/Slag
by Zhijia Wang, Haojie Li, Shusu Duan, Zhisheng Feng, Youliang Zhang and Jianjing Zhang
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(11), 4915; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14114915 - 5 Jun 2024
Viewed by 770
Abstract
The alkali-activated composites technique is a promising method for the in situ preparation of cavity filling/grouting materials from engineering waste soil. To investigate the feasibility of engineering waste soil utilization by the alkali activation process, the macroscopic and microscopic properties of the fly [...] Read more.
The alkali-activated composites technique is a promising method for the in situ preparation of cavity filling/grouting materials from engineering waste soil. To investigate the feasibility of engineering waste soil utilization by the alkali activation process, the macroscopic and microscopic properties of the fly ash/slag-based alkali-activated composites, after solidification/stabilization (S/S) with sandy clay excavated at Baishitang Station of Shenzhen Metro, were studied. The unconfined compressive strength (UCS) test was conducted to evaluate the S/S effect of alkali-activated composites. The results show that the optimum quality ratio of slag and fly ash correspond to 7:3, the modulus of alkaline activator to 1.3, and the alkalinity of alkaline activator to 10%. The alkali-activated composite’s strength under these parameters can reach 45.25 MPa at 3 days, 49.85 MPa at 7 days, and 62.33 MPa at 28 days. A maximum 3-day UCS of 21.71 MPa, 75% of the 28-day UCS, was achieved by an engineering waste soil and alkali-activated composites mass ratio of 5:5, slaked lime content of 4.5%, and a water-to-solid ratio of 0.26, and it can also meet the required fluidity and setting time for construction well. Fluidity is primarily affected by the soil-to-binder ratio, which decreases as the ratio decreases, while the water-to-solid ratio increases fluidity. Slaked lime has minimal impact on fluidity. The setting time is mainly influenced by the soil-to-binder ratio, followed by slaked lime content and water-to-solid ratio, with setting time shortening as the soil-to-binder ratio and slaked lime content increase, and lengthening as the water-to-solid ratio increases. Through Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) tests, microscopic analysis showed that loose granular units are firmly cemented by alkali-activated composites. Based on the results of on-site grouting tests in karst caves, the alkali-activated grout materials reached a strength of 5.2 MPa 28 days after filling, which is 162.5% of the strength of cement grouting material, satisfying most of the requirements for cavity filling in Shenzhen. Full article
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12 pages, 3873 KiB  
Article
Effect of Lithium Mica Slag on the Internal Sulfate Attack of Cement Mortar
by Na Liu, Bei Huang and Zebo Dong
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(7), 2723; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14072723 - 24 Mar 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1006
Abstract
Lithium mica slag is a byproduct acquired via the sulfate method of lithium extraction, and it contains a certain quantity of soluble sulfates. The improper storage of lithium mica slag not only takes up a large amount of land resources, but also poses [...] Read more.
Lithium mica slag is a byproduct acquired via the sulfate method of lithium extraction, and it contains a certain quantity of soluble sulfates. The improper storage of lithium mica slag not only takes up a large amount of land resources, but also poses a threat in terms of environmental pollution. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the mechanism by which SO42− dissolves in lithium mica slag, along with the impacts of internal sulfate attacks on mortar specimens with 10%, 20%, and 30% lithium mica slag contents. Testing was carried out in terms of the expansion, mass change, flexural and compressive strengths, porosity, composition, and contents of the products. It was determined that a significant quantity of SO42− was generated in mortar specimens with lithium mica slag. The mortar specimens mixed with lithium mica slag produced more ettringite (AFt: 3CaO·Al2O3·3CaSO4·32H2O), which is the product of internal sulfate attacks. This demonstrates that there was an internal sulfate reaction in the mortar specimens mixed with lithium mica slag. The internal sulfate reaction in mortar samples with lithium mica slag was finished in the later stages. It is noteworthy that the reaction did not lead to any cracking or damage; instead, it later allowed for a retention of strength that was equivalent to the strength of mortar specimens without lithium mica slag. In addition, the partial replacement of cement with lithium mica slag not only reduced the environmental pollution caused by soluble sulfates in lithium mica slag, but also reduced the use of cement and, thus, lowered costs. Full article
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18 pages, 7027 KiB  
Article
The Effects of Fly Ash, Blast Furnace Slag, and Limestone Powder on the Physical and Mechanical Properties of Geopolymer Mortar
by Salih Aslan and İbrahim Hakkı Erkan
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(2), 553; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14020553 - 8 Jan 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1777
Abstract
This study investigates the alterations in the ratios of components such as class C fly ash (FA), blast furnace slag (BFS), and waste stone powder (WSP) types of limestone powder (LP) used in the production of geopolymer concrete. These components are meticulously examined [...] Read more.
This study investigates the alterations in the ratios of components such as class C fly ash (FA), blast furnace slag (BFS), and waste stone powder (WSP) types of limestone powder (LP) used in the production of geopolymer concrete. These components are meticulously examined concerning the physical and mechanical attributes of geopolymer concrete. Using the mixture-design method, 10 different mixing ratios were determined using FA, BFS, and LP, and experimental research on the mechanical attributes and workability of geopolymer mortar is presented. A series of experimental tests, including tests for compressive strength, impact strength, setting time, flow table, flexural strength, and water absorption, were carried out on the geopolymer mortars that were made using FA, BFS, and LP, to investigate and enhance their overall performance. The experimental study aimed to ascertain the extent to which variations in the materials used in the formation of geopolymer mortar affected its mechanical and physical properties. To achieve this objective, certain parameters for geopolymer mortar formulation were fixed, according to the literature (molarity: 10; aggregate/binder ratio: 2.5; plasticizer ratio: 2%; sodium silicate (SS)/sodium hydroxide (SH): 1.5; additional water content: 14.5%; alkali activators/binder: 0.5). Subsequently, mortars were produced according to the 10 different mixing ratios determined by the mixture-design method, and the experiments were completed. The samples of the 10 different mixes were subjected to air curing at an ambient temperature (23 °C ± 2 °C) for 28 days. Following the curing period, the tests revealed that mix No. 9 exhibited the best compressive, flexural, and impact strengths, while mix No. 10 demonstrated superior workability of geopolymer mortar. It was shown that impact, compressive, and flexural strength values decreased as the ratios of FA and LP increased. In contrast, the increases in the ratios of FA and LP positively influenced the workability of geopolymer mortar. Full article
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