The aim of this study was to determine the effects of partial fly ash substitution in to a series of alkali-activated concrete based on a high-MgO blast furnace slag BFS. Mixes were activated with various amounts of sodium silicate at alkali modulus (mass ratio SiO 2 /Na 2 O) values of 1.0, 0.5, and 0.25. The results showed that, an increase in the fly ash content extended the initial setting time but had very little effect on the final setting time, although the early age compressive strength was decreased. The fly ash addition had no effect on the drying shrinkage but lowered the autogenous shrinkage. The mixes activated with sodium silicate at a lower alkali modulus showed a significantly higher autogenous shrinkage but lower drying shrinkage values. Severe micro cracking of the binder matrix was observed only for mixes without fly ash, activated with sodium silicate solution at higher alkali modulus. Decreasing the alkali modulus resulted in a higher autogenous shrinkage, less micro cracking and a more homogenous structure due to more extensive formation of sodium-aluminate-silicate-hydrate gel (N-AS -H), promoted by the addition, and more extensive reaction of the fly ash.

Most of the currently used concretes are based on ordinary Portland cement (OPC) which results in a high carbon dioxide footprint and thus has a negative environmental impact. Replacing OPCs, partially or fully by ecological binders, i.e., supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) or alternative binders, aims to decrease the carbon dioxide footprint. Both solutions introduced a number of technological problems, including their performance, when exposed to low, subfreezing temperatures during casting operations and the hardening stage. This review indicates that the present knowledge enables the production of OPC-based concretes at temperatures as low as −10 °C, without the need of any additional measures such as, e.g., heating. Conversely, composite cements containing SCMs or alkali-activated binders (AACs) showed mixed performances, ranging from inferior to superior in comparison with OPC. Most concretes based on composite cements require pre/post heat curing or only a short exposure to sub-zero temperatures. At the same time, certain alkali-activated systems performed very well even at −20 °C without the need for additional curing. Chemical admixtures developed for OPC do not always perform well in other binder systems. This review showed that there is only a limited knowledge on how chemical admixtures work in ecological concretes at low temperatures and how to accelerate the hydration rate of composite cements containing high amounts of SCMs or AACs, when these are cured at subfreezing temperatures.

No abstract

A critical analysis of the novel sewage treatment concept of anaerobic digestion followed by CO2 capture by microalgae has been carried out, with particular reference to India. The anaerobic process would convert the sewage COD into methane and CO2, the latter being converted into microalgae in a photobioreactor process, using sunlight as an energy source. The microalgae can be used to produce biofuels, co-fired with high yielding fuels (like coke) or just recycled back into the anaerobic digestion cycle as a substrate for methane production. Overall, this process would allow, at least in principle, the conversion of all the carbon in the municipal wastewaters into fuels. This study reports data on municipal wastewater generation and treatment facilities across the globe. The focus is then given to sewage generation and treatment in Indian cities, classified into metropolitan, Class-I and Class-II cities. Aerobic and anaerobic digestion processes for sewage treatment are then compared with a discussion on the advantages of the anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR). The advantages and limitations of photobioreactors for microalgae growth are discussed. Mass balances are then carried out with reference to sewage flows and concentrations in India, and the potential energy generation from the process is estimated. Overall, the complete process is envisaged to produce about 1.69×10 8 kWhd-1 of energy from biogas and microalgae. This has the potential to replace 3% of the recent total petroleum product consumption in India. The study goes towards "zero discharge" of waste to the environment, thus representing a promising sustainable development.

The effects of a partial replacement of Ordinary Portland cement (OPC) with three types of calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) cements (40 wt% and 20 wt%) were investigated. The obtained results were generally in agreement with previously published data but with few interesting exceptions. Setting times were shortened due to the formation of ettringite. The maximum hydration temperature increased for concretes containing 40 wt% of CSA but decreased when 20 wt% replacement was used. The decrease was related to the deficiency of the available sulfates, which limited the formation of ettringite. The presence of extra anhydrite and calcium oxide was associated to the delayed establishment of the second temperature peak in contrast to OPC-based concretes. Their surplus delayed calcium aluminate and belite reactions, and triggered renewed formation of ettringite, C-S-H and portlandite. Effects of aluminum hydroxide were also indicated as possibly important, although not proved experimentally in this research. The slightly lower compressive strength measured for mixes containing 40 wt% of CSA were linked with more formed ettringite. The same factor was indicated as the key to the reduction of the total shrinkage in mixes containing 40 wt% of CSA and increased for the lower CSA replacement level. In that case, the insufficient amount of formed ettringite caused too small expansion, which could not efficiently mitigate or compensate the developed shrinkage.

A reduced carbon footprint and longer service life of structures are major aspects of circular economy with respect to civil engineering. The aim of the research was to evaluate the interfacial bond properties between a deteriorated normal strength concrete structure and a thin overlay made of Eco-UHPC containing 50 wt% of limestone filler. Two types of formwork were used: untreated rough plywood and surface treated shuttering plywood. The normal strength concrete elements were surface scaled using water jets to obtain some degradation prior to casting of the UHPC overlay. Ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV), bond test (pull-off test), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) combined with Energy Dispersive Spectrometry (EDS) were used for analysis. Elements repaired with the Eco-UHPC showed significantly improved mechanical properties compared to the non-deteriorated NSC sample which was used as a reference. The bond strength varied between 2 and 2.7 MPa regardless of the used formwork. The interfacial transition zone was very narrow with only slightly increased porosity. The untreated plywood, having a rough and water-absorbing surface, created a surface friction-based restraint which limited microcracking due to autogenous shrinkage. Shuttering plywood with a smooth surface enabled the development of higher tensile stress on the UHPC surface, which led to a more intensive autogenous shrinkage cracking. None of the formed microcracks penetrated through the entire thickness of the overlay and some were partly self-healed when a simple water treatment was applied. The project results showed that application of UHPC as repair material for concrete structures could elongate the lifespan and thus enhance the sustainability.

No abstract

An efficient solution to increase the sustainability of building materials is to replace Portland cement with alkali-activated materials (AAM). Precursors for those systems are often based on water-cooled ground granulated blast furnace slags (GGBFS). Quenching of blast furnace slag can be done also by air but in that case, the final product is crystalline and with a very low reactivity. The present study aimed to evaluate the cementitious properties of a mechanically activated (MCA) air-cooled blast furnace slag (ACBFS) used as a precursor in sodium silicate alkali-activated systems. The unreactive ACBFS was processed in a planetary ball mill and its cementing performances were compared with an alkali-activated water-cooled GGBFS. Mixes based on mechanically activated ACBFS reached the 7-days compressive strength of 35 MPa and the 28-days compressive strength 45 MPa. The GGBFS-based samples showed generally higher compressive strength values.