The production of cement, an essential material in civil engineering, requires a substantial energy input, with a significant portion of this energy consumed during the grinding stage. This study addresses the gap in the literature concerning the collective impact of key parameters, including ball size, feed rate, and mill speed, on grinding efficiency. Nine spherical balls, ranging from 15–65 mm, were utilized in six distinct distributions, alongside varying feed rates and mill speeds. ANOVA, Taguchi, and regression analyses were employed to explore their influence on grinding efficiency and cement properties. The findings revealed that ball size variation significantly affects grinding performance, with smaller diameter balls yielding higher efficiency due to increased abrasion and fine formation. Conversely, elevating mill speed generally diminishes grinding efficiency, particularly at speeds approaching 90% of the critical speed, impacting ball shoulder and foot angles. Moreover, increasing the feed rate affects the grinding performance differently based on ball distribution, with finer distributions experiencing adverse effects. Signal-to-noise ratios facilitated determining the optimal control factor levels to minimize energy consumption. Quadratic regression models exhibited strong predictive capabilities for energy consumption in grinding. Ultimately, the optimal grinding performance was achieved with Bond-type ball distribution No. 6, considering ball size, mill speed, and feed-rate interactions, albeit with considerations regarding grinding time and energy efficiency.

In this study the effect of fiber type and utilization ratio on the dimensional stability and durability properties of pavement mortar mixtures was investigated. Three different fibers that are 12 mm long polypropylene, polyamide, and basalt fiber were used at a ratio of 0.25%, 0.50%, 0.75%, and 1% of their total volume. Drying-shrinkage, alkali-silica reaction (ASR), sulfate, freeze-thaw, and abrasion resistance of the mixtures were investigated. The findings to emerge from this study are as in the following: first, fiber addition prevented crack growth due to drying shrinkage of cementitious systems. Second, mixtures containing fiber showed higher performance in ASR and freeze-thaw whereas they underperformed in terms of sulfate resistance. These results could be attributed to a dual mechanism; on the one hand, the use of fiber is considered to create an additional void for the products that have the potential to form expansion to escape. On the other hand, the permeability of the mixtures increases as the void volume does due to the use of fiber. The former mechanism is considered to be predominant in ASR and freeze-thaw states. Specifically, mixtures containing basalt fiber with the highest modulus of elasticity outperformed in all properties.

Grinding aids (GA) affect the fresh and hardened state properties of cement systems in addition to the economic and ecological advantages they provide. Nevertheless, there is not enough information in the literature regarding the effect of GA utilization on the rheological properties of cementitious systems. In this study, the effect of different types of GA utilization on the grinding efficiency, setting time, and physical properties of cement and rheological properties of cement paste was investigated. Besides, adsorption of the water‐reducing admixture (polycarboxylate ether [PCE]) to the cement containing GA was investigated by total organic carbon analysis. According to the results, regardless of the type of GA, while the grinding efficiency was positively affected by GA utilization in cement, the adsorption degree of PCE, some fresh and rheological properties of the mixtures were negatively affected. With the use of GA, an increase was observed in the early age compressive strength of mortar mixtures. Consequently, the properties of cementitious systems containing GA should be taken into consideration to assess GA performance in addition to the grinding efficiency.

Lime-based mortars, frequently used in historic structures, are classified as hydraulic and non-hydraulic according to how they gain strength. In the past, various methods were used to improve the strength and durability properties of lime-based hydraulic mortars such as Khorasan mortar. Today, in studies carried out to increase the strength of lime-based mortars, the effects of binders, aggregates, and additives, which are the basic components of the mortar, are examined. In this study, the mechanical properties of Khorasan mortar mixtures, which are frequently used in the restoration of historical structures, were examined under the influence of different parameters. In particular, the effects of variables such as aggregate type and ratio (river sand and crushed brick), binder type and ratio (natural hydraulic lime, metakaolin, and blast furnace slag), and water/total dry material ratio on the strength of mortars were investigated experimentally. In the experimental study, two different aggregate types (river sand and crushed brick) were used in 1/3 and 1/2 ratios, and three different binders (natural hydraulic lime, metakaolin, and blast furnace slag) were used in different ratios. The water-to-total-dry-material ratios were set at 0.2 and 0.25. Standard test samples were then created from the prepared mortar mixtures, and their flexural and compressive strengths were assessed at 28 and 56 days. A statistical analysis of the experimental data was conducted using the Taguchi method, allowing for a detailed examination of how the different parameters influenced the strength of the mortars. Through this analysis, the optimal mixture ratios that maximized mortar strength were successfully identified.

In this study, it was aimed to determine the optimum fiber type and usage ratio by examining the effect of fiber type and usage rate on the properties of mortar mixtures exposed to high temperatures such as 300°C, 450°C, and 600°C. For this purpose, mixtures were prepared by substituting polypropylene (PP), polyamide (PA) and basalt (B) fibers in proportions as 0.25%, 0.50%, 0.75%, and 1% instead of aggregate. Unit weight, compressive‐flexural strength, ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV), and permeability properties of mixtures were determined. Regardless of fiber type, flexural strength and permeability increased, UPV decreased with the addition of fiber. Basalt fiber mixtures exhibited the highest performance in terms of flexural strength. PP fiber mixtures exhibited the best performance in terms of permeability, ultrasonic pulse velocity and dynamic modulus of elasticity. SEM analyzes showed that PP fibers exposed to 600°C melted, leading to the formation of channel voids. According to TGA result, approximately 15% mass loss was observed in the control sample at 600°C.

In this study, the effects of different fiber types on improving the high-temperature performance of roller-compacted concrete (RCC) were comprehensively investigated. For this purpose, 60 mm long steel (S), polypropylene (PP), and environmentally sustainable waste steel (WS) fibers were incorporated into RCC at volumetric ratios of 0%, 0.25%, 0.50%, 0.75%, 1.00%, and 1.25%. The prepared specimens were exposed to controlled conditions at 25 °C (room temperature), 300 °C, 600 °C, and 900 °C, and the influence of thermal exposure on compressive strength and permeability characteristics was thoroughly evaluated. The findings revealed that high temperatures led to significant changes in the physical and mechanical properties of the concrete. Notably, at elevated temperatures such as 600 °C and 900 °C, S and WS fibers were found to reduce strength loss by limiting the propagation of microcracks within the concrete matrix. However, PP fibers were observed to lose their effectiveness at high temperatures due to melting in the range of approximately 160–170 °C, which negatively affected mechanical performance. One of this study’s key findings is that waste steel fibers offer a sustainable alternative while exhibiting comparable performance to conventional steel fibers. These results highlight the potential of recycling industrial waste to reduce environmental impact and lower overall costs.