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A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Construction and Building Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 November 2023) | Viewed by 16078

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Dr. Weiting Xu

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School of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China
Interests: high-performance cement-based materials; shrinkage reduction and toughening mechanism of concrete; prevention and control of concrete cracks; recycling of solid waste; organic-inorganic composite cementitious materials; molecular dynamics simulation
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Dear Colleagues,

Concrete cracking is a crucial factor that threatens the durability and strength of concrete. Especially for concrete building structures with complex working environments such as hydraulic structures and long-span building structures, concrete cracking seriously threatens the safe operation of engineering projects. Cracking resistance of concrete is influenced by many factors, such as mechanical properties, temperature process, autogenous shrinkage, restrained stress, and creep, etc. The study of crack resistance of concrete is of great significance to its wide application. This Special Issue focuses on, but is not limited to, the research on the cracking resistance of ordinary Portland cement concrete, the relationship between the cracking mechanism and performance of some types of concrete such as alkali-activated cement concrete, fiber or steel reinforced concrete, self-compacting concrete, self-healing concrete, high performance concrete, reactive powder concrete, and recycled aggregate concrete, etc.

It is my pleasure to invite you to contribute to the Special Issue “Study on Crack Resistance of Concrete”. Full papers, communications, discussions, and reviews related to induction factors of concrete cracking and concrete properties, microscopic formation mechanism of concrete cracking, kinetics of crack growths depending on the duration and the magnitude of the external load, concrete crack recognition and extraction technology, numerical simulation study of concrete cracking, and materials, NDT and monitoring aspects of resistance and maintenance of concrete cracks or defects are welcomed.

Dr. Weiting Xu
Guest Editor

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Keywords

crack resistance
concrete
formation mechanism of concrete cracking
kinetics of cracking evolution
concrete crack recognition and extraction technology
numerical simulation of concrete cracking
materials and monitoring aspects of resistance and maintenance of concrete cracks

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Published Papers (11 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 14373 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

The Mechanical Performance and Reaction Mechanism of Slag-Based Organic–Inorganic Composite Geopolymers

by Xiaotong Xing, Weiting Xu, Guihua Zhang and Xilian Wen

Materials 2024, 17(3), 734; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17030734 - 3 Feb 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1160

Abstract

A series of organic–inorganic composite geopolymer paste samples were prepared with slag-based geopolymer and three types of hydrophilic organic polymers, i.e., PVA, PAA, and CPAM, by ordinary molding and pressure-mixing processes. The reaction mechanism between slag-based geopolymer and organic polymers was studied by FT-IR, NMR, and SEM techniques. The experimental results showed that the slag-based geopolymer with the addition of 3% PVA presented the highest 28-day flexural strength of 19.0 MPa by means of a pressure-mixing process and drying curing conditions (80 °C, 24 h) compared with the geopolymers incorporating PAA and CPAM. A more homogeneous dispersion morphology was also observed by BSE and SEM for the 3% PVA-incorporated slag-based geopolymer. The FT-IR testing results confirmed the formation of a C–O–Si (Al) bond between PVA and the slag-based geopolymer. The deconvolution of the Q³ and Q²(1Al) species obtained by ²⁹Si NMR testing manifested the addition of PVA and increased the length of the silicon backbone chain in the geopolymer. These findings confirmed that a composite geopolymer with high toughness can be produced based on the interpenetrating network structure formed between organic polymers and inorganic geopolymer. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Study on Crack Resistance of Concrete)

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15 pages, 3831 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study on the Preparation and Properties of Vegetation Lightweight Porous Concrete

by Qingyu Cao, Juncheng Zhou, Weiting Xu and Xiongzhou Yuan

Materials 2024, 17(1), 251; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17010251 - 3 Jan 2024

Viewed by 1256

Abstract

The objective of this study is to formulate vegetated light porous concrete (VLPC) through the utilization of various cementing materials, the design of porosity, and the incorporation of mineral additives. Subsequently, the study aims to assess and analyze key properties, including the bulk density, permeability coefficient, mechanical characteristics, and alkalinity. The findings indicate a linear decrease in the volume weight of VLPC as the designed porosity increases. While higher design porosity elevates the permeability coefficient, the measured effective porosity closely aligns with the design values. The examined VLPC exhibits a peak compressive strength of 17.7 MPa and a maximum bending strength of 2.1 MPa after 28 days. Notably, an escalation in porosity corresponds to a decrease in both the compressive and the bending strength of VLPC. Introducing mineral additives, particularly silicon powder, is shown to be effective in enhancing the strength of VLPC. Furthermore, substituting slag sulfonate cement for ordinary cement significantly diminishes the alkalinity of VLPC, resulting in a pH below 8.5 at 28 days. Mineral additives also contribute to a reduction in the pH of concrete. Among them, silica fume, fly ash, fly ash + slag powder, and slag powder exhibit a progressively enhanced alkaline reduction effect. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Study on Crack Resistance of Concrete)

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16 pages, 4646 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study on the Influence of Magnesite Tailings on the Expansion and Mechanical Properties of Mortar

by Feifei Jiang, Juan Zhou, Zhongyang Mao and Bi Chen

Materials 2023, 16(22), 7082; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16227082 - 8 Nov 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 848

Abstract

To reduce the mining of high-grade magnesite and solve the environmental pollution caused by magnesite tailings, magnesite tailings were used to produce MgO expansion agent (MEA), and a detailed study of its performance was carried out in this study. Firstly, the effects of different calcination times on the calcination products, the specific surface area, and the activity of MEA were analyzed. Then, the MEA produced by calcinating at 950 °C for 1 h was taken as the research object, and the effects of its content on the expansion performance, compressive strength, and flexural strength of the mortar were studied. The results showed that the decomposition of magnesite tailings after high-temperature calcination produced MEA, and the longer the calcination time, the lower the activity. The calcined tailings could compensate for the shrinkage of the mortar, and the expansion increased with the increase in curing temperature. What is more, when the content was less than 8%, the hydration of MEA filled the pores and improved the compactness, so the strength of the mortar increased with the increase in the expansion agent content. When the dosage was greater than 8%, excessive expansion increased the porosity, causing harmful expansion of the mortar and damaging its integrity, leading to a decrease in strength. Fly ash reduced the expansion of mortar, and after adding 30% fly ash, the expansion decreased by 20.0–36.1%, and the ability to suppress expansion decreased with the increase in curing temperature. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Study on Crack Resistance of Concrete)

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12 pages, 1505 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Curing Conditions on the Hydration of MgO in Cement Paste Mixed with MgO Expansive Agent

by Xuefeng Zhao, Zhongyang Mao, Xiaojun Huang, Penghui Luo, Min Deng and Mingshu Tang

Materials 2023, 16(11), 4032; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16114032 - 28 May 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1228

Abstract

Using the volume expansion generated by the hydration of the MgO expansive agent to compensate for the shrinkage deformation of concrete is considered to be an effective measure to prevent concrete shrinkage and cracking. Existing studies have mainly focused on the effect of the MgO expansive agent on the deformation of concrete under constant temperature conditions, but mass concrete in practical engineering experiences a temperature change process. Obviously, the experience obtained under constant temperature conditions makes it difficult to accurately guide the selection of the MgO expansive agent under actual engineering conditions. Based on the C50 concrete project, this paper mainly investigates the effect of curing conditions on the hydration of MgO in cement paste under actual variable temperature conditions by simulating the actual temperature change course of C50 concrete so as to provide a reference for the selection of the MgO expansive agent in engineering practice. The results show that temperature was the main factor affecting the hydration of MgO under variable temperature curing conditions, and the increase in the temperature could obviously promote the hydration of MgO in cement paste, while the change in the curing methods and cementitious system had an effect on the hydration of MgO, though this effect was not obvious. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Study on Crack Resistance of Concrete)

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16 pages, 3884 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study on the Effect of PVAc and Styrene on the Properties and Microstructure of MMA-Based Repair Material for Concrete

by Zemeng Guo, Lingling Xu, Shijian Lu, Luchao Yan, Zhipeng Zhu and Yang Wang

Materials 2023, 16(11), 3984; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16113984 - 26 May 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1364

