Construction and Building Materials articles from August 2008

Construction and Building Materials archives from August 2008

Strength, porosity and corrosion resistance of ternary blend Portland cement, rice husk ash and fly ash mortar.
August 1, 2008... Abstract This paper presents a study of the strength, porosity and corrosion resistance of mortars made with ternary blends of ordinary Portland cement (OPC), ground rice husk ash (RHA) and classified fly ash (fine fly ash, FA)....

A fractal model of the porous microstructure of earth-based materials.
August 1, 2008... Abstract Soils with a clay component have been widely used as construction materials since the earliest times and now it continue to be used in some developing countries and in the so-called bioarchitecture. This paper presents the...

Influence of sand grading on the characteristics of mortars and soil-cement block masonry.
August 1, 2008... Abstract Sand constitutes bulk of the mortar volume. Sand grading can influence the characteristics of mortar and masonry. Influence of sand grading on the characteristics of two types of mortars and soil-cement block masonry are examined...

New technique for reinforcement of concrete columns confined by embedded composite grid.(Technical report)
August 1, 2008... Abstract Reinforced concrete structures are often very sensitive to accidental loads, leading to deterioration, failures and human life fatalities. Our concern is to reinforce the concrete columns by composite materials judiciously...

Research on effect of limestone and gypsum on [C.sub.3]A, [C.sub.3]S and PC clinker system.(Technical report)
August 1, 2008... Abstract The effect of substitution of limestone for gypsum on hydration rate, hydration products, setting time and strength development of [C.sub.3]A, [C.sub.3]S and PC clinker systems were studied separately. Following results were...

Deformation analysis of curved laminated structural wood elements.(Technical report)
August 1, 2008... Abstract The deformations emerging in the laminated wood elements having straight and curved forms display differences when any loading is applied. The objective of this study is to determine the effect of the type of wood and time on the...

Comparison of carbonation of lightweight concrete with normal weight concrete at similar strength levels.(Technical report)
August 1, 2008... Abstract This paper presents a study on accelerated carbonation testing of normal weight concrete (NWC) and lightweight concrete (LWC) mixes proportioned for three levels of strength grades. Two types of curing regimes were applied; (1)...

Identification of damage in RC beams using indexes based on local modal stiffness.(Technical report)
August 1, 2008... Abstract In recent years, significant efforts have been devoted to developing non-destructive techniques for damage identification in structures. Damage detection techniques based on modal testing and signal processing rely on the fact...

Influence of various parameters on [Li.sub.2]C[O.sub.3] against alkali-silica reaction.(Technical report)
August 1, 2008... Abstract This paper reported the results of an experimental program, which aimed to investigate influence of various parameters on [Li.sub.2]C[O.sub.3] against alkali-silica reaction. To evaluate the effect of the temperature on the ASR...

Rice husk ash blended cement: assessment of optimal level of replacement for strength and permeability properties of concrete.(Technical report)
August 1, 2008... Abstract In this study, rice husk ash (RHA) prepared from the boiler burnt husk residue of a particular rice mill has been evaluated for optimal level of replacement as blending component in cements. The physical, chemical and...

Development of asphalt binder performance grades for Omani climate.(Technical report)
August 1, 2008... Abstract Asphalt pavements form an integral part of any transportation system. Temperature is a significant factor that affects the performance and life span of a pavement. This paper presents the research undertaken to develop models to...

Metakaolin concrete at a low water to binder ratio.
August 1, 2008... Abstract This paper investigates the performance of concrete containing metakaolin (MK) at a low water to binder ratio of 0.3. Portland cement (PC) was partially replaced with 0-20% MK. Testing included, compressive strength, ultrasonic...

Effect of carbon dioxide on chloride penetration and chloride ion diffusion coefficient of blended Portland cement mortar.(Technical report)
August 1, 2008... Abstract This paper presents a study of the effects of carbon dioxide on chloride penetration and chloride ion diffusion coefficient of blended Portland cement mortar containing ground palm oil fuel ash (POA), ground rice husk ash (RHA)...

Tests and analysis on shear strength of composite slabs of hollow core units and concrete topping.(Table)
August 1, 2008... Abstract Prestressed concrete hollow core slabs are commonly used as load-bearing floors and roofs. The upper surface of the hollow core slabs is usually levelled with a cast-in situ screed or concrete topping. Reducing the thickness of...

Rehydration reactivity of recycled mortar from concrete waste experienced to thermal treatment.(Technical report)
August 1, 2008... Abstract It is desirable to completely recycle concrete waste in order to protect the natural resources and reduce the environment pollution. The coarse recycled concrete aggregates (CRCA) from crushed concrete waste have been successfully...

The effects of cement/fly ash ratios on the volcanic slag aggregate lightweight concrete masonry units.(Technical report)
August 1, 2008... Abstract Masonry is one of the oldest construction materials, which was used for all kind of building applications especially for sufficient compressive strength in combination with good acoustic and thermal properties with low...

Water and salt transport and storage properties of Msene sandstone.
August 1, 2008... Abstract Basic water and salt transport and storage properties of Msene sandstone, a material frequently used in historical buildings on the Czech territory for many centuries, are studied in the paper. Moisture diffusivity and water vapor...

Segmental retaining wall (SRW) split face delaminations and practical implications.(Technical report)
August 1, 2008... Abstract This paper describes a scaling/delamination phenomenon that can occur on the split face of some segmental retaining wall (SRW) units. While this feature may not necessarily be related to environmental attack or material...

