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- Thermal performance of concrete with reactive magnesium oxide as an alternative binderPublication . Forero Valencia, Javier Andres; Bravo, Miguel; Pacheco, João; Brito, Jorge de; Evangelista, LuisThis study evaluates the thermal conductivity of concrete produced with reactive magnesium oxide (MgO) as a partial replacement for cement. MgO is a viable option for the concrete industry, mainly due to its benefits in sustainability and reducing CO2 emissions compared to cement emissions. Four different MgO's produced in Australia, Canada, and Spain were used in concrete mixes as a partial replacement of cement at 5%, 10%, and 20% by mass. The experimental results showed that the thermal conductivity is higher when MgO increases in mixes after 28 days of curing. With the incorporation of MgO, the thermal conductivity increased between 3.2% and 10.2%, and the mechanical properties declined: compressive strength between 12.7% to 26.2%, splitting tensile strength between 9.7% to 34.0%, and modulus of elasticity between -4.1% to 7.8%. Finally, it is important to highlight that the addition of different contents of MgO in the concrete mixes modified the microstructure of the cement matrix. As a result, there was an increase in porosity, which negatively influenced the mechanical properties and thermal conductivity. Therefore, the relationships between these properties were also analyzed.
- Eurocode shear design of coarse recycled aggregate concrete: reliability analysis and partial factor calibrationPublication . Pacheco, João; Brito, Jorge de; Chastre, Carlos; Evangelista, LuisThis paper contributes to the definition of design clauses for coarse recycled aggregate concrete. One of the main reasons for scepticism towards recycled aggregate concrete is the perceived notion that the heterogeneity of recycled aggregates may increase the uncertainty of the behaviour of concrete. Therefore, the paper uses structural reliability concepts to propose partial factors for recycled aggregate concrete's design for shear failure. The paper builds upon a previous publication by the authors, in which the model uncertainty of recycled aggregate concrete elements designed for shear, with and without shear reinforcement, was compared with that of natural aggregate concrete elements. In that paper, the statistics of the model uncertainty for recycled aggregate concrete shear design were indeed found to be less favourable than those of natural aggregate concrete. Therefore, a partial factor for recycled aggregate concrete design is needed to ensure safety. This paper presents partial factors calibrated with explicit reliability analyses for different cases of design concerning beams (in the case of shear design of elements with shear reinforcement) and slabs (for the design of elements without shear reinforcement). For full incorporation of coarse recycled concrete aggregates and the design of elements without shear reinforcement, the calibrated partial factor reduces the design value of shear resistance by 10% (design with EN1992) or 15% (design with prEN1992) in comparison to natural aggregate concrete's design. For the shear design of elements with shear reinforcement, the partial factor decreases resistance by 5% but a sensitivity analysis showed that the reduction might be, under pessimistic expectations, of up to 20%.
- Bond of recycled coarse aggregate concrete: model uncertainty and reliability-based calibration of design equationsPublication . Pacheco, João; Brito, Jorge de; Chastre, Carlos; Evangelista, LuisThis paper concerns the design of lap splice lengths for ribbed steel reinforcement bars embedded in concrete produced with coarse recycled concrete aggregates. Recycled aggregates are weaker and typically lead to concrete with lower tensile strength. Both aspects change the model uncertainty of bond strength formulae and a major topic of the paper is the influence of recycled aggregates on the model uncertainty of the bond strength model of fib Bulletin 72. A stochastic model for this model uncertainty is developed from a meta-analysis. The model uncertainty, estimated from analogue specimens made with either natural aggregate concrete or recycled aggregate concrete, is compared and the incorporation of recycled aggregates was indeed found to have a detrimental influence on the model uncertainty. A partial factor for lap splice length design is calibrated through reliability analyses so that the probability of failure of the bond length design of recycled aggregate concrete is equivalent to that of natural aggregate concrete. Two design equations were studied: that of the fib Bulletin 72 and that of the D6 draft of the second generation of Eurocode 2.
- Mechanical behaviour of concrete made with fine recycled concrete aggregatesPublication . Evangelista, Luís; Brito, Jorge deThis paper concerns the use of fine recycled concrete aggregates to partially or globally replace natural fine aggregates (sand) in the production of structural concrete. To evaluate the viability of this process, an experimental campaign was implemented in order to monitor the mechanical behaviour of such concrete. The results of the following tests are reported: compressive strength, split tensile strength, modulus of elasticity and abrasion resistance. From these results, it is reasonable to assume that the use of fine recycled concrete aggregates does not jeopardize the mechanical properties of concrete, for replacement ratios up to 30%.
- Effect of the maturity of recycled aggregates on the mechanical properties and autogenous and drying shrinkage of high-performance concretePublication . Revilla-Cuesta, V.; Evangelista, Luis; Brito, Jorge de; Ortega-López, Vanesa; Manso, Juan M.The high cement content of high-performance concrete (HPC) results in improved strength, but also in large shrinkage. The substitution of natural aggregates (NA) with recycled aggregates (RA) notably affects these properties in conventional concrete. This study intends to analyse the effect of the content of RA and their maturity (time elapsed between casting and crushing of the parent concrete from which RA are obtained) on these properties of HPC. To this end, five mixes were manufactured with 0%, 25%, and 100% of coarse and fine RA of different maturities, 7 days (early-age RA) and 6 months (matured RA). The mechanical properties and the autogenous, drying, and total shrinkage of all mixes were determined. Both the increase of RA content and the lower stiffness and strength of early-age RA relative to matured RA worsened the mechanical behaviour of HPC. Regarding shrinkage, the lower stiffness and higher water absorption of matured RA compared to NA decreased autogenous shrinkage by 20%, but increased drying and total shrinkage. The lower stiffness of early-age RA and their shrinkage amplified all types of shrinkage of HPC around 10-20%. Nevertheless, the hydration of their unhydrated cement particles during the mixing process reduced those increases from what was expected. Total shrinkage of early-age recycled aggregate HPC could be estimated from the shrinkage of both a HPC mix of identical composition but with matured RA and the parent concrete. Overall, it can be concluded that RA's maturity affects the mechanical performance and, especially, the shrinkage of HPC, so it should be considered when using this type of aggregate.
