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Advances in Binders for Construction Materials (Second Volume)

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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: 20 July 2024 | Viewed by 3133

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Jorge Otero

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Guest Editor

Department of Art Conservation, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
Interests: binders; construction building materials; historic mortars; heritage conservation; nanolime; deterioration; inorganic porous building materials; monument repair
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The global binder production for construction materials is approximately 7.5 billion tons per year, contributing ~6% to the global anthropogenic atmospheric CO₂ emissions. Reducing this carbon footprint is a key aim of the construction industry, and current research focuses on developing new innovative ways to attain more sustainable binders and concrete/mortars as a real alternative to the current global demand for Portland cement.

With this aim, several potential alternative binders are currently being investigated by scientists worldwide, based on calcium aluminate cement, calcium sulfoaluminate cement, alkali-activated binders, calcined clay limestone cements, nanomaterials, or supersulfated cements. This Special Issue welcomes contributions that address research and practical advances in i) alternative binder manufacturing processes; ii) chemical, microstructural, and structural characterization of unhydrated binders and of hydrated systems; iii) the properties and modelling of concrete and mortars; iv) applications and durability of concrete and mortars; and v) the conservation and repair of historic concrete/mortar structures using alternative binders.

This Special Issue volume II will focus on papers with a broad interest in the binder industry and construction community, based upon the novelty and quality of the results and the real potential application of the findings to the practice and industry.

Dr. Jorge Otero
Guest Editor

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.

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. Materials 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 2600 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

binders
mortars
renders
grouts
building materials
lime
cement
concrete
alkali-activated materials
alternative binders
high-performance concrete
geopolymers
gypsum
calcium aluminate cement
nanolime
supersulfated cements
calcium sulfoaluminate binders
mortar additives
Roman fly ash
cementitious composites
calcined clay limestone cements
natural pozzolans
hybrid binders
nanomaterials
durability
life cycle assessment
recycled materials
waste management
environmental assessment
repair of historic construction materials
concrete conservation
case studies

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 6022 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Properties of Macadam Stabilized with Cement and Asphalt Emulsion

by Jian Sun, Yong Huang, Yulin He, Bieliatynskyi Andrii and Wen Liu

Materials 2023, 16(23), 7256; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16237256 - 21 Nov 2023

Viewed by 534

Abstract

The cracking of cement-stabilized macadam (CSM) reflects to the asphalt layer, which is one of the reasons for the failure of pavement performance and structure. Adding asphalt emulsion to CSM can effectively prevent the formation of cracks. The primary purpose of this article is to reveal the effect of asphalt emulsions on the performance of CSM by adding different contents of asphalt emulsion. For this purpose, tests of unconfined compressive strength (UCS), flexural tensile strength (FTS), elastic modulus, and frost resistance were performed on CSM with gradations of CSM-5 and CSM-10 (the maximum particle sizes of the macadam in the gradation composition are 5 mm and 10 mm), respectively. The test results showed that the UCS of CSM decreased with the increment of asphalt emulsion content. The FTS and elastic modulus of CSM increased with the content of asphalt emulsion. Based on the FTS test results, the frost resistance coefficient K_m1, defined according to the CSM splitting strength prior to and subsequent to freeze–thaw, was used to evaluate the frost resistance. The test results showed that the frost resistance of CSM improved with the increase in asphalt emulsion content for the same cement content. In conclusion, adding asphalt emulsion to CSM has positive effects on the FTS, elastic modulus, and frost resistance. Therefore, for the purpose of maintaining the UCS value of CSM, the content of cement should be considered at the same time as the controlling of the content of asphalt emulsion. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Binders for Construction Materials (Second Volume))

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22 pages, 7476 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Increasing the Hydration Activity of Tricalcium Silicate by Adding Microdispersed Ettringite as a Nucleating Agent

by Yurii R. Krivoborodov, Svetlana V. Samchenko, Andrey V. Korshunov, Irina V. Kozlova and Dmitrii G. Alpacky

Materials 2023, 16(22), 7078; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16227078 - 08 Nov 2023

