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The diminishing supply of traditional fly ashes opens up potential for utilization of alternative types of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), such as ground bottom ashes (GBAs) and fluidized bed combustion ashes (FBCAs). This talk will present the results of a comprehensive study involving 3 GBAs and 2 FBCAs, including evaluation of such characteristics as chemical and mineralogical composition, particle size distribution, LOI and grain morphology. The pozzolanic reactivity of these materials was assessed using the R3 test. Moreover, reactivity of both types of these ashes in cementitious systems was evaluated on pastes with various levels of replacement of cement by these alternative SCMs. The evaluation involved quantification of the heat of hydration and the Ca(OH)2 consumption capacity. In addition, mortar samples with different replacement levels of cement by these ashes were tested for workability, setting time and compressive strength. The least reactive ash from each of these two groups of materials was chosen for evaluation of mechanical (compressive and flexural strength) and transport (water absorption, formation factor and freezable water amount) properties in concrete specimens.

This presentation will compare the long-term changes in the porosity and diffusion coefficient of belite CSA cements and compare the results to portland cement, calcium sulfoaluminate, and alkali activated binder. The results will also show that the addition of a pore blocking admixture will greatly reduce the diffusion coefficient with only minor impact on the porosity. The findings suggest that early age durability testing of belite CSA cements may not be appropriate.

Replacement of cement with other powder materials having lower environmental impact is a viable strategy to reduce the carbon footprint of cement-based materials. Development of portland-limestone cement is a way to promote sustainability in the concrete industry. However, employing higher percentages of limestone can lead to lower strength and durability in the cement-based materials. This study, therefore, aims at investigating the effect of limestone particles coated with nano-SiO2 particles on the performance of cement paste in terms of cement hydration kinetics, pozzolanic reactivity, and compressive strength. The results showed that nano-SiO2 particles loaded on limestone can pro-mote cement hydration and improve bonding between cement hydration products and limestone particles leading to higher mechanical strength.

Artifical intelligence (AI) has the potential to revolutionize the concrete business. Join us as professionals from the domains of research, industry, and technology examine current uses of AI in practical technologies and offer their predictions for the future. The speakers will outline the innovative ways AI is optimizing concrete mix design, speeding manufacturing processes, enhancing structural performance, and enabling efficient concrete industry asset management. Participants will learn more about predictive modeling, structural health monitoring, data-driven decision-making, and integrating AI technologies into current processes. Participate in a panel discussion that is interactive so that you may ask questions, provide suggestions, and add to the conversation on the use of AI in practical applications. Consider possible future developments such as automated quality control, intelligent infrastructure, and data-driven design optimization.

In this study, the colloidal nanosilica (CNS) was used in the concrete and the carbonation degree was evaluated. It is hypothesized that the incorporation of the CNS can pre-vent the further carbonation of the hardened concrete sample as the pozzolanic reaction of the nanosilica can consume the calcium hydroxide (CH) and improve the durability of the material. A series of tests were designed and conducted. After the initial curing in the moisture room, a curing chamber with high carbon dioxide concentration was used to accelerate the carbonation process. The development of the compressive strength, carbonation degree, and permeability of the concrete sample was tested and monitored. The result of this study shows that the addition of the CNS can effectively prevent the later age carbonation, which could elongate the durability of the concrete structure. Moreover, due to the pozzolanic reaction and the nano-seeding effect of the CNS, high-er mechanical strength and denser cement matrix can be observed. The outcome of this study provides insight into the effectiveness of using CNS in concrete to enhance durability and achieve better strength performance.

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