Performance Of Cementitious And Polymeric Materials In Aggressive Chemical Solutions

Concrete and cement-based materials must operate in increasingly aggressive aqueous environments, which may be either natural or industrial. These materials may suffer degradation in which ion addition and/or ion exchange reactions occur, leading to a breakdown of the matrix microstructure and consequent weakening. Sometimes this degradation can be extremely rapid and serious such as in acidic environments, while in other cases degradation occurs over long periods. Consequences of material failure are usually severe – adversely affecting the health and well-being of human communities and disturbing ecological balances. There are also large direct costs of maintaining and replacing deteriorated infrastructure and indirect costs from loss of production during maintenance work, which place a great burden on society. The focus of this book is on addressing issues concerning performance of cement-based materials in aggressive aqueous environments , by way of this State-of-the-Art Report. The book represents the work of many well-known and respected authors who contributed chapters or parts of chapters. Four main themes were addressed: I. Nature and kinetics of degradation and deterioration mechanisms of cement-based materials in aggressive aqueous environments, II. Modelling of deterioration in such environments, III. Test methods to assess performance of cement-based materials in such environments, and which can be used to characterise and rate relative performance and inform long term predictions, IV. Engineering implications and consequences of deterioration in aggressive aqueous environments, and engineering approaches to the problem.

Volume is indexed by Thomson Reuters CPCI-S (WoS). Concrete-polymer composites have attracted people’s attention in many industries for their excellent physical and mechanical properties and durability. The peer reviewed paper in this special volume cover the following topics: materials, mix proportion design and properties of concrete-polymer composites; their characterization methods, their application and other special aspects. In these papers the authors are trying to answer what is essential in concrete-polymer composites, how to make it better for the given project and how to eventually achieve sustainable building materials.

Volume is indexed by Thomson Reuters BCI (WoS). The field of “polymers in concrete” is rather well consolidated within the construction industry, and its future will be one of benefiting fully from the synergy between the organic and mineral materials. Concrete-polymer composites (C-PC) exhibit excellent adhesion strength and durability in aggressive environments and the good performance of these materials makes innovative applications possible; including new technologies for restoring and renovating buildings.

This is the state-of-the-art report prepared by the RILEM TC “Application of Super Absorbent Polymers (SAP) in concrete construction”. It gives a comprehensive overview of the properties of SAP, specific water absorption and desorption behaviour of SAP in fresh and hardening concrete, effects of the SAP addition on rheological properties of fresh concrete, changes of cement paste microstructure and mechanical properties of concrete. Furthermore, the key advantages of using SAP are described in detail: the ability of this material to act as an internal curing agent to mitigate autogenous shrinkage of high-performance concrete, the possibility to use SAP as an alternative to air-entrainment agents in order to increase the frost resistance of concrete, and finally, the benefit of steering the rheology of fresh cement-based materials. The final chapter describes the first existing and numerous prospective applications for this new concrete additive.

This broad-based, introductory reference provides excellent discussions regarding the hydration of Portland cement, durability problems in concrete, mechanisms of concrete deterioration, and interaction of polymers in concrete. It also covers properties of concrete with added polymers and practical applications of polymers in concrete. The historic background of polymers in building materials is examined, and a comprehensive comparison of natural vs. synthetic polymers is provided and conveniently summarized in a tabular format.

Polymer Concretes: Advanced Construction Materials provides a comprehensive study on polymer concrete (PC), discussing historical perspectives of its use, the classification and applications of PC, and the advantages and disadvantages of its use. Materials such as resin, aggregates, micro fillers, fibers, and nanofillers are systematically summarized, as well as their effects on PC. Also examined are the properties, fabrication methods, and the standards for testing the material properties, as well as the future outlook for PC applications. This book: Investigates the various properties of PC Covers the physical, mechanical, thermal, chemical, electrical, and environmental properties of PC Examines fabrication methods, standards for testing, and the future outlook for various applications The book is ideal for students taking related courses in Civil, Mechanical, Chemical, and Material Engineering. It also serves as a useful guide for researchers in the areas of concrete and construction materials, composites and nanocomposites, and advanced materials, as well as professionals working in fields such as construction, precast concrete products manufacture, transportation and road construction, architecture, and more.