Fibers used as reinforcement can increase the mechanical characteristics of engineering cementitious composites (ECC), but their frost resistance has received less attention. The mechanical properties of various fiber cementitious materials under the dual factors of freeze-thaw action and fiber dose are yet to be determined. This study examines the performance change patterns of cementitious composites, which contain carbon fiber, glass fiber, and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fiber at 0%, 0.5%, and 1% volume admixture in freeze-thaw tests. Three fiber cement-based materials are selected to do the compression and bending testing, and ABAQUS finite element modeling is used to assess the performance of fiber cement-based composite materials. The microscopic observation results show that the dispersion of glass and PVA fibers is higher than that of carbon fibers. As a result, the mechanical characteristics of the fiber-doped cementitious composites increase dramatically after freeze-thaw with increasing dosage. The compression test results show the frost resistance of carbon fiber > PVA fiber > glass fiber. In addition, the bending test results show the frost resistance of carbon fiber > glass fiber > PVA fiber. The 3D surface plots of the strength changes are established to observe the mechanical property changes under the coupling effect of admixture and freeze-thaw times. ABAQUS modeling is used to predict the strength of the cementitious composites under various admixtures and freeze-thaw cycles. The bending strength numerical equation is presented, and the bending and compressive strengths of three different fiber-cement matrix materials are accurately predicted.
Recycled construction and demolition (C&D) waste can reduce the rebuild cost, and is environmentally friendly when recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) aggregate constitutes the main part. This paper investigated the mechanical performance of RAP concrete, and the applicability of RAP in road base layers also was discussed. Several mechanical laboratory tests were selected, including the unconfined compressive-strength, splitting-strength, and compressive-resilience modulus tests. The RAP concrete had a good road performance in a cold region, which was proved by the temperature-shrinkage test, dry-shrinkage test, freeze–thaw-cycle test, and water-stability test. Based on various cement dosages from 3.5% to 5.5% in RAP concrete mix design, three RAP aggregate replacement ratios (30%, 40%, and 50%) were selected to study the variation of mechanical properties with increasing curing time, and the optimal aggregate substitute ratio was determined. A scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to observe the inner-structure interface between the asphalt binder and cement stone. A numerical model is presented to simulate the RAP compressive strength with respect to the effect of multiple parameters. The research results can provide a technical reference for RAP use in the reconstruction and expansion of low-grade highway projects.
In order to study the durability behavior of CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced polymer) reinforced concrete, three category specimens (plain, partially reinforced, and fully reinforced) were selected to investigate its performance variation concerning chlorine salt and salt-freeze coupled environment, which included the microscopic examination, the distribution of chloride ion concentration, and the compressive properties. By observing the microscopic of the specimens, the surface and cross-section corrosion deterioration was examined with increasing exposure time, and the physical behavior of CFRP and core concrete were discussed. The chloride ion diffusion test exerted that the chloride ion concentration in plain specimens is at least 200 times higher than that of fully reinforced specimens. Therefore, the effectiveness of CFRP reinforcement will be proved to effectively hinder the penetration of chloride ions into the core section. The formula of the time-dependent effect of concrete diffusivity with salt-freeze coupling effect was presented and its accuracy verified. A time-varying finite element model of chloride ion distribution was established by using ABAQUS software. It can be seen from the axial compression test that the strength loss rate of three categories of specimens was varied when subjected to the corrosion environment. Therefore, it is proved that CFRP reinforcement can effectively reduce the deterioration of the specimen’s mechanical properties caused by the exposure environment. The research results can provide technical reference for applying the CFRP strengthened concrete in a severe salt-freeze environment.
About Me
Wei Li is a PhD student at the School of Civil Engineering at Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China.
Wei Li is a PhD student at the School of Civil Engineering at Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China.