Introduction. The use of limestone in cement compositions as an additional cementing agent solves both environmental and economic problems, namely, reduction of construction costs. In this regard, the study of the properties of the granulometric composition and volumetric content of cement composites, containing limestone, becomes increasingly important. The mission of this research is to optimize the properties of composite materials containing Portland cement and limestone by changing the granulometric composition of flour limestone. Materials and methods. Limestone, having three different Blaine milling fineness values of 250, 300 and 450 m2/kg, was used; its content reached 10, 15, 25 and 35 %. Cement and sand mortars were applied for testing purposes. The influence of the granulometric composition of limestone on the workability and compressive strength of composite cement was determined. Results. The effect of limestone on the limit shear stress becomes more pronounced when the amount of limestone increases to 25 and 35 %. This is most noticeable for limestone with a high content of fine fractions of 5–20 µm. The use of finely milled limestone increases the initial strength of the composite material. By adding 10 and 15 % of such limestone we can increase the strength by 16–20 %, and supplementary 25–35 % of limestone increases strength by 5–8 %. Strength enhancement is due to the reactivity of limestone and formation of calcium hydrocarbon aluminate 3CaO∙Al2O3∙СаСО3∙12H2O, which promotes formation of the crystal framework of the cement matrix. Additional formation of crystalline hydrates in the initial coagulation structure deteriorates the mortar workability, but increases its strength. Conclusions. The use of coarse-grained limestone significantly improves mortar workability, while the use of fine-grained limestone increases its content without reducing its strength. The granulometric composition of ground limestone shall be as close as possible to the granulometric composition of cement for the properties of composite materials containing Portland cement and limestone to be optimized.

The environment of an underground structure is much more complex than the above-ground environment. Erosion processes are underway in soil and groundwater; groundwater seepage and soil pressure are also typical for underground environments. Alternating layers of dry and wet soil have a strong effect on concrete, and they reduce its durability. Corrosion of cement concretes is caused by the diffusion of free calcium hydroxide, located in the pores of concrete, from the volume of the cement stone to its surface, bordering on an aggressive environment, and the further transition of the substance through the phase boundary solid (concrete)–soil-aggressive environment (liquid). Due to the fact that all minerals in cement stone exist only in saturated or close-to-saturated solutions of calcium hydroxide, a decrease in the content of which in the pores of concrete as a result of mass transfer processes causes a change in the phase and thermodynamic equilibrium in the body of concrete and leads to the decomposition of highly basic compounds of cement stone and, consequently, to the deterioration of the mechanical properties of concrete (reduction in strength, modulus of elasticity, etc.). A mathematical model of mass transfer in a two-layer plate imitating the “reinforced concrete structure—layer of the soil–coastal marine area” system is proposed as a system of nonstationary partial derivative differential equations of the parabolic type with Newmann’s boundary conditions inside the building and at the interface between the soil and the marine environment and with conjugating boundary conditions at the interface between the concrete and the soil. When the boundary problem of mass conductivity in the “concrete–soil” system is solved, expressions are obtained to determine the dynamics of the concentration profiles of the target component (calcium ions) in the volumes of the concrete and soil. As a result, one can select the optimum composition of concrete, having high anticorrosion properties, to extend the durability of the concrete constructions of offshore marine structures.

Concrete composition modifying by different electrically conductive components is one of less laborious but relatively effective methods between wide variety of electrode concrete heating effectiveness improvement methods. The purpose of this study is investigation of special aspects of cement systems modified by powdered shungite (Ssp 400 m2/kg) in combination with active mineral and plasticizing admixtures that harden under electrode heating at below zero temperatures. By the method of differential thermal analysis anomaly of exothermic reaction of cement stone specimens was discovered, that is due to formation of hydrated calcium silicate С2SH (A) discovered by the method of quantitative XRDA, and is verified by results received from scanning electron microscopy method, which among other factors provides higher strength and low permeability to these composites. Stability of cement systems modified by shungite and curing under electrode heating has been proved.

The paper presents a comprehensive mathematical model and adaptive control system for predicting and maintaining the quality of concrete mix during its transportation in the drums of truck mixers. The purpose of the study is to bridge the gap between detailed physical and mathematical models and operational control tasks in dynamic conditions. The developed software package demonstrated high accuracy in predicting hydration kinetics (RMSD = 1.0%) and moisture content (RMSD = 2.0%). It has been shown that optimising the control action allows the drum rotation speed to be reduced by 86.7% (to 2 min-1). This results in an 85% reduction in the cost function and an estimated 42% reduction in energy consumption without compromising the quality of the mixture. A comprehensive approach makes it possible to move from passive modelling to active control of concrete mix quality during transportation. This is confirmed by the analytical dependencies identified and the results of computational experiments.