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Cementitious Materials for Construction: Preparation, Characterization and Applications

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 June 2024 | Viewed by 4233

Special Issue Editors

School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
Interests: cement; concrete; hydration; low field NMR; recycled aggregate; characterization; low carbon cementitious material
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
Interests: cement chemistry; concrete admixture; rheological properties of cement-based materials

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As a guest editor of Materials, I am delighted to introduce the upcoming Special Issue of Materials, entitled "Cementitious Materials for Construction: Preparation, Characterization and Applications", as follows:

Cementitious materials are essential components in the construction industry. This category includes cement, concrete, and other materials that play crucial roles in building structures and infrastructure. This Special Issue will focus on the preparation, characterization, and application of cementitious materials. It aims to explore new methods and technologies to improve the performance and durability of cementitious materials and to expand their applications in construction. This Special Issue will feature the latest research results from researchers around the world, covering various aspects, including the preparation of new types of cement, the characterization of their properties, and their application in construction. These research results provide new ideas and methods for the development of cementitious materials, contributing to the sustainable development of the construction industry. 

Dr. Anming She
Dr. Zichen Lu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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Keywords

  • cementitious materials
  • cement
  • concrete
  • preparation
  • characterization
  • performance
  • durability
  • sustainability
  • construction industry

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 10995 KiB  
Article
Laboratory Scaled-Down Cementitious Concrete Model Used for Estimating the Bearing Capacity of a Bridge Girder Based on the Similitude Theory
by Marin Amăreanu, Ionuţ-Radu Răcănel, Ciprian Nicolae Neacşu and Daniel Dumitru Morlova
Materials 2023, 16(24), 7559; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16247559 - 08 Dec 2023
Viewed by 1084
Abstract
Bridges are structures subjected to multiple types of loads and combinations during their service life. The uncertainties linked with the materials’ behavior and manufacturing processes often necessitate the testing of produced elements on a real scale. This is particularly true for bridge concrete [...] Read more.
Bridges are structures subjected to multiple types of loads and combinations during their service life. The uncertainties linked with the materials’ behavior and manufacturing processes often necessitate the testing of produced elements on a real scale. This is particularly true for bridge concrete precast girders, which are frequently tested to predict the ultimate carrying load. Testing procedures are time-consuming, expensive in terms of both time and money, and involve a large amount of logistics and auxiliary equipment and devices. Thus, testing scaled-down models in laboratory conditions and extrapolating the obtained results with respect to the real-scale element using similitude theory has become a very common alternative method in the last decade. In this paper, experimental data regarding the efficiency of dimensional analysis computation are discussed. The proposed method involves comparing the values at which failure in bending and shear occurs for a 1:10 cementitious concrete bridge beam model with respect to the values computed for the prototype beam. Regarding the obtained results, a very small difference between the test results and the calculated values can be noticed. Full article
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18 pages, 9251 KiB  
Article
Influence of Carbonation on the Properties of Steel Slag–Magnesium Silicate Hydrate (MSH) Cement
by Tian Zeng, Zhiqi Hu, Chengran Huang and Jun Chang
Materials 2023, 16(20), 6737; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16206737 - 18 Oct 2023
Viewed by 816
Abstract
Magnesium silicate hydrate (MSH) cement has the advantages of low energy consumption, minimal environmental pollution, carbon negativity, and reduced alkalinity, but excessive drying shrinkage inhibits its application. This paper analyzed the influence of steel slag (SS) dosage, carbon dioxide partial pressure, and carbonation [...] Read more.
Magnesium silicate hydrate (MSH) cement has the advantages of low energy consumption, minimal environmental pollution, carbon negativity, and reduced alkalinity, but excessive drying shrinkage inhibits its application. This paper analyzed the influence of steel slag (SS) dosage, carbon dioxide partial pressure, and carbonation curing time on the compressive strength, shrinkage rate, and phase composition of MSH cement. Various analysis methods, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP), were used to study the hydration products and microstructure. The results showed that under normal curing conditions, MSH cement mixed with different steel slag contents experienced a decline in strength at all ages. However, the greater the amount of SS incorporated, the lesser the degree of drying shrinkage. The compressive strength of all groups was improved, and the drying shrinkage was reduced by carbonation treatment. The samples with 5%, 10%, and 15% SS content exhibited shrinkage rates of 2.19%, 1.74%, and 1.60%, respectively, after 28 days of curing. The reason was that after carbonation treatment, hydrated magnesium carbonates (HMCs) were generated in the SS–MSH cement, and a Ca–Mg–C amorphous substance formed by hydration and carbonation of C2S in steel slag filled in the pores, which enhanced the density of the matrix, improved the compressive strength of the specimen, and reduced the shrinkage rate. Full article
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15 pages, 17406 KiB  
Article
Effect of Carbonation Treatment on the Strength and CO2 Uptake Rate of Composite Cementitious Material with a High Steel Slag Powder Content
by Zhimin He, Xuyang Shao and Xin Chen
Materials 2023, 16(18), 6204; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16186204 - 14 Sep 2023
Viewed by 754
Abstract
