• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.175-183
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• 2001

Immersion tests with artificial seawater were carried out to investigate the resistance to seawater attack of 5 types of cement matrices. From the results of compressive strength and length change, it was found that blended cement mortars due to mineral admixtures, were superior to portland cement mortars with respect to the resistance to seawater attack. Moreover, XRD analysis indicated that the peak intensity ratio of low heat portland cement(LHC) paste, in portland cement pastes, had better results, and so did that of blended cement Paste. Pore volume of pastes by mercury intrusion porosimetry method demonstrated that total pore volume of ordinary portland cement(OPC) paste had a remarkable increase comparing with that of other pastes. In case of immersion of artificial seawater, the use of ground granulated blast-furnace slag and fly ash, however, showed the beneficial effects of 56% and 32% in reduction of total pore volume, respectively.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.275-282
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• 2017

The aim of this study is to build Machine Learning models to evaluate the effect of blast furnace slag (BFS) and waste tire rubber powder (WTRP) on the compressive strength of cement mortars. In order to develop these models, 12 different mixes with 288 specimens of the 2, 7, 28, and 90 days compressive strength experimental results of cement mortars containing BFS, WTRP and BFS+WTRP were used in training and testing by Random Forest, Ada Boost, SVM and Bayes classifier machine learning models, which implement standard cement tests. The machine learning models were trained with 288 data that acquired from experimental results. The models had four input parameters that cover the amount of Portland cement, BFS, WTRP and sample ages. Furthermore, it had one output parameter which is compressive strength of cement mortars. Experimental observations from compressive strength tests were compared with predictions of machine learning methods. In order to do predictive experimentation, we exploit R programming language and corresponding packages. During experimentation on the dataset, Random Forest, Ada Boost and SVM models have produced notable good outputs with higher coefficients of determination of R2, RMS and MAPE. Among the machine learning algorithms, Ada Boost presented the best R2, RMS and MAPE values, which are 0.9831, 5.2425 and 0.1105, respectively. As a result, in the model, the testing results indicated that experimental data can be estimated to a notable close extent by the model.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.191-202
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• 2023

Palm oil fuel ash (POFA) is a newly emerging pozzolanic material having high amount of silica content. Various forms of POFA were used in cement-based materials (CBMs) in replacement of cement in different dosages of low and high volume. Although, there are many researches on POFA to be used in concrete and mortar, however, this material was not practically used in the construction industry. Engineers and designers need to be confident to use any new developed materials by knowing all engineering properties at short and long terms. As durability concern, concrete pH value is one of the most important properties. Portland cement produces are alkaline initially, however, it may be reduced due to aging and its components. It is believed that by incorporation of supplementary cementitious materials in CBMs the pH value reduces due to utilization of Ca(OH)₂ in pozzolanic reaction. This study is the first attempts to understand the pH value of mortars containing up to 30% POFA under different curing conditions and its changes with time. The results were also compared with the pH of ground granulated ballast furnace slag (GGBFS) and fly ash (FA) content mortars. In addition, the compressive strength of different mortars under different curing conditions were also studied. The results showed that the pH value of control mix (without cementitious materials) was more than all the blended cement mortars indifferent curing conditions at the same ages. However, there was a reducing trend in the pH value of all mortar mixes containing POFA.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.121-128
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• 2007

The present study evaluates the resistance to sulfate attack of cement matrix with or without silica fume. The main variable was the replacement levels of silica fume. In order to introduce sulfate attack to cement matrix, mortars and pastes was exposed to sodium sulfate solution for 510 days. Visual examination, expansion and compressive strength loss of mortars in addition to characteristics of pore for the paste samples were regularly investigated. From the test results, it was clearly observed that the cement matrix with silica fume was very resistant to sulfate attack irrespective of the replacement levels of silica fume. However, the severe deterioration due to sulfate attack was found in cement matrix without silica fume.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.247-255
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• 2017

This study aimed to develop a Rule Based Mamdani Type Fuzzy Logic (RBMFL) model to predict the flexural strengths and compressive strengths of blended cements under elevated temperatures. Clinoptilolite was used as cement substitution material in the experimental stage. Substitution ratios in the cement mortar mix designs were selected as 0% (reference), 5%, 10%, 15% and 20%. The data used in the modeling process were obtained experimentally, after mortar specimens having reached the age of 90 days and exposed to $300^{\circ}C$, $400^{\circ}C$, $500^{\circ}C$ temperatures for 3 hours. In the RBMFL model, temperature ($C^{\circ}$) and substitution ratio of clinoptilolite (%) were inputs while the compressive strengths and flexural strengths of mortars were outputs. Results were compared by using some statistical methods. Statistical comparison results showed that rule based Mamdani type fuzzy logic can be an alternative approach for the evaluation of the mechanical properties of concrete under elevated temperature.

