• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.443-458
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• 2024

The construction industry, one of the biggest producers of greenhouse emissions, is under a lot of pressure as a result of growing worries about how climate change may affect local communities. Geopolymer concrete (GPC) has emerged as a feasible choice for construction materials as a result of the environmental issues connected to the manufacture of cement. The findings of this study contribute to the development of machine learning methods for estimating the properties of eco-friendly concrete, which might be used in lieu of traditional concrete to reduce CO₂ emissions in the building industry. In the present work, the compressive strength (f_c) of GPC is calculated using random forests regression (RFR) methodology where natural zeolite (NZ) and silica fume (SF) replace ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBFS). From the literature, a thorough set of experimental experiments on GPC samples were compiled, totaling 254 data rows. The considered RFR integrated with artificial hummingbird optimization (AHA), black widow optimization algorithm (BWOA), and chimp optimization algorithm (ChOA), abbreviated as ARFR, BRFR, and CRFR. The outcomes obtained for RFR models demonstrated satisfactory performance across all evaluation metrics in the prediction procedure. For R² metric, the CRFR model gained 0.9988 and 0.9981 in the train and test data set higher than those for BRFR (0.9982 and 0.9969), followed by ARFR (0.9971 and 0.9956). Some other error and distribution metrics depicted a roughly 50% improvement for CRFR respect to ARFR.

• Clean Technology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.42-50
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• 2014

In this study, the $Mg(OH)_2$ slurry was made form ferro-nickel slag and then used for $CO_2$ sequestration. The experiments were in the order as leaching step, precipitation, carbonation experiments. According to the leaching results, the optimal leaching conditions were $H_2SO_4$ concentration of 1 M and the temperature of 333 K. In the $Mg(OH)_2$ manufacturing step, NaOH was added to increase the pH upto 8, the first precipitation was confirmed as $Fe_2O_3$. After removal the first precipitation, the pH was upto 11, the $Mg(OH)_2$ was generated by XRD analysis. The $Mg(OH)_2$ slurry was used for $CO_2$ sequestration. The pseudo-second-order carbonation model was used to apply for $CO_2$ sequestration. The $CO_2$ sequestration rate was increased by the $CO_2$ partial pressure and temperature. However, $CO_2$ sequestration rate was decreased when temperature upto 323 K. After $CO_2$ sequestrated by $Mg(OH)_2$, the $CO_2$ can be sequestrated stable as $MgCO_3$. This study also presented optimal sequestration condition was the pH upto 8.38, the maximum $MgCO_3$ can be generated. This study can be used as the basic material for $CO_2$ sequestration by ferro-nickel slag at pilot scale in the future.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.29 no.1A
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• pp.75-84
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• 2009

The present study assesses the chloride threshold level for corrosion of steel in concrete by examining the properties of four different binders used for blended concrete in terms of chloride binding, buffering of cement matrix to a pH fall and the corrosion behaviour. As binders, ordinary Portland cement (OPC), 30% pulverised fuel ash (PFA), 60% ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) and 10% silica fume (SF) were used in a concrete mix. Testing for chloride binding was carried out using the water extraction method, the buffering of cement matrix was assessed by measuring the resistance to an artificial acidification of nitric acid, and the corrosion rate of steel in mortar with chlorides in cast was measured at 28 days using an anodic polarisation technique. Results show that the chloride binding capacity was much affected by $C_{3}A$ content and physical adsorption, and its order was 60% GGBS>30% PFA>OPC>10% SF. The buffering of cement matrix to a pH fall was varied with binder type and given values of the pH. From the result of corrosion test, it was found that the chloride threshold ranged 1.03, 0.65, 0.45 and 0.98% by weight of cement for OPC, 30% PFA, 60% GGBS and 10% SF respectively, assuming that corrosion starts at the corrosion rate of $0.1-0.2{\mu}A/cm^{2}$. The mole ratio of [$Cl^{-}$]:[$H^{+}$], as a new presentation of the chloride threshold, indicated the value of 0.008-0.009, irrespective of binder, which would be indicative of the inhibitive characteristic of binder.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.311-320
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• 2014

A magnetic separation study was conducted for a soil sampled from a landfill site where steel slag had been dumped for a long time. Heavy metal concentrating effect was evaluated by analyzing heavy metal content of magnetically separated soil and passed through soil. The effect was compared between soil after soil-washing process and original landfill soil and the effect was also tested between wet condition-magnetic separation and dry condition-magnetic separation. Separated ratio was relatively higher in non-soil washed sample. The water content has no significant effect on the separation rate. The concentrating effect of Fe, Pb, Cu, and Cd were 3.2, 2.1, 12.1, 2.5, 1.5 and 17.4, 7.0, 15.7, 9.6, 7.0 respectively for non-soil washed sample and soil washed sample. We can expect a bigger volume reduction effect from soil-washed samples. The volume reduction effect was obtained from the separation in dry condition. However, when the separation ratio is too high the volume reduction effect decreases. The magnetic separation leads to a volume reduction and concentration of heavy metals into a portion of soil in case of paramagnetic particles contained soil.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.641-650
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• 2010

The concrete cracking from the restrained stress caused by the shrinkage may play significant cause of deterioration of concrete structures by allowing the permeation of sulphate and chloride ions which in turn triggers corrosion of steel reinforcement. In particular, the cracking becomes more critical as water binder ratio (W/B) is reduced and concrete strength increases. Therefore, it needs to evaluate correctly the comprehensive shrinkage behavior of concrete with high strength: high-strength concrete (HSC), ultra-highstrength concrete (UHSC). The unrestrained shrinkage tests, however, cannot estimate the net shrinkage effectively which affects cracking after full development of strength and stiffness because it does not consider the degree of restraint, strength development, stress relaxation, and so on. Therefore, in this study, both free and restrained shrinkage tests with variables of W/B (W/B of 30, 25 and 16%) and admixtures (fly ash (FA) and granulated blast-furnace slag (BFS)) for HSC, very-high-strength concrete (VHSC) and UHSC were performed. The test results indicated that the autogenous shrinkage and total shrinkage at drying condition were reduced as W/B increased and FA, BFS were added, and the cracking behavior was suppressed as W/B increased and FA was added.

• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.1-10
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• 2021

The purpose of this study is to present the possibility a utilization of the tertiary mudstone in Pohang as road subsoil material through pilot experiments on the road embankment structure. This mudstone is an unconsolidated rock that is distributed in the soft rock sedimentary layer, the tertiary layer of the Cenozoic, and causes physical problems such as slaking, swelling, and reduced shear strength and chemical problem like acid drainage. In order to solve various complex problems, an laboratory mixing test was conducted, and the optimal mixing conditions of the tertiary mudstone (90%), composite slag (steel making 70%, blast furnace 30%), and neutralization and coating agent treatment were derived. In order to prove its utilization, a real-scale road embankment structure was constructed and tests were conducted for each section. The pre-processing section is stable due to the design of optimal mixing conditions, while in post-processing section, natural weathering proceeded rapidly, and structural problems were concerned. Since the effect of neutralizing and coating agents was confirmed in temporary-staking section, the neutralizing and coating agents can be applied during the temporary storage period.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.13-23
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• 2014

Geotechnical evaluation on the reactive drain pile which can achieve simultaneously both the soft ground improvement and the remediation of contaminated pore water in reclamation site was performed. Applicability of steel-making slag used as a inside reactive material was confirmed. To investigate the consolidation characteristics of the soft ground improved by reactive drain pile, testing devices to form and install the reactive drain pile were developed and laboratory tests were performed according to the existence of outside sand drain and the length of impermeable barrier. Test results showed that the consolidation time was decreased as the shortening of impermeable barrier. However, the effect of outside sand drain on consolidation time was dominant compared with the length of impermeable barrier.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.343-351
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• 2015

Currently, lots of researches have been performed for reducing cement usages due to increasing social/engineering problems caused by $CO_2$ emission. Supplementary cement materials like fly ash, slag, and silca fume are usually employed for cement replacement, and nowadays rice husk ash (RHA) is widely studied for enhancement of concrete performance as mineral admixture. In this paper, concrete samples with RHA and SF which is known for its engineering advantages are prepared and a resistance to chloride attack is evaluated in early-aged concrete. For the work, replacement ratios of 10~30% for RHA concrete and 2~8% for SF concrete are considered, and various durability tests such as density, void, sorptivity, current measurement, and chloride diffusion coefficient are performed including mechanical test like compressive and tensile strength. Replacement of RHA 10~15% shows better improvement of corrosion resistance and strength than that of SF 2~4% and normal concrete, which shows a strong applicability for utilization as construction materials.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Building Construction
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.279-288
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• 2016

The fundamental performance of any construction material should cover at least two phases: safety and serviceability. Safety commonly represents adequate strength, while serviceability encompasses the control of cracking and deflections at service loads. With respect to rapid hydraulic binders as a construction material, the above two phases should also be considered. Recent research on rapid cooling ladle furnace slag (RC-LFS) has drawn much attention, particularly given that it shows remarkable rapid hydraulic ability to pulverize to a fineness of $6,300cm^2/g$. This industrial byproduct could contribute to developing the sustainability of the rapidly hardening cementitious material system. This paper aims to expand upon the applicability of an RC-LFS-based binder that is composed of two parts. It also seeks to illustrate the engineering performance of an RC-LFS-based hybrid fiber-reinforced composite and to increase the strength of the RC-LFS-based composite. Each step of this experiment followed ASTM standards. The engineering performance, in both fresh state and hardening state, was tested and discussed in this paper. According to the experimental results for fresh concrete, the air content increased following the addition of polypropylene fiber. For hardened concrete, the toughness and strength improved following the addition of a hybrid fiber. The hybrid fiber mixture, which contains 0.75% of steel fiber and 0.25% of polypropylene fiber, shows even better engineering performance than other mixtures.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.75-80
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• 2016

This study was conducted to evaluate effect of chemical amendments on reducing bioavailable fraction of heavy metals in soil along with ecotoxicological effect on earthworms, Eisenia fetida. Three different chemical amendments, lime (L), steel slag (SS), and acid mine drainage sludge (AMDS), were applied with varied application ratio (1, 3, 5%). Heavy metal contaminated soil was mixed with chemical amedments and earthworms, Eisenia fetida, were cultivated for 28 days. Bioavailable fraction of heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn) extracted with 0.1N HCl was monitored and also, mortality, growth, and metal concentration in earthworm were assessed. Result showed that all three amendments had high efficiency to reduce bioavailable fraction of heavy metals in soil. In particular, lime showed the highest reduction rate of Cu (63.9-87.7%), Pb (7.90-24.65%), and Zn (40.83-77.60%) among three amendments. No mortality of earthworm was observed during experimental period except 3% and 5% AMDS treatment indicating that application of chemical amendments is safe in terms of ecotoxicological aspect. However, no positive correlation was observed between reduction of bioavaialble fraction of heavy metals in soil and earthworms. Overall, application of chemical amendments in agricultural field can be adapted for reducing bioavailable fraction of heavy metals and detoxification in soil.