As a major steel producer, China is now eager to develop feasible solutions to recycle and reuse steel slag. However, due to the relatively poor hydration activity of steel slag, the quantity of steel slag used as a supplemental binder material is limited. [...] Read more.
As a major steel producer, China is now eager to develop feasible solutions to recycle and reuse steel slag. However, due to the relatively poor hydration activity of steel slag, the quantity of steel slag used as a supplemental binder material is limited. In order to improve the cementitious properties of steel slag, the strength and carbonation degree of the high-content steel slag powder–cement–metakaolin composite cementitious material system under CO2 curing conditions were investigated. The compressive strengths of the mortar specimens were tested and compared. The carbonation areas were identified and evaluated. A microscopic analysis was conducted using X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetry analysis (TG), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to reveal the chemical mechanisms. The results showed that CO2 curing significantly increased the early strength as the 3D compressive strength of the specimens increased by 47.2% after CO2 curing. The strength of the specimens increased with increasing amounts of metakaolin in a low water-to-binder ratio mixture. The 3D compressive strength of the specimens prepared with 15% metakaolin at a 0.2 water-to-binder ratio achieved 44.2 MPa after CO2 curing. Increasing the water-to-binder ratio from 0.2 to 0.5 and the metakaolin incorporation from 0% to 15% resulted in a 25.33% and 19.9% increase in the carbonation area, respectively. The calcium carbonate crystals that formed during carbonation filled the pores and reduced the porosity, thereby enhancing the strength of the mortar specimens. The soundness of the specimens after CO2 curing was qualified. The results obtained in the present study provide new insight for the improvement of the hydration reactivity and cementitious properties of steel slag powder. Full article
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15 pages, 10654 KiB  
Article
Effect of Aluminium Substitution on Physical Adsorption of Chloride and Sulphate Ions in Cement-Based Materials
by Guangtai Zhang, Maoquan Li and Zheyu Zhu
Materials 2023, 16(17), 6029; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16176029 - 01 Sep 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 540
Abstract
When aluminium-rich phase minerals are added to Portland cement, Al atoms will enter the C-S-H and Al, then a substitution reaction will occur, forming a hydrated silica-calcium aluminate (C-A-S-H), which changes the molecular structure of the cement material. Due to limitations in experimental [...] Read more.
When aluminium-rich phase minerals are added to Portland cement, Al atoms will enter the C-S-H and Al, then a substitution reaction will occur, forming a hydrated silica-calcium aluminate (C-A-S-H), which changes the molecular structure of the cement material. Due to limitations in experimental methods, the research on the bonding effect between corroded ions and Al-substituted structures is still unclear. Here, the mechanism of an Al substitution reaction affecting the adsorption of chloride and sulphate ions was studied using simulation. The C-A-S-H model of aluminium random substitution was built, evaluating the binding effects among the C-A-S-H, and sulphate and chloride ions. The results demonstrated that the C-A-S-H structure generated by the Al substitution reaction increased the physical adsorption capacity of the chloride and sulphate ions. The adsorption capacity of the sulphate ions was 13.26% higher than that before the Al substitution, and the adsorption capacity of chloride ions was 21.32% higher than that before the Al substitution. The addition of high aluminium phase minerals caused the interfacial flocculants C-A-S-H and C-S-H to connect and intertwine in the the interface transition zone (ITZ) structure. The addition of high-alumina phase minerals improves the microstructure of concrete hydration products, improving the physical and mechanical properties and durability of concrete. After the addition of 20% lithium slag, the sulphate ion erosion content and the chloride ion erosion content of the concrete decreased by 13.65% and 15.72%, respectively. This paper provides a deeper understanding of the effect of high-alumina phase admixtures on concrete at the micro-scale. Full article
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13 pages, 4181 KiB  
Article
Effect of Synthetic Pregelatinized Starch-Modified C-S-H Particles on the Chemical Structure of C-A-S-H Generated from GGBS
by Weijie Hao and Zheyu Zhu
Materials 2023, 16(17), 5736; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16175736 - 22 Aug 2023
Viewed by 612
Abstract
Finding new agents to enhance the strength of alkali-activated (ground granulated blast furnace slag) GGBS is beneficial for environmental protection. Here, we reveal the effect of pregelatinized starch-modifying calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) particles on the nanostructure tailoring of NaOH-activated GGBS hydrates. The results [...] Read more.
Finding new agents to enhance the strength of alkali-activated (ground granulated blast furnace slag) GGBS is beneficial for environmental protection. Here, we reveal the effect of pregelatinized starch-modifying calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) particles on the nanostructure tailoring of NaOH-activated GGBS hydrates. The results show that, for the synthetic modified C-S-H, the pregelatinized starch absorbs on the surface of C-S-H, which modifies the silicate chains and crystal structure. Adding pregelatinized starch-modified C-S-H particles can tailor the chemical structure of calcium silicaluminate hydrate (C-A-S-H) formed from GGBS hydration by increasing the mean chain length (MCL) and decreasing the Al/Si ratios. When adding C-S-H particles modified by 0.1% pregelatinized starch, the MCL of C-A-S-H is increased by 344.5% and the Al/Si ratio is decreased by 16.0%. The compressive strength of NaOH-activated GGBS samples can be enhanced by adding pregelatinized starch-modified C-S-H particles, while the addition for modified C-S-H does not significantly affect the flexural strength. The high strength of hardened blocks of hydrated GGBS is related to the long MCL silicate chains. These findings provide a potential application of pregelatinized starch-modifying C-S-H particle acting as strength-enhancing agents. Full article
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Planned Papers

