International Concrete Abstracts Portal

This paper presents the results of a numerical study carried out by the authors to better understand the structural behavior of prestressed beams with web openings and to identify numerical modelling techniques that allow to adequately predict such behavior. Ultra-High Performance Fibre Reinforced Concrete (UHPC) beams are considered, with a focus on shear-controlled failure modes. For all the beams considered in this study, prestressing is used to resist the main bending moment. However, no other reinforcement is added to the beams, in order to emphasize the structural contribution of the fibers and to focus on solutions that could be economically competitive for the precast industry. The results of non-linear simulations performed with existing finite elements codes are compared and validated against experimental results of tests carried out at the University of Applied Sciences of Western Switzerland. The main assumptions of the numerical simulations are discussed, as well as the results and the limits of the analysis.

X-ray computed tomography (XCT) is noninvasive and nondestructive. It produces three-dimensional digital reconstructions of samples, allowing for a comprehensive view of microstructure. The article discusses the use of XCT to examine cementitious materials. Three case studies are provided: characterization of cellular concrete microstructure, quantitative analysis of cement phases, and real-time investigation of an alkali-silica reaction.

The roadside safety barrier is a protective barrier that is erected around a racetrack or in the middle of a dual-lane highway in order to reduce the severity of accidents. Recently, interest in portable roadside safety barriers has heightened the interest in the development of a low-cost and high-performance alternative to the conventional safety barrier system. A study has been undertaken to characterize fresh and hardened properties of flue gas desulfurization (FGD) cellular concrete (CC) using foaming admixture towards the development of a lightweight roadside safety barrier. Test results indicate that FGD CC using a foaming admixture can be effectively used in manufacturing lightweight roadside safety barriers.

SP-226 Since its inception more than 80 years ago, autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) has enjoyed a reputation for excellent thermal insulation, acoustic, and fire-resistant properties due to its low density and cellular structure. The production and use of AAC in the United States, however, did not start until the mid 1990s. To promote and encourage the use of AAC and other ultra-lightweight concrete, ACI Committee 523, Cellular Concrete, and ACI Committee 229, Controlled Low-Strength Materials, organized a technical session on "Controlled-Density/Controlled-Strength Concrete Materials at the 2003 ACI Spring Convention in Vancouver, Canada, and a session on "Aerated Concrete - An Innovative Building Solution" at the 2003 ACI Fall Convention in Boston. Thirteen papers were presented at these two technical sessions covering a wide range of practical case studies and research projects on different types of ultra-lightweight concretes, with particular focus on AAC. These papers should be of interest to the practicing engineers, educators, and researchers in that they demonstrate the effective use of AAC as well as other types of ultra-lightweight concrete materials. This special publication (SP) contains eight of the 13 papers presented at the session. Six of the papers deal with AAC and cover a wide variety of topics including material properties, structural design, seismic performance, and design examples. The other two papers address the acoustic and structural properties of foamed and/or aerated lightweight concretes cured at room temperature.

Three classes of specialty cementitious materials were evaluated for their potential benefits in sound absorption including a Foamed Cellular Concrete (FCC) with density ranging from 400 – 700 kg/m3, Enhanced Porosity Concrete (EPC) incorporating 20-25% open porosity, and a Cellulose Cement Composite (CCC) with density 1400 – 1700 kg/m3. Cylindrical specimens of these materials were tested for acoustic absorption in an impedance tube. The FCC specimens showed absorption coefficients ranging from 0.20 to 0.30, the higher value for lower density specimens. The closed disconnected pore network of FCC hinders sound propagation, thereby resulting in a reduced absorption, even though the porosity is relatively high. The most beneficial acoustic absorption was observed for EPC mixtures. When gap-graded with proper aggregate sizes, these no-fines EPC mixtures dissipate sound energy inside the material through frictional losses. The cellulose fiber cement composites use cellulose fibers at high volume fractions (~7.5%), which are believed to provide continuous channels inside the material where the sound energy can be attenuated. By engineering the pore structure (by careful aggregate grading as in EPC, or incorporating porous inclusions like morphologically altered cellulose fibers) cementitious materials that have the potential for significant acoustic absorption could be developed.