Effect of partial replacement of fine aggregate by internal curing materials on mechanical properties of concrete

Internal curing has long been utilized to decrease self-shrinkage and consequently the increased danger of concrete cracking prematurely. The measured mechanical characteristics of concrete were studied in five mixes, both with and without internal curing. Two of these mixtures have a 10% replacement rate, with one using ceramic and the other Attapulgite, while the other two have a 20% replacement, with one using ceramic and the other using Attapulgite, and the fifth is a reference mixture with no replacement for comparative reasons. With an increase of 27.93%, the ceramic combination with a 20% replacement rate is judged to have the highest compressive resistance, followed by the Attapulgite mixture with a 20% replacement rate with an increase of 34.2%. The results showed that the ceramic and Attapulgite internal curing purposes were highly effective, especially with a 20% replacement. The use of crushed ceramics and attapulgite as internal curing materials improves the characteristics of concrete.

The use of ceramics as an internal curing agent in high performance concrete with variable temperature curing to improve mechanical characteristics

Concrete curing is one of the most significant factors in the development of compressive strength, and a high temperature difference during curing may reduce strength. The microcracks created in the concrete as a result of the constant temperature change cause this exudation. Internal curing has become popular for decreasing the risk of early-age cracking in high-performance concrete by limiting autogenous shrinkage (HPC). This study looks at the effectiveness of internal wet curing offered by a new kind of aggregate called “recycled waste porous ceramic fine aggregates”. The evolution of measured mechanical characteristics is examined on three distinct HPCs, both with and without internal curing materials. Ceramic fine aggregates were used to replace two different quantities of regular weight fine aggregate. Ceramic fine aggregates were shown to be quite beneficial for internal cure. It has been discovered that incorporating 20% ceramic fine aggregates into HPC improves the properties of the material, resulting in low internal stress and a large improvement in compressive strength. It should be emphasized that, unlike some traditional lightweight aggregates, no loss in compressive strength has been seen for the various quantities of ceramic fine aggregates introduced at either early or later ages.

Effect Of Attapulgite as Internal Curing in High-Performance Concrete with Variable Temperature Curing to Enhance Mechanical Properties

One of the most important elements in the development of compressive strength is concrete curing, and a large temperature differential during curing may decrease strength. This exudation is caused by microcracks in the concrete caused by the continuous temperature fluctuation. By minimizing autogenous shrinkage, internal curing has become popular for reducing the danger of early-age cracking in high-performance concrete (HPC). The efficacy of internal wet curing provided by fine Attapulgite aggregate is investigated in this research. On three different HPCs, both with and without internal curing materials, the development of observed mechanical properties is investigated. Two different amounts of normal weight fine aggregate were replaced with attapulgite fine aggregates. Internal cure has been found to benefit from attapulgite fine aggregates. It has been found that adding 20% Attapulgite fine aggregates to HPC enhances the material’s characteristics, resulting in low internal stress and a significant increase in compressive strength. It should be noted that, unlike certain conventional lightweight aggregates, the different amounts of Attapulgite fine aggregates added at various ages have shown no decrease in compressive strength.

Texture Analysis of The Microstructure of Internal Curing Concrete Based On Image Recognition Technology

Mechanical properties of internal curing concrete are greatly affected by its physical properties such as water content, cementing material content, porosity, and saturation. At the micro level, such impact is finally reflected in the surface texture of its materials. In this study, the image recognition technology was used to find that the internal curing concrete samples have significant micromorphology and texture features. A texture parameter–strength model was established based on the relationship between Tamura texture parameters, gray level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) texture parameters, and the mechanical strength. Due to the characteristics of materials and the sensitivity of parameters, not all Tamura and GLCM texture parameters can effectively characterize the texture features of internal curing concrete materials. In terms of the Tamura texture, coarseness, regularity, and directionality are effective parameters to predict the compressive strength of the internal curing concrete. In terms of the GLCM texture, energy, correlation, entropy, and contrast are effective parameters to predict the compressive strength of the internal curing concrete. Correlations between each texture parameter and compressive strength follow different laws.