The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.

Title: Laboratory scaled-down cementious concrete model used for estimating the bearing capacity of a bridge girder based on the similitude theory
Authors: Marin Amăreanu; Ionuţ-Radu Răcănel; Ciprian Nicolae Neacşu; Daniel Dumitru Morlova
Affiliation: Technical University of Civil Engineering of Bucharest
Abstract: Bridges are structures subjected to multiple load types and combination during their service life. The uncertainites linked with the materials behaviour and manufacturing processes lead in many circumstances to the need of testing on real scale of produced elements. This is the case of bridge concrete precast girders, which are often tested in order to predict the ultimate carrying load. The testing procedures are time consuming, expansive in terms of time and money and involve a large amount of logistics and auxiliary equipments and devices. Thus, the testing of scaled-down models in laboratory conditions and extrapolation of the obtained results with respect to the real scale element using the similitude theory principles became in last decade a very common alternative method. For the manufacturing of a scaled-down model it is necessary to establish certain similitude criteria, in order to fulfill the geometrical and physical conditions between the model and the prototype. In the present paper experimental data regarding the efficiency of the dimensional analysis compu-tation are discussed. The proposed method is conducted by comparing the values at which failure in bending and shear occurs for a 1:10 cementious concrete bridge beam model with respect to the values computed for the prototype beam. Regarding the obtained results, for the scaled-down tested beam the input force scaling factor foresaw a failure force value P=2368 N and during the testing, the failure occurred at value between P=2350 and 2400 N. Noticing the small difference between the two values, one can confirm that the scaling criteria’s choice was conclusive.

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