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Reports data from a comparative, long-term study of several blended cements. The study compared the performances of five different binder systems for strength and for properties related to durability. It was found that both ground granulated blast furnace slag (ggbs/slag) and silica fume (microsilica) were very efficient in improving durability and impermeability. The two materials combined with OPC in a triple blend showed better performance than either on its own, and in this combination, silica fume compensated for much of the delayed strength development in slag cement concretes. Paper gives a thorough summary of the results obtained during the first 30 months of the project.

The control of differential thermal stress or strain due to heat of hydration in a thick concrete section can be a requirement for a high-performance concrete. An investigation was carried out to study the use of ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) as partial replacement of cement to reduce the adiabatic temperature rise of concrete. By testing concrete mixes instead of cement pastes, this study includes the effects of not only the cement but also the presence of aggregates in their proportions and directly relates the mix to the job. A computer-controlled cell is designed to measure the adiabatic temperature rise in concrete with initial concrete temperature at 20, 30, or 40 C. Slag replacement up to 70 percent by mass of total cementitious binder content was studied. Other parameters studied include water-binder ratio ranging from 0.40 to 0.60, fineness from 300 to 400 kg/m 2, and binder content from 250 to 350 kg/m 3 of concrete. The results of the adiabatic temperature rise in concrete show that an increase in slag replacement reduces the temperature rise. The effect of higher fineness or higher total cementitious binder content leads to higher temperature rise. However, the influence of placing temperature on the temperature rise indicates a lower rise at higher placing temperature. It is also noted that at higher placing temperature, slag replacement greater than 55 percent by mass tends to reduce temperature rise to a greater extent than at lower replacement levels. The development of the heat of hydration with time of the concrete mixes under adiabatic condition is expressed in equation form.

Cement particles generally consist of micropores measuring 5 to several hundred. The micropores are too small to permit permeation of water due to water surface tension, but large enough to accommodate diffusion of steam under elevated pressure. The size of a water molecule has been scientifically determined. When dry cement particles are in contact with steam, heat immediately transfers from steam to cement, and part of the steam is forced into inner regions of the cement particles via the micropores. As a result, cement particles gain activation energy, and at the same time steam partially condenses due to energy dissipation to form moisture coating on the surfaces of cement particles as well as the interior surfaces of the micropores. Both the activation energy and condensation of steam enhance a rapid and complete hydration. Test results show that concrete made with the dry-mix/steam-injection procedure developed high CSH/CH ratios in paste and a high strength of 700 kgf/cm 2 (10,000 psi), approximately 2.5 times that of companion concrete made with the wet-mix procedure, in less than 1 day. Another test series demonstrated a 50 percent reduction of cement requirement in comparison with the wet-mixed concrete with an equivalent strength of 560 to 630 kgf/cm 2 (8000 to 9000 psi).

Two Canadian aggregates, a reactive siliceous limestone and nonreactive crushed granite, were evaluated for their potential alkali reactivity (AAR) in high-performance concrete. The concretes were proportioned to have high strength and cement content greater than 400 kg/m 3. Concrete mixes were made using a silica fume blended cement and a cementitious system in which 25 percent of a CSA Type 20 low-alkali cement was replaced by ASTM Class F fly ash. Also, control mixes were made with a CSA Type 10 high-alkali cement. The susceptibility to AAR of these concrete mixes was evaluated by casting concrete prisms and subjecting them to various accelerated storage conditions in the laboratory. For comparison purposes, mortar bars were also made, and tested according to the ASTM P 214 (1990) accelerated mortar bar test procedure. The AAR concrete prism tests performed in this study have shown that none of the concrete prisms made with silica fume blended cement and low-alkali cement incorporating fly ash showed significant expansion after 18 to 24 months of testing either in 1N NaOH or in exposure conditions of 38 C and relative humidity greater than 95 percent. The accelerated mortar bar test results, however, suggest that long-term testing may be needed to evaluate the effectiveness of blended cements in reducing expansion due to AAR, especially for highly reactive aggregates.

Recently, there has been a great demand for high-quality concrete and concrete structures with high performance. In this context, silica fume is one of the most remarkable mineral admixtures that can give concrete high performance, such as high workability, strength, and durability. However, it is unclear as to the types of form silica fume takes in concrete, mortar, and cement paste. Some researchers point out that silica fume may be in high agglomeration. Therefore, it is very important to disperse silica fume in concrete effectively to get high-performance concrete. Consequently, this paper deals with the effect of physical treatment (ultrasonic homogenizer) and chemical treatment (superplasticizer) of silica fume on the properties of mortar. In this study, different silica fumes were used, one Japanese and five imported. The investigated properties of mortar were workability (flow values), compressive strength, and total pore volume. The study resulted in the following conclusions: 1) Silica fumes in the Japanese market were highly agglomerated in the natural state. This agglomeration of silica fume can be broken up by using some treatment methods, such as ultrasonic homogenizer and superplasticizer. 2) Physical treatment (ultrasonic homogenizer) before mixing mortar was useful to improve compressive strength and to decrease total pore volume of mortar containing silica fume. The use of superplasticizer could result in highly workable mortar. 3) The effectiveness of ultrasonic homogenizer treatment and that of superplasticizer treatment are different.