The disposal of industrial by-product tailings has become an important issue in solving environmental pollution. In this study, 15%, 30%, 50%, and 70% iron tailings were used to replace the natural sand in concrete, and 1.5% steel fiber and 0–0.75% PVA fibers were added to the iron tailings concrete. The effects of the iron tailings replacement rate and the fiber content on the mechanical properties, carbonization depth, and concrete porosity were studied in a carbonization environment. The results demonstrated that the compressive and splitting tensile strengths of concrete first increased and subsequently decreased with an increase in the iron tailings replacement rate, while the carbonation depth and porosity initially decreased and subsequently increased. When the replacement rate of iron tailings was 30%, the compressive strength and split tensile strength were increased by 7.6% and 17.7%, respectively, and the porosity was reduced by 8.9%. The compressive strength, carbonation depth and porosity of single-doped steel-fiber concrete were superior to those of ordinary iron tailings concrete. However, compared with single-doped steel fiber, the performance of steel-PVA fiber was further improved. Based on the mechanical properties, the carbonation depth test results of the three aforementioned types of concrete, the mathematical expression of the uniaxial compression stress–strain curve of iron tailings concrete, and the prediction equation of the carbonation depth of mixed-fiber iron tailings concrete were proposed. This study provides a reference for the application and popularization of fiber-reinforced iron tailings concrete in carbonization environments.
The use of construction waste for concrete is an effective way to reduce the environmental burden while improving the sustainability of construction materials. Nano-SiO2 (NS) has excellent volcanic ash activity, which can effectively improve the strength of concrete. In this study, the synergistic effects of NS and 30% recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) on the mass loss, compressive strength, ultrasonic sound velocity values and microstructure of RAC after 25, 50, 75 and 100 repetitions of a dry–wet cycle (DWC) of sulfuric acid were investigated. The results show that NS has a significant role in improving RAC performance. The RAC specimens showed the lowest mass loss rate, the highest compressive strength, the lowest ultrasonic velocity value and the best resistance to sulfate erosion when the NS doping was 4%. Meanwhile, under CT and SEM, RAC with NS has lower porosity and higher hydration, which can effectively inhibit the crack generation and has stable volume growth within 0–50 repetitions of DWC. In addition, the addition of NS improves not only the microstructure of the substrate but also the interfacial transition zone (ITZ). When 4% NS was added, the porosity was the lowest and the durability improvement was the best performance. This study not only improves the production performance of RAC but also provides a strong reference for the integrated application of nanomaterials in concrete.
The progressive collapse of buildings induces a variety of catastrophic consequences, such as casualties and property loss over the past few decades. The corner column is more prone to abnormal load events compared to the inner column and outer column; thus, it is easier to trigger progressive collapse. By considering the effects of floor slabs and adjacent bays on progressive collapse behavior, the pseudo-static loading method was used to study the progressive collapse test of a 1/3 scaled, one story, 2 × 2-bay cast-in-place reinforced concrete frame substructure under the removal condition of a corner column. The test results show that the flexural deformation principally concentrates upon the components of a directly affected part (DAP), and compressive arch actions are observed in members of the indirectly affected part (IAP). Moreover, the slab adjacent to the removed column and periphery elements contributes great resistance to a progressive collapse.