The objective of this work was finding out the most advisable testing conditions for an effective and robust characterization of the tensile strength (TS) of concrete disks. The independent variables were the loading geometry, the angle subtended by the contact area, disk diameter and thickness, maximum aggregate size, and the sample compression strength (CS). The effect of the independent variables was studied in a three groups of experiments using a factorial design with two levels and four factors. The likeliest location where failure beginning was calculated using the equations that account for the stress-strain field developed within the disk. The theoretical outcome shows that for failure beginning at the geometric center of the sample, it is necessary for the contact angle in the loading setup to be larger than or equal to a threshold value. Nevertheless, the measured indirect tensile strength must be adjusted to get a close estimate of the uniaxial TS of the material. The correction depends on the loading geometry, and we got their mathematical expression and cross-validated them with the reported in the literature. The experimental results show that a loading geometry with a curved contact area, uniform load distribution over the contact area, loads projected parallel to one another within the disk, and a contact angle bigger of 12°is the most advisable and robust setup for implementation of BT on concrete disks. This work provides a description of the BT carries on concrete disks and put forward a characterization technique to study costly samples of cement based material that have been enabled to display new and improved properties with nanomaterials.
The objective of this work was to develop a more and better understanding of the strength developing in clay-andesite fired brick. The purpose was to improve the quality of the clay bricks that are handmade in the southern region of Ecuador to make them suitable for more widespread use in the local construction industry. To achieve our goal, we first physically, chemically, and mechanically characterized the "clayey" and "sandy" materials used in the fabrication of handmade bricks in the region. Second, the optimal mixture (OM): the optimal proportion between the amounts of "clayey" and "sandy" material was sought. Third, clay bricks were prepared using the OM, baked at 950˚C, and characterized. In addition, bricks produced by regional artisans were characterized, and the results were compared with the results obtained for the bricks prepared using the OM. Our data reveal that the optimal mixture is 50% "clayey" material and 50% "sandy" material and that with this mixture, an average improvement in brick quality of 300% can be achieved; thus, the use of the OM makes it possible to expand the use of these bricks in the local construction industry and enables an environmentally friendly production process by reducing the intensive exploitation of regional clay deposits. This improvement is achieved by virtue of the anorthite enrichment that occurs in the solid solution, which results from the evolution of andesine. The anorthite contributes to the formation of a stronger matrix among the different grains of the material. Conditions are favorable for this enrichment process to occur when "sandy" materials with high contents of andesite, which is common in Ecuadorian soils, are used.
The calcined clay bricks are the second most used materials in construction that, after the demolition processes, tends to become rubble, generating a negative visual and environmental impact, in addition to the fact that the brick-making process has not been industrialized in Ecuador, for that, its properties are deficient; in this way, the present research aims to study the physical, chemical and mineralogical characteristics of brick waste from the Southern part of this country, for the elaboration of ecological bricks through geopolymerization processes, using as alkaline activator Sodium Hydroxide at temperature ranged between 90 °C and 200 °C, obtaining an optimal mixture at the combination 12.5 M, 26 wt% Cs, 150 °C. The mechanical properties of bricks as simple compression and flexural strength, respectively, applying the experimental Griffith criterion method by finite element simulation method. These ecological bricks obtained are suitable for use in construction.
Brick as a material is of vital importance in the construction industry, however, the burning processes for its preparation contribute to environmental pollution and the generation of greenhouse gases; for this reason, the present research has as aims to propose quality traditional materials for sustainable buildings through the design of soil-cement mixtures in making brick using raw materials from the amazon region of Ecuador: Centza mine (MC) and Quiringue mine (MQ) and improve the mechanical properties of the brick by incorporating carbon nanotubes, which have been dispersed in two aqueous media, sodium naphthalene sulfonate (NSS) and calcium chloride (CC) in percentages of 0.5%, 1% and 1.5%. The characterization of the raw material (analysis: physicochemical and mineralogical) was of great help. The optimum percentage of cement and water was determined through simple compression tests and soil compaction respectively. The different combinations were tested at indirect traction strength at ages 7, 14 and 28 days, determining an optimal mixture for each group of combinations, in this way the simple compressive strength of bricks has been estimated using the Griffith criterion and validation of results by finite element method applying the CivilFEM software, obtaining a resistance of 4 MPa in mixtures of SC-Ar1, 6.3 MPa in combinations of MWCNTs NSS-9 and 5.3 MPa in mixtures of CC-4 MWCNTs, increasing resistance by 57.5% and 32.5% with respect to soil-cement bricks and qualifying them as suitable for use in construction according to standars.
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