Abstract

Methyl methacrylate (MMA) material is considered to be a suitable material for repairing concrete crack, provided that its large volume shrinkage during polymerization is resolved. This study was dedicated to investigating the effect of low shrinkage additives polyvinyl acetate and styrene (PVAc + styrene) on properties of the repair material and further proposes the shrinkage reduction mechanism based on the data of FTIR spectra, DSC testing and SEM micrographs. The results showed that PVAc + styrene delayed the gel point during the polymerization, and the formation of two-phase structure and micropores compensated for the volume shrinkage of the material. When the proportion of PVAc + styrene was 12%, the volume shrinkage could be as low as 4.78%, and the shrinkage stress was reduced by 87.4%. PVAc + styrene improved the bending strength and fracture toughness of most ratios investigated in this study. When 12% PVAc + styrene was added, the 28 d flexural strength and fracture toughness of MMA-based repair material were 28.04 MPa and 92.18%, respectively. After long-term curing, the repair material added with 12% PVAc + styrene showed a good adhesion to the substrate, with a bonding strength greater than 4.1 MPa and the fracture surface appearing at the substrate after the bonding experiment. This work contributes to the obtaining of a MMA-based repair material with low shrinkage, while its viscosity and other properties also can meet the requirements for repairing microcracks. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Study on Crack Resistance of Concrete)

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15 pages, 3197 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Mineral Admixtures on the Mechanical and Shrinkage Performance of MgO Concrete

by Xuan Zhou, Zhongyang Mao, Penghui Luo and Min Deng

Materials 2023, 16(9), 3448; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16093448 - 28 Apr 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1326

Abstract

Shrinkage deformation of concrete has been one of the difficulties in the process of concrete performance research. Cracking of concrete caused by self-shrinkage and temperature-drop shrinkage has become a common problem in the concrete world, and cracking leads to a decrease in the durability of concrete and even a safety hazard. Mineral admixtures, such as fly ash and mineral powder, are widely used to improve the temperature drop shrinkage of mass concrete; fly ash can reduce the temperature rise of concrete while also reducing the self-shrinkage of concrete, there are different results on the effect of mineral powder on the self-shrinkage of concrete, but the admixture of fly ash will reduce the strength of concrete, and mineral admixtures have an inhibitory effect on the shrinkage compensation effect of MgO expander(MEA). The paper investigates the effect of mineral admixtures on the mechanical and deformation properties of C50 mass concrete with a MgO expander(MEA), aiming to determine the proportion of C50 mass concrete with good anti-cracking properties under working conditions. The experiments investigated the effect of fly ash admixture, mineral powder admixture and MgO expander admixture on the compressive strength and deformation of concrete under simulated working conditions of variable temperature and analyzed the effect of hydration of magnesite in MgO expander and pore structure of cement paste on deformation. The following main conclusions were obtained: 1. When the concrete compounded with mineral admixture was cured under variable temperature conditions, the compounded 30% fly ash and mineral powder decreased by 4.3%, 6.0% and 8.4% at 7d age, and the compounded 40% fly ash and mineral powder decreased by 3.4%, 2.8% and 2.3% at 7d age, respectively. The incorporation of MEA reduced the early compressive strength of concrete; when the total amount of compounding remained unchanged, the early compressive strength of concrete was gradually smaller as the proportion of compounding decreased. 2. The results of concrete deformation showed that when the temperature rose, the concrete expanded rapidly, and when the temperature dropped, the concrete also showed a certain shrinkage, and the deformation of concrete basically reached stability at 18d. 3. The compounding of 30% fly ash and mineral powder As the compounding ratio decreases, the deformation of concrete increases, and the 28d deformation of concrete with a compounding ratio of 2:1 is 280 × 10⁻⁶, while the final stable deformation of concrete with a compounding ratio of 2:1 in compounding 40% fly ash and mineral powder is the largest, with a maximum value of 230 × 10⁻⁶, respectively. Overall, the concrete with a total compounding of 30% and a compounding ratio of 2:1 has the best shrinkage resistance performance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Study on Crack Resistance of Concrete)

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15 pages, 6221 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Working Temperature Conditions on the Autogenous Deformation of High-Performance Concrete Mixed with MgO Expansive Agent

by Zhe Cao, Zhongyang Mao, Jiale Gong, Xiaojun Huang and Min Deng

Materials 2023, 16(8), 3006; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16083006 - 10 Apr 2023

