• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.33 no.1
• /
• pp.65-75
• /
• 2023

Recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) is widely used as a construction material in road construction, concrete structures, embankments, etc. However, it has been reported that calcite (CaCO₃) precipitation from RCA can be a cause of clogging when used in drainage applications. An accelerated calcite precipitation (ACP) procedure has been devised to evaluate the long-term geochemical performance of RCA in subsurface drainage systems. While the ACP procedure was useful for the French Drain application, there remained opportunities for improvement. In this study, key factors that control the formation of calcite precipitation were quantitatively evaluated, and the results were used to improve the current prototype ACP method. A laboratory parametric study was carried out by investigating the effects of reaction temperature and time on the formation of calcite precipitation of RCA, with determining an optimum reaction temperature and time which maximizes calcite precipitation. The improved ACP procