Experimental Study on the Effect of Environmental Water on the Mechanical Properties and Deterioration Process of Underground Engineering Masonry Mortar

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

(1) The paper insufficiently situates its study within the existing literature. Although it mentions various studies about the effects of environmental water on mortar, there is a lack of direct engagement with recent critical studies that could help in delineating the paper's contribution more clearly.

(2) The description of the methodology lacks clarity in several respects. The processes of sample preparation and testing conditions need more detailed exposition to ensure reproducibility. For instance, the specifics about the environmental conditions during testing (temperature, humidity).

(3) Several figures and tables are referred to in the text without a clear explanation or are not integrated effectively into the narrative.

(4) There are multiple inconsistencies in the reference list and citation style that need to be addressed. Some references are incompletely cited within the text, and there are discrepancies between in-text citations and the reference list.

(5) The conclusions drawn are somewhat generic and do not effectively synthesize the findings in a way that highlights their importance or potential impact on the field. There is also a missed opportunity to suggest future research directions based on the findings.

(6) There are numerous grammatical errors and awkward phrasing throughout the document, which could hinder its readability and professionalism. A thorough proofreading by a native English speaker is recommended.

Comments on the Quality of English Language

There are numerous grammatical errors and awkward phrasing throughout the document. A thorough proofreading by a native English speaker is recommended.

Author Response

The authors would like to thank the reviewer to carefully review this manuscript and provide detailed comments for improving the quality of the manuscript. The manuscript has revised according to the comments marked as “RED” in the revised manuscript and following are the specific one-to-one responses to each of the comments.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

1) The novelty and contributions of the study should be highlighted in the abstract.

2) Line 37-39: The numeric reference for the '2022 China Urban Underground Space Development Blue Book' is missing.

3) The manuscript needs reorganization. Section 2 seems out of context. What is City B supposed to represent? The authors should include a methodology section before presenting the on-site investigation information. Including a flowchart outlining the study's methodology (considering both on-site and laboratory investigation methods) would be beneficial.

4) The test device should be presented along with the testing methods. The materials should be presented first.

 5) Why was the Acoustic Emission test of mortar samples only evaluated for mixture No. DW-2, for 5 wet-dry cycles?

6) Figure 11: There is text that is not in English in this figure. Please translate.

7) Why do the authors believe that the comparison between the strength of laboratory-produced mortars can be compared with that of 50-year-old mortar? Is there assurance that the composition is the same? 

8) There are mortars for various functions in construction. What is the purpose of the mortars under study? Why wasn't an adhesion test conducted?

Author Response

The authors would like to thank the reviewer to carefully review this manuscript and provide detailed comments for improving the quality of the manuscript. The manuscript has revised according to the comments marked as “RED” in the revised manuscript and following are the specific one-to-one responses to each of the comments.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

This manuscript studies the mechanical properties and deterioration process of environmental water on masonry mortar in underground engineering. The research results have laid a certain research foundation for the application of engineering masonry mortar under the influence of environmental water, but there are still the following problems to be explained and supplemented.

1. The main highlights of this article are not described in the introduction, in other words, where is the novelty of this article embodied?

2. The introduction should supplement some related research status of acoustic emission.

3. What is the basis for selecting the PH value in environmental water in the experimental scheme in this paper, please describe it in detail?

What is the reason for the effect of PH value on mortar hydration in section 4 and 4.1? is there a specific reaction formula and hydration mechanism as an explanation?

5. There is a Chinese appearance in figure 11. This section should explain the internal factors of this phenomenon. For more information, please refer to 10.1016Universe j.istruc.2021.01.071. 10.1016ampj.conbuildmat.2023.133246 and 10.1061/JMCEE7.MTENG-1706.

6. The conclusion part does not directly explain the problems solved and phenomena found in this paper, so this part should be refined.

7. Environmental water affects the mechanical properties and deterioration process of mortar. The author should supplement part of the discussion to explain the application prospect of this research project and further research plan.

Author Response

The authors would like to thank the reviewer to carefully review this manuscript and provide detailed comments for improving the quality of the manuscript. The manuscript has revised according to the comments marked as “RED” in the revised manuscript and following are the specific one-to-one responses to each of the comments.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The manuscript has been revised thoroughly and can be accepted in its current form.

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Thank you for addressing my comments. In my opinion, the manuscript has significantly improved.