Viewed by 1427

Abstract

Currently, mass concrete is increasingly utilized in various engineering projects that demand high physical properties of concrete. The water-cement ratio of mass concrete is comparatively smaller than that of the concrete used in dam engineering. However, the occurrence of severe cracking in mass concrete has been reported in numerous engineering applications. To address this issue, the incorporation of MgO expansive agent (MEA) in concrete has been widely recognized as an effective method to prevent mass concrete from cracking. In this research, three distinct temperature conditions were established based on the temperature elevation of mass concrete in practical engineering scenarios. To replicate the temperature increase under operational conditions, a device was fabricated that employed a stainless-steel barrel as the container for concrete, which was enveloped with insulation cotton for thermal insulation purposes. Three different MEA dosages were used during the pouring of concrete, and sine strain gauges were placed within the concrete to gauge the resulting strain. The hydration level of MEA was studied using thermogravimetric analysis (TG) to calculate the degree of hydration. The findings demonstrate that temperature has a significant impact on the performance of MEA; a higher temperature results in more complete hydration of MEA. The design of the three temperature conditions revealed that when the peak temperature exceeded 60 °C in two cases, the addition of 6% MEA was sufficient to fully compensate for the early shrinkage of concrete. Moreover, in instances where the peak temperature exceeded 60 °C, the impact of temperature on accelerating MEA hydration was more noticeable. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Study on Crack Resistance of Concrete)

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12 pages, 2419 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Hydration Temperature Rise Inhibitor on the Temperature Rise of Concrete and Its Mechanism

by Tian Liang, Penghui Luo, Zhongyang Mao, Xiaojun Huang, Min Deng and Mingshu Tang

Materials 2023, 16(8), 2992; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16082992 - 10 Apr 2023

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 1536

Abstract

The rapid drop in internal temperature of mass concrete can readily lead to temperature cracks. Hydration heat inhibitors reduce the risk of concrete cracking by reducing the temperature during the hydration heating phase of cement-based material but may reduce the early strength of the cement-based material. Therefore, in this paper, the influence of commercially available hydration temperature rise inhibitors on concrete temperature rise is studied from the aspects of macroscopic performance and microstructure characteristics, and their mechanism of action is analyzed. A fixed mix ratio of 64% cement, 20% fly ash, 8% mineral powder and 8% magnesium oxide was used. The variable was different admixtures of hydration temperature rise inhibitors at 0%, 0.5%, 1.0% and 1.5% of the total cement-based materials. The results showed that the hydration temperature rise inhibitors significantly reduced the early compressive strength of concrete at 3 d, and the greater the amount of hydration temperature rise inhibitors, the more obvious the decrease in concrete strength. With the increase in age, the influence of hydration temperature rise inhibitor on the compressive strength of concrete gradually decreased, and the decrease in compressive strength at 7 d was less than that at 3 d. At 28 d, the compressive strength of the hydration temperature rise inhibitor was about 90% in the blank group. XRD and TG confirmed that hydration temperature rise inhibitors delay early hydration of cement. SEM showed that hydration temperature rise inhibitors delayed the hydration of Mg(OH)₂. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Study on Crack Resistance of Concrete)

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13 pages, 4394 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of the Water-Binder Ratio on the Autogenous Shrinkage of C50 Mass Concrete Mixed with MgO Expansion Agent

by Jun Chen, Zhongyang Mao, Xiaojun Huang and Min Deng

Materials 2023, 16(6), 2478; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16062478 - 21 Mar 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1464

Abstract

The high adiabatic temperature rise and low heat dissipation rate of mass concrete will promote rapid hydration of the cementitious material and rapid consumption of water from the concrete pores, which may significantly accelerate the development of concrete autogenous shrinkage. In this study, the effect of the water-binder ratio on the autogenous shrinkage of C50 concrete mixed with MgO expansion agent (MEA) was explained with respect to mechanical properties, pore structure, degree of hydration, and micromorphology of the concrete based on a variable temperature curing chamber. The results show that the high temperature rise within the mass concrete accelerates the development of early (14 d) autogenous shrinkage of the concrete, and that the smaller the water-binder ratio, the greater the autogenous shrinkage of the concrete. With the addition of 8 wt% MEA, the autogenous shrinkage of concrete can be effectively compensated. The larger the water-binder ratio, the higher the degree of MgO hydration, and in terms of the compensation effect of autogenous shrinkage, the best performance is achieved at a water-binder ratio of 0.36. This study provides a data reference for the determination of the water-binder ratio in similar projects with MEA. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Study on Crack Resistance of Concrete)

