Across the world, any activity associated with the nuclear fuel cycle such as nuclear facility operation and decommissioning that produces radioactive materials generates ultramodern civilian radioactive waste, which is quite hazardous to human health and the ecosystem. Therefore, the development of effectual and commanding management is the need of the hour to make certain the sustainability of the nuclear industries. During the management process of waste, its immobilization is one of the key activities conducted with a view to producing a durable waste form which can perform with sustainability for longer time frames. The cementation of radioactive waste is a widespread move towards its encapsulation, solidification, and finally disposal. Conventionally, Portland cement (PC) is expansively employed as an encapsulant material for storage, transportation and, more significantly, as a radiation safeguard to vigorous several radioactive waste streams. Cement solidification/stabilization (S/S) is the most widely employed treatment technique for radioactive wastes due to its superb structural strength and shielding effects. On the other hand, the eye-catching pros of cement such as the higher mechanical strength of the resulting solidified waste form, trouble-free operation and cost-effectiveness have attracted researchers to employ it most commonly for the immobilization of radionuclides. In the interest to boost the solidified waste performances, such as their mechanical properties, durability, and reduction in the leaching of radionuclides, vast attempts have been made in the past to enhance the cementation technology. Additionally, special types of cement were developed based on Portland cement to solidify these perilous radioactive wastes. The present paper reviews not only the solidification/stabilization technology of radioactive wastes using cement but also addresses the challenges that stand in the path of the design of durable cementitious waste forms for these problematical functioning wastes. In addition, the manuscript presents a review of modern cement technologies for the S/S of radioactive waste, taking into consideration the engineering attributes and chemistry of pure cement, cement incorporated with SCM, calcium sulpho–aluminate-based cement, magnesium-based cement, along with their applications in the S/S of hazardous radioactive wastes.

The unique properties of internal fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) reinforcement influence their bond interaction with the surrounding concrete. This is especially true in the case of bent FRP reinforcement, which bond behavior is not well understood. Equations included in existing design recommendations do not predict accurately the experimental data. This paper investigates experimentally and analytically the mechanical and bond performance of two main types of bent FRP reinforcement. To achieve this, a total of 73 specimens of thermosetting and thermoplastic composite bars with 32 different configurations embedded in concrete cubes were tested in direct pullout. The effects of bent geometry, surface treatment, front embedment length, and concrete strength on bent capacity of FRPs are examined. The test results show that the capacity of bent FRP bars embedded in concrete ranges from 25 to 84% of the theoretical strength of the composite. It is found that a bending radius to diameter ratio $r/d>4$ is required to guarantee a minimum bend capacity of 40% of the theoretical composite strength. The test results are further analysed numerically to gain additional insight into the examined parameters. The results confirm that high stresses are concentrated at the beginning of the bent portion, inducing failure at this location. Larger bending radius or sufficient bonded length along the bent portion reduces stress concentrations and leads to higher bend capacities.

For decades, recycled coarse aggregate (RCA) has been used to make recycled aggregate concrete (RAC). Numerous studies have compared the mechanical properties and durability of recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) to those of natural aggregate concrete (NAC). However, test results on the shear strength of reinforced recycled aggregate concrete beams are still limited and sometimes contradictory. Shear failure is generally brittle and must be prevented. This article studies experimentally and analytically the shear strength of reinforced RAC beams without stirrups. Eight RAC beams and two controlled NAC beams were tested under the four-point flexural test with the shear span-to-effective depth ratio (a/d) of 3.10. The main parameters investigated were the replacement percentage of RCA (0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%) and longitudinal reinforcement ratio (ρ_w) of 1.16% and 1.81%. It was found that the normalized shear stresses of RAC beams with ρ_w = 1.81% at all levels of replacement percentage were quite similar to those of the NAC counterparts. Moreover, the normalized shear stress of the beam with 100% RCA and ρ_w = 1.16% was only 6% lower than that of the NAC beam. A database of 128 RAC beams without shear reinforcement from literature was analyzed to evaluate the accuracy of the ACI 318-19 shear provisions in predicting the shear strength of the beams. For an RCA replacement ratio of between 50% and 100%, it was proposed to apply a reduction factor of 0.75 to the current ACI code equation to account for the physical variations of RCA, such as replacement percentage, RCA source and quality, density, amount of residual mortar, and physical irregularity.

Steel reinforcements in concrete tend to corrode and this process can lead to structural damage. Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) reinforcements represent a viable alternative for structures exposed to aggressive environments and have many possible applications where superior corrosion resistance properties are required. The use of FRP rebars as internal reinforcements for concrete, however, is limited to specific structural elements and does not yet extend to the whole structure. The reason for this relates to the limited availability of curved or shaped reinforcing FRP elements on the market, as well as their reduced structural performance. This article presents a state-of-the art review on the strength degradation of curved FRP composites, and also assesses the performance of existing predictive models for the bend capacity of FRP reinforcements. Previous research has shown that the mechanical performance of bent portions of FRP bars significantly reduces under a multiaxial combination of stresses. Indeed, the tensile strength of bent FRP bars can be as low as 25% of the maximum tensile strength developed in a straight counterpart. In a significant number of cases, the current design recommendations for concrete structures reinforced with FRP were found to overestimate the bend capacity of FRP bars. A more accurate and practical predictive model based on the Tsai–Hill failure criteria is also discussed. This review article also identifies potential challenges and future directions of research for exploring the use of curved/shaped FRP composites in civil engineering applications.