Viewed by 703

Abstract

Tricalcium silicate (C₃S) as a binder material has a decisive influence on the processes of hardening and strength gain of cements and concretes. One of the promising directions is the introduction of dispersed additives into cement mixtures, which allow micro-level control of the composition of hydration products and change the dynamics of the structure formation of cement stone. In this paper, the effect of a microdisperse ettringite additive on the kinetics of the hydration and hardening process of tricalcium silicate was studied. It was shown that ettringite crystals selectively adsorb Ca²⁺ and OH⁻ ions from a saturated solution of calcium hydroxide, which contributes to the formation of hydrosilicate nuclei on their surface during cement hydration. Hydration of C₃S in the presence of ettringite proceeds more intensively; the addition of ettringite contributes to an increase in the content of calcium hydrosilicates in hydration products at the initial stage of the process. Addition of 10 wt.% ettringite to C₃S reduces the induction period of the beginning of the main phase of heat release by around two times and increases the amount of heat released on the 1st day of hydration by 15% compared to the control sample. According to electron microscopy data, it was found that during the first hours of hydration of modified C₃S, a significant number of nuclei of fibrous particles of calcium hydrosilicates with sizes of 0.2–2 microns were formed on the surface of ettringite crystals. According to the results of kinetic modeling of the setting process of cement pastes using the Avrami–Erofeyev model, it was shown that in the presence of the addition of microcrystals of ettringite, the setting rate is characterized by a slowdown in nucleation, whereas for a sample without an additive, this process proceeds with an acceleration of the formation of solid-phase nuclei. Based on the comparison of kinetic results and mechanical measurements, it is concluded that needle crystals of ettringite during C₃S hydration and cement stone hardening are preformed centers for the growth of hydrosilicate nuclei, and they also act as a reinforcing filler, increasing the bending strength of modified samples. The results of the work can be used in practice in the development of methods for controlling the processes of hydration and hardening of cements, as well as for controllable structure formation of cement stone which is important in particular for 3D printing of building products and constructions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Binders for Construction Materials (Second Volume))

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16 pages, 3740 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of the Microstructure and Porosity of Cement Pastes with Functionalized Nanosilica with Different Contents of Aminosilane

by Gabriel Lima Oliveira Martins, Yuri Sotero Bomfim Fraga, Andréia de Paula, João Henrique da Silva Rêgo, Amparo Moragues Terrades and Moisés Frías Rojas

Materials 2023, 16(16), 5675; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16165675 - 18 Aug 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 692

Abstract

This research aims to analyze the effect of functionalized nanosilica (NSF) with different levels of amine groups in the formation of hydration products. Four cement pastes were investigated, one reference with Portland cement and three replacing 1% of Portland cement by nanosilica (NS), NSF with a low content of amine groups, and NSF with a high content of amine groups. The heat of hydration of the pastes was evaluated up to 7 days of hydration, the amount of calcium hydroxide (CH) and hydrated phases by means of the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) test and compressive strength at 2, 7, and 28 days, and porosity through tests of mercury intrusion porosimetry and computed tomography at 28 days of hydration. It was possible to observe that the NSF directly influenced the hydration kinetics of the pastes, delaying the hydration of the Portland cement; however, it demonstrated a similar mechanical performance to the paste with NS at 2 days of hydration and an increase of 10% at 28 days of hydration due to the improvement in the hydration process. Thus, it is possible to conclude that the functionalization of NSF with a low 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) content is promising for use in cementitious materials and may improve hydration and mechanical performance at more advanced ages compared to NS. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Binders for Construction Materials (Second Volume))

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14 pages, 8408 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Strength and Electrical Properties of Cementitious Composite with Integrated Carbon Nanotubes

by Anna Lushnikova, Olivier Plé, Yago De Souza Gomes, Xiaohui Jia and Wei Yang

Materials 2023, 16(13), 4771; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16134771 - 01 Jul 2023

Viewed by 760

Abstract

The main objective of this work was to study the effects of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on the strength and electrical properties of cement mortar. Molecular dynamic simulations (MDSs) were carried out to determine the mechanical and electrical properties of a cementitious composite and its associated mechanisms. To model the atomic structure of a calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) gel, tobermorite 11Å was chosen. Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) embedded in a tobermorite structure were tested numerically. In particular, it was concluded that a piezoelectric effect can be effectively simulated by varying the concentration levels of carbon nanotubes. The deformation characteristics were analyzed by subjecting a sample to an electrical field of 250 MV/m in the z-direction in a simulation box. The results indicated a progressively stronger converse piezoelectric response with an increasing proportion of carbon nanotubes. Additionally, it was observed that the piezoelectric constant in the z-direction, denoted by d33, also increased correspondingly, thereby validating the potential for generating an electrical current during sample deformation. An innovative experiment was developed for the electrical characterization of a cementitious composite of carbon nanotubes. The results showed that the electrostatic current measurements exhibited a higher electric sensitivity for samples with a higher concentration of CNTs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Binders for Construction Materials (Second Volume))

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