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19 pages, 6080 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Preparation and Performance of Repair Materials for Surface Defects in Pavement Concrete

by Pengfei Li, Zhongyang Mao, Xiaojun Huang and Min Deng

Materials 2023, 16(6), 2439; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16062439 - 18 Mar 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1963

Abstract

Concrete surface defects are very complex and diverse, which is a great test for repair materials. The efficiency and durability of the repair system depend on the bonding effect between the concrete and the repair material. However, the rapid increase in system viscosity during the reaction of repair materials is an important factor affecting the infiltration effect. In the present work, the infiltration consolidation repair material was prepared, and its basic properties (viscosity, surface drying time and actual drying time, infiltration property) and mechanical properties were evaluated. Finally, the infiltration depth, film-forming thickness, and anti-spalling ability of concrete under a single-side freeze–thaw cycle are revealed. The results showed that using ethyl acetate could rapidly reduce the viscosity of the repair material, and the repair material could penetrate 20–30 mm into the concrete within 10 min. It was found by laser confocal microscopy that the thickness of the film formation after 3 days was only 29 µm. In the mortar fracture repair test to evaluate the bond strength, the bond strength of the repaired material reached 9.18 MPa in 28 days, and the new fracture surface was in the mortar itself. In addition, the freeze–thaw cycle test was carried out on the composite specimens under salt solution to verify the compatibility of the designed repair material with the concrete substrate. The data showed that the average amount of spalling was only 1704.4 g/m² when 10% ethyl acetate was added. The penetrating repair material in this study has good infiltration performance, which can penetrate a certain depth in the surface pores and form a high-performance consolidation body, forming a “rooted type” filling. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Study on Crack Resistance of Concrete)

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22 pages, 14736 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Different Expansive Agents on the Deformation Properties of Core Concrete in a Steel Tube with a Harsh Temperature History

by Anqun Lu, Wen Xu, Qianqian Wang, Rui Wang and Zhiyuan Ye

Materials 2023, 16(5), 1780; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16051780 - 21 Feb 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1556

Abstract

The shrinkage of core concrete during construction is the key reason for the separation of steel pipes and core concrete. Utilizing expansive agents during cement hydration is one of the main techniques to prevent voids between steel pipes and core concrete and increase the structural stability of concrete-filled steel tubes. The expansion and hydration properties of CaO, MgO, and CaO + MgO composite expansive agents in C60 concrete under variable temperature conditions were investigated. The effects of the calcium–magnesium ratio and magnesium oxide activity on deformation are the main parameters to consider when designing composite expansive agents. The results showed that the expansion effect of CaO expansive agents was predominant in the heating stage (from 20.0 °C to 72.0 °C at 3 °C/h), while there was no expansion in the cooling stage (from 72.0 °C to 30.0 °C at 3 °C/d, and then to 20.0 °C at 0.7 °C/h); the expansion deformation in the cooling stage was mainly caused by the MgO expansive agent. With the increase in the active reaction time of MgO, the hydration of MgO in the heating stage of concrete decreased, and the expansion of MgO in the cooling stage increased. During the cooling stage, 120 s MgO and 220 s MgO resulted in continuous expansion, and the expansion curve did not converge, while 65 s MgO reacted with water to form brucite in large amounts, leading to its lower expansion deformation during the later cooling process. In summary, the CaO and 220 s MgO composite expansive agent in the appropriate dosage is suitable for compensating for the shrinkage of concrete in the case of a fast high-temperature rise and slow cooling rate. This work will guide the application of different types of CaO-MgO composite expansive agents in concrete-filled steel tube structures under harsh environmental conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Study on Crack Resistance of Concrete)

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