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Cement-Based Materials and Construction Materials: Modeling, Characterization and Mechanical Behavior

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 2208

Special Issue Editors

Department of Structures for Engineering and Architecture, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via Forno Vecchio, Naples, 80134, Italy
Interests: timber constructions, masonry structures, nanotubes, vibration, modeling and computational methods
Department of Structures for Engineering and Architecture, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via Forno Vecchio, Naples 80134, Italy
Interests: timber constructions; masonry buildings; retrofit interventions seismic vulnerability assessment
Department of Biosciences and Territory, University of Molise, via F. de Sanctis 1, 86100 Campobasso, Italy.
Interests: masonry buildings; timber constructions; seismic vulnerability assessment; fragility curves; earthquake engineering; retrofit interventions
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We invite you to submit a manuscript to this Special Issue in the form of an original research article or review paper.

In recent decades, the field of construction materials and engineering has greatly advanced with the development of new materials and improved characterization techniques. This has led to the creation of new models that can simulate the mechanical behavior of different materials, including concrete and reinforced concrete.

Cement-based materials, which are the most widely used construction material, are complex systems that have transient physical and mechanical properties. Understanding the mechanical behavior of cement-based materials is essential for predicting structures' durability and safety over time.

Modeling and characterization techniques offer a better understanding of the mechanical behavior of different materials, allowing for improved design and performance. New materials, such as fiber-reinforced concrete and ultra-high-performance concrete, are also emerging, offering enhanced durability and improved mechanical properties. In summary, the field of cement-based materials and construction materials continues to grow and evolve. The continued development of models and characterization techniques allows for better design and analysis of construction materials and structures, assisting engineers in providing safe and sustainable solutions for infrastructure projects.

Therefore, this Special Issue focuses on advances in the modeling, characterization and mechanical behavior of construction materials, and original research papers, communications, and reviews are all welcome.

Dr. Maria Lippiello
Dr. Carla Ceraldi
Dr. Antonio Sandoli
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. 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

  • construction materials
  • mechanical behavior
  • modeling and simulations
  • cement-based materials
  • concrete
  • masonry
  • timber

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 5658 KiB  
Article
Fiber Synergy of Polyvinyl Alcohol and Steel Fibers on the Bond Behavior of a Hybrid Fiber-Reinforced Cementitious Composite
by Wenlin Liu and Jianping Han
Materials 2024, 17(3), 629; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17030629 - 27 Jan 2024
Viewed by 609
Abstract
Based on multi-scale characteristics inherent in the cracking process of cementitious composites, fibers with different geometric dimensions are simultaneously used to restrain the formation and development of cracks at different scales. Accordingly, hybrid fiber-reinforced cementitious composites (HyFRCCs) exhibit excellent bond behavior and deformation [...] Read more.
Based on multi-scale characteristics inherent in the cracking process of cementitious composites, fibers with different geometric dimensions are simultaneously used to restrain the formation and development of cracks at different scales. Accordingly, hybrid fiber-reinforced cementitious composites (HyFRCCs) exhibit excellent bond behavior and deformation capacity in terms of tension and compression, accompanied by higher damage tolerance. Using these benefits of the mechanical properties of HyFRCCs, the structural performance of HyFRCC structures under complex loading conditions can be improved. To objectively evaluate the contributions of all fibers to the mechanical properties of HyFRCCs, steel macro-fibers, and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) micro-fibers were used to design several reinforced cementitious composites. Four of the specimens were mono-fibrous cementitious composites, three specimens were cementitious composites reinforced with hybrid fibers, and one was a non-fibrous cementitious composite. The synergy effect of the steel and PVA fibers was analyzed using various fiber combinations. The results indicated a significant enhancement of the bonding properties of HyFRCCs through the incorporation of PVA and steel fibers. Specifically, the peak bond strength, peak slip displacement, and residual bond strength exhibited increments ranging from 31.0% to 41.7%, 60.6% to 118.4%, and 34.6% to 391.3%, respectively, in comparison to the reference test block. Notably, the combined presence of the PVA and steel fibers consistently demonstrated a positive confounding effect on the residual bond strength. However, negative confounding effects were observed in terms of the peak bond strength and peak slip displacement, particularly with 1.0% steel fiber content and 0.5% PVA fiber content. Full article
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14 pages, 10173 KiB  
Article
Testing Various Cement Formulations under Temperature Cycles and Drying Shrinkage for Low-Temperature Geothermal Wells
by Hartmut R. Fischer and Al Moghadam
Materials 2023, 16(23), 7281; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16237281 - 23 Nov 2023
Viewed by 565
Abstract
Low-enthalpy geothermal wells are considered a sustainable energy source, particularly for district heating in the Netherlands. The cement sheath in these wells experiences thermal cycles. The stability of cement recipes under such conditions is not well understood. In this work, thermal cycling experiments [...] Read more.
Low-enthalpy geothermal wells are considered a sustainable energy source, particularly for district heating in the Netherlands. The cement sheath in these wells experiences thermal cycles. The stability of cement recipes under such conditions is not well understood. In this work, thermal cycling experiments for intermediate- and low-temperature geothermal well cements have been conducted. The samples were cured either under ambient conditions or under realistic pressure and temperature for 7 days. The samples did not show any signs of failure after performing 10 cycles of thermal treatment between 100 °C and 18 °C. We also tested cement formulations under drying conditions. Drying shrinkage is caused by a reduction in the water content of cement, which leads to capillary forces that can damage cement. Such circumstances lead to tensile stresses causing radial cracks. Most samples exhibited cracks under low humidity conditions (drying). Fiber reinforcement, especially using short PP fibers, improved the cement’s resilience to temperature and humidity changes. Such additives can improve the longevity of cement sheaths in geothermal wells. Full article
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15 pages, 7013 KiB  
Article
Study on the Shear Resistance Performance of Grouped Stud Connectors
by Wenru Lu, Yuanming Huang and Wenhan Xu
Materials 2023, 16(20), 6625; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16206625 - 10 Oct 2023
Viewed by 739
Abstract
In order to further investigate the grouped stud effect on the force properties of stud connectors, based on the premise that the correctness of the finite element simulation method, in this paper, a finite element model of grouped stud connectors was developed, and [...] Read more.
In order to further investigate the grouped stud effect on the force properties of stud connectors, based on the premise that the correctness of the finite element simulation method, in this paper, a finite element model of grouped stud connectors was developed, and the grouped stud effect and its sensitivity factors were analyzed in order to validate the recommended formula for calculating the shear capacity of grouped stud connectors. Results show that the number of grouped stud rows and stud row spacing have a significant influence on the grouped stud effect, and the unevenness coefficient of grouped stud force is negatively correlated with the number of grouped stud rows as well as the grouped stud row spacing. Grouped stud connectors with commonly used concrete grades greater than C50 and height-to-diameter ratios of greater than 4 in steel–concrete composite structural bridges are insensitive to changes in the concrete strength grades and the length of the studs. The direction of force transmission for grouped stud changes with the change in loading angle and the unevenness coefficient of force for the grouped stud will therefore be reduced. By comparing the results of the 62 existing groups of grouped stud connectors push-out tests, the mean of the tested to calculated value ratio was found to be 1.12, the variance was 0.023, the dispersion was small, and it was shown that the recommended formula has a high degree of accuracy. The results of this paper can be used as a theoretical basis for the study of the shear stress performance of grouped stud connectors. Full article
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