Phase changes of salts in porous materials: crystallization, hydration and deliquescence.(Table)
August 1, 2008... Abstract The objective of this work was to deduce a mathematical model for the kinetics of phase changes of salts in pores to be coupled with a simulation program for heat, moisture and salt transport in capillary porous materials. It...

The feasibility of synthetic surfactant as an air entraining agent for the cement matrix.
August 1, 2008... Abstract The effect of the synthetic surfactant combining 50 wt% of polyoxyethylene nonylphenolether (TX-10) with 50 wt% of sodium dodecyl sulfate (K12) on the compressive strength of the cement mortar was investigated in order to explore...

Physical-mechanical properties, and mesostructure of plain and fibre reinforced self-compacting concrete.
August 1, 2008... Abstract This study analyses the mesostructural homogeneity of plain and steel fibre reinforced self-compacting concrete (SFR-SCC) to be used in slender elements of considerable height, avoiding the use of conventional reinforcement. Tests...

Performance of magnesia cements in pressed masonry units with natural aggregates: production parameters optimisation.
August 1, 2008... Abstract Although the manufacturing of masonry units by pressing dry concrete mixes is widespread, the information on how the process variables influence the resulting product is limited. This is partly because the process is operator...

Lightweight cement mortars: advantages and inconveniences of expanded perlite and its influence on fresh and hardened state and durability.(Table)
August 1, 2008... Abstract Lightweight aggregates are frequently incorporated in renders to control dry bulk density and workability. Expanded perlite leads to water:cement (w:c) ratios higher than normal, especially in renders whose w:c ratios are higher...

An investigation of Roman mortar technology through the petrographic analysis of archaeological material.(Table)
August 1, 2008... Abstract This paper studies Roman mortars to demonstrate that petrographic analysis provides valuable information on ancient mortar technology. Facts on lime technology relating calcination and slaking were obtained through petrographic...

Influence of rice husk-bark ash on mechanical properties of concrete containing high amount of recycled aggregates.
August 1, 2008... Abstract In this study, ground rice husk-bark ash (RHBA) was used as a pozzolanic material in concrete containing high amount of recycled aggregates. The concretes were prepared by using 100% of recycled coarse aggregate (RCA), then river...

Preparation and properties of organic /organpalygorskite SBRic palygorskite compound and asphalt modified with the compound.(Table)
August 1, 2008... Abstract Microwave irradiation synthesize organic palygorskite has been successfully prepared. FTIR, XDR and morphology analysis indicate that 5 min microwave irradiation of palygorskite (PA) is an appropriate time to improve the structure...

Empirical modeling of fresh and hardened properties of self-compacting concretes by genetic programming.
August 1, 2008... Abstract This article introduces genetic programming (GP) as a new tool for the formulations of fresh and hardened properties of self-compacting concretes (SCC). There are no well known explicit formulations for predicting fresh and...

An improved model incorporating Pitzer's equations for calculation of thermodynamic properties of pore solutions implemented into an efficient program code.(Table)
August 1, 2008... Abstract Salts in porous building materials are not only considered as a major cause of damage but also strongly affect the hygric and capillary transport properties of such materials. This paper describes a model implemented into an...

Effect of Cr(VI) on the hydration behavior of marble dust blended cement: solidification, leachability and XRD analyses.(Table)
August 1, 2008... Abstract The paper describes an experimental investigation involving the effect of Cr(VI) (1000-3000 mg/l) on solidification and hydration behavior of two cementitious binders viz. OPC (M0) and marble dust (20%) blended cement (M20). The...

Utilization of phosphogypsum as raw and calcined material in manufacturing of building products.
August 1, 2008... Abstract The main objective of this research was to investigate the utilization potential of phosphogypsum with fly ash and lime in construction industry. Phosphogypsum was used as raw and calcined material for making the cementitous...

Behavior of high-strength fibrous concrete slab-column connections under gravity and lateral loads.(Table)
August 1, 2008... Abstract Ten slab-column connections were tested under combinations of gravity and lateral loads to investigate the effect of adding steel fibers to concrete mix on the structural behavior of normal- and high-strength slab--column...

Combined effect of asilica fume ndfiber on the mechanical properties of high strength concretes. steel .(Table)
August 1, 2008... Abstract In this experimental study, the changes on some mechanical properties of concrete specimens produced by using silica fume and steel fiber were investigated. The main objective of this work is to obtain a more ductile high strength...

Development of a remaining fatigue life model for asphalt black base through accelerated pavement testing.
August 1, 2008... Abstract The deterioration of asphalt concrete pavement is largely divided into cracking and rutting, and cracking is classified into environmental cracking and fatigue cracking. The prediction for the fatigue crack has been based mainly...

Characteristics of acid resisting bricks made from quarry residues and waste steel slag.(Table)
August 1, 2008... Abstract The present work focuses on the recycling feasibility of kaolin fine quarry residue (KFQR) combined with granulated blast-furnace slag (GBFS) and granite-basalt fine quarry residue (GBFQR) to make a brick resistible to chemical...

Calendar.(Table)(Brief article)(Calendar)
August 1, 2008... Calendar Event Date and venue Details from 2008 Structural Faults + 10-12 June Tel.: +44 131447 0447; Repair-2008 Edinburgh, Fax: +44 131 452 8596 ...