• Advances in nano research
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.99-111
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• 2017

Nano particles have been gaining increasing attention and applied in many fields to fabricate new materials with novel functions due to their unique physical and chemical properties. In the present study two nano materials, namely nano silica (NS) and nano clay metakaolin (NMK) were partially replaced with ordinary Portland cement (OPC). The replacement level was varied from 0.5 to 2.0% in OPC and blended in cement mortar with a water cement ratio of 0.40. Mechanical property studies and durability experiments such as compressive strength, tensile strength, water absorption, depth of chloride penetration test. Nano silica was synthesized from rice husk ash and analyze the size using particle size analyzer. The results indicate that the compressive and tensile strength of the cement mortars containing nano materials were higher strength compared to the plain mortar with the same water cement ratio.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.273-281
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• 2015

In this paper, the performance of alkali-activated slag cement (AASC) is assessed in terms of compressive strength and drying shrinkage, using three different types of silica sand and river sand. The sand type has an important influence on the properties of AASC mortar. Three silica sands (SS1, SS2 and SS3) and river sand (RS) were considered. Three series of blended sands have been tested. A first series (S1) with RS and SS1, a second series (S2) with RS and SS2 and third series (S3) with RS and SS3 with a different blended ratios. The result shows a very significant influence of the blended sand on the AASC mortar properties. The compressive strength and drying shrinkage related with the particle sizes and blended ratios of sands are investigated considering blended sand properties like fineness modulus (FM) and relative specific surface. The type and blended ratio of sand seems to have very significant and important consequences for the mix design of the AASC mortar.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.32 no.6A
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• pp.427-435
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• 2012

In order to evaluate the effects of exposure conditions on the resistance to sulfate attack of normal and blended cement mortars, several mechanical characteristics of the mortars such as expansion, strength and bulk density were regularly monitored for 52 cycles under sodium sulfate attack. The mortar specimens were exposed to 3 different types of exposure conditions; 1) continuous full immersion(Exposure A), continuous half-immersion(Exposure B) and cyclic wetting-drying(Exposure C). Experimental results indicated that the maximum deterioration was noted in OPC mortar specimens subjected to Exposure B, showing the wide cracks in the portions where attacking solution is adjacent to air. Additionally, the beneficial effect of ground granulated blast-furnace slag and silica fume was clearly observed showing a superior resistance against sodium sulfate attack, because of its lower permeability and densified structure. Thus, it is suggested that when concrete made with normal cement is exposed to sulfate environment, proper considerations on the exposure conditions should be taken.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.127-136
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• 2015

To evaluate the effects of limestone powder and silica fume on the properties of high-strength high-volume ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBFS) blended cement concrete, this study investigated the rheology, strength development, hydration and pozzolanic reaction characteristics, porosity and pore size distribution of high-strength mortars with the water-to-binder ratio of 20, 50 to 80% GGBFS, up to 20% limestone powder, and up to 10% silica fume. According to test results, compared with the Portland cement mixture, the high-volume GGBFS mixture had much higher flow due to the low surface friction of GGBFS particles and higher strength in the early age due to the accelerated cement hydration by increase of free water; however, because of too low water-to-binder ratio and cement content, and lack of calcium hydroxide content, the pozzolanic reactio cannot be activated and the long-term strength development was limited. Limestone powder did not affect the flowability, and also accelerate the early cement hydration. However, because its effect on the acceleration of cement hydration is not greater than that of GGBFS, and it does not have hydraulic reactivity unlikely to GGBFS, compressive strength was reduced proportional to the replacement ratio of limestone powder. Also, silica fume and very fine GGBFS lowered flow and strength by absorbing more free water required for cement hydration. Capillary porosities of GGBFS blended mortars were smaller than that of OPC mortar, but the effect of limestone powder on porosity was not noticeable, and silica fume increased porosity due to low degree of hydration. Nevertheless, it is confirmed that the addition of GGBFS and silica fume increases fine pores.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.237-246
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• 2022

The concrete quality relies on general factors like preparation technique, uniformity of the compaction, amount and appropriateness of the additives. The current article investigates the impact of a well knows amino acid, L-arginine as an additive on water requirements, setting durations and characterization of various cement samples. Compressive strength tests of reference and L-arginine added cements at age of 2, 7 and 28 days were carried out according to TS-EN 196-1. Samples were blended by incorporating various amounts of L-arginine (25 ppm, 50 ppm and 75 ppm) in the cement water mixture which were tested with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermo-gravimetric analysis (TG), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) on the 28th day. Results revealed that L-arginine does not affect the setting time, volume expansion of cement and water demands negatively; rather it imparts enhanced sustainability to the samples. It was determined that the highest value belonged to the 75L mortar with an increase of 2.6% compared to the reference sample when the compressive strengths of all mortars were compared on the 28th day. Besides, it has been observed that the development of calcium silicate hydrate or C-S-H gel, calcium hydroxide or CH and other hydrated products are associated with each other. L-arginine definitely has a contribution in the consumption of CH formed in the hydration process.