- Use of bottom ash additions in the production of concrete with recycled aggregatesPublication . Raposeiro Da Silva, Pedro; Silva, Rui V.; Brito, Jorge deThis paper provides a literature review on the use of bottom ashes in the production of concrete with recycled aggregates. Three types of bottom ash were studied, namely: biomass bottom ashes, coal bottom ashes and sewage sludge bottom ash. The characterization of these ashes focused on the analysis of their physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties. The effect of these ashes was subsequently studied on the fresh, mechanical, and durability-related performances of concrete. Bottom ashes generally present lower pozzolanicity than that typically observed, for example, in coal fly ashes. Their use as partial cement replacement normally leads to some loss in performance of the resulting cementitious composites. Also, using them as aggregates or in combination with recycled aggregates of other sources similarly causes an overall loss in performance. Nevertheless, such decline is still acceptable and often within manageable limits for the production of concrete under specific conditions including some structural applications. The use of these by-products including recycled aggregates may assist in solving a two-fold problem. Firstly, it reduces the consumption of cement and, consequently, the extraction of natural resources, also including the decrease of the consumption of natural aggregates to produce concrete. Furthermore, it solves the problem of the final destination for the significant quantities of bottom ashes produced by different industrial processes. In general, it is possible to conclude that, in moderate contents and when adequately processed, bottom ashes can be considered as viable substitutes of cement with manageable losses in terms of mechanical and durability-related performances. The use of coal bottom ashes was also found to significantly reduce the drying shrinkage strain of concrete.
- Mechanical performance and autogenous and drying shrinkage of MgO-based recycled aggregate high-performance concretePublication . Revilla-Cuesta, V.; Evangelista, Luis; Brito, Jorge de; Skaf, Marta; Ortega-López, VanesaThe high strength and durability of high-performance concrete (HPC) may be significantly reduced by shrinkage cracking. The use of reactive magnesium oxide (MgO) can reduce shrinkage of cement-based materials due to its expansive properties. This study intends to analyse the validity of MgO as shrinkage-reducing agent in recycled aggregate HPC. To do so, ten HPC mixes with 0%, 25%, and 100% of both early-age (7-days air curing) and matured (6-month air curing) RA were produced. In half of the mixes, 10% ordinary Portland cement was replaced with MgO. The use of MgO slightly worsened the mechanical behaviour of HPC, especially when combined with large amounts of RA. On the other hand, the expansion of MgO fully offset the autogenous shrinkage of HPC and reduced total shrinkage by around 20-40%. Water storage of RA, and its deferred release over time, produced a more efficient hydration of MgO, which in turn led to a further reduction of autogenous shrinkage. However, the increase of drying shrinkage caused by RA was greater than this decrease of autogenous shrinkage due to MgO, so the higher the RA content of HPC the lower the total shrinkage reduction when adding MgO. Thus, the decrease of total shrinkage caused by MgO was compensated by the shrinkage increase because of RA when adding amounts above 35% early-age RA and 42% matured RA. Therefore, despite the suitability of MgO as shrinkage-reducing agent in recycled aggregate HPC, its effectiveness was reduced with increasing amounts of RA.
- Viability of two new mixture design methodologies for self-consolidating concretePublication . Raposeiro Da Silva, Pedro; Brito, Jorge de; Barrento Da Costa, JoãoThis paper presents the results from an experimental study of the technical viability of two mixture designs for self-consolidating concrete (SCC) proposed by two Portuguese researchers in a previous work. The objective was to find the best method to provide the required characteristics of SCC in fresh and hardened states without having to experiment with a large number of mixtures. Five SCC mixtures, each with a volume of 25 L (6.61 gal.) were prepared using a forced mixer with a vertical axis for each of three compressive strength targets: 40, 55, and 70 MPa (5.80, 7.98, and 10.15 ksi). The mixtures' fresh state properties of fluidity, segregation resistance ability, and bleeding and blockage tendency, and their hardened state property of compressive strength were compared. For this study, the following tests were performed. slump-flow, V-funnel, L-box, box, and compressive strength. The results of this study made it possible to identify the most influential factors in the design of the SCC mixtures.
- Seismic resistance of earth construction in PortugalPublication . Gomes, Maria Idália; Lopes, Mário; Brito, Jorge deThis paper presents an assessment of the potential seismic performance of new earth construction in Portugal. Results of a parametric study on a properly designed rammed earth construction, considering several strengthening solutions, are presented and discussed. It is concluded that single storey houses can have acceptable seismic performance even in high seismicity areas, provided that the structure is adequately strengthened by reinforced concrete columns and beams. Improvement of the characteristics of the structural material (earth) may be necessary to reduce damage.