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Low-pH concrete: design, characterisation and durability; Les betons bas pH - formulation, caracterisation et etude a long terme

Abstract

Using of Portland cement in association with clay in a deep geological repository could present some difficulties. The clay properties may be altered by the high pH conditions set by the cement pore water. Moreover, a high temperature rise caused by cement hydration in massive concrete elements could induce microcracking of the material. Investigations have thus been carried out to formulate low alkalinity and low-heat blended cements referred as 'low-pH' binders, which would show an improved compatibility with the repository environment and which could be used to elaborate high-strength concrete. A list of specifications to be checked by the concrete materials has been defined including pore solution pH around 11, temperature rise during hydration less than 20 C, moderate shrinkage and high compression strength (superior to 70 MPa). Several systems comprising Portland cement, a pozzolana (silica fume or fly ash) and blast furnace slag were compared. All blends were characterized by high amounts of additions, the OPC fractions ranging only from 20 to 60%. The pore solution pH values of the blended pastes were within the range [11.7 - 12.2] after one year of hydration. The decrease in pH as compared to a reference made with OPC was due to  More>>
Authors:
Publication Date:
Sep 15, 2007
Product Type:
Thesis/Dissertation
Report Number:
FRNC-TH-7282
Resource Relation:
Other Information: TH: These genie civil; 133 refs; Also available from Bib'INSA - Bibliotheque centrale, 135 Avenue de Rangueil Complexe scientifique de Rangueil, 31077 - Toulouse Cedex 04 (France)
Subject:
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES, AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; AEROSOLS; ALKALI METALS; BINDERS; BLAST FURNACES; DESIGN; FLY ASH; H CODES; HYDRATION; LEACHING; PH VALUE; PORTLAND CEMENT; RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SILICON OXIDES; SLAGS; SORPTION; UNDERGROUND STORAGE
OSTI ID:
21096895
Research Organizations:
Institut National des Sciences Appliquees (INSA), 31 - Toulouse (France)
Country of Origin:
France
Language:
French
Other Identifying Numbers:
TRN: FR0800906107524
Availability:
Available from INIS in electronic form
Submitting Site:
FRN
Size:
201 pages
Announcement Date:
Dec 08, 2008

Citation Formats

Codina, M. Low-pH concrete: design, characterisation and durability; Les betons bas pH - formulation, caracterisation et etude a long terme. France: N. p., 2007. Web.
Codina, M. Low-pH concrete: design, characterisation and durability; Les betons bas pH - formulation, caracterisation et etude a long terme. France.
Codina, M. 2007. "Low-pH concrete: design, characterisation and durability; Les betons bas pH - formulation, caracterisation et etude a long terme." France.
@misc{etde_21096895,
title = {Low-pH concrete: design, characterisation and durability; Les betons bas pH - formulation, caracterisation et etude a long terme}
author = {Codina, M}
abstractNote = {Using of Portland cement in association with clay in a deep geological repository could present some difficulties. The clay properties may be altered by the high pH conditions set by the cement pore water. Moreover, a high temperature rise caused by cement hydration in massive concrete elements could induce microcracking of the material. Investigations have thus been carried out to formulate low alkalinity and low-heat blended cements referred as 'low-pH' binders, which would show an improved compatibility with the repository environment and which could be used to elaborate high-strength concrete. A list of specifications to be checked by the concrete materials has been defined including pore solution pH around 11, temperature rise during hydration less than 20 C, moderate shrinkage and high compression strength (superior to 70 MPa). Several systems comprising Portland cement, a pozzolana (silica fume or fly ash) and blast furnace slag were compared. All blends were characterized by high amounts of additions, the OPC fractions ranging only from 20 to 60%. The pore solution pH values of the blended pastes were within the range [11.7 - 12.2] after one year of hydration. The decrease in pH as compared to a reference made with OPC was due to a i) strong reduction of the alkali concentration in the pore water, ii) depletion or decrease of the portlandite content in the blends and iii) enrichment of C-S-H with silica. These low pH binders were successfully used to prepare high strength concretes (pH pore-water values within the range [10.7 - 11.6] according to the binders) with usual tools of civil engineering. Finally, leaching tests carried out in pure water indicated a very slow decalcification (reduced by a factor 4) of the blended pastes, as compared to a Portland cement paste. The mineralogical evolution and leached fluxes could be modelled by using a coupled reactive transport code (HYTEC). (author)}
place = {France}
year = {2007}
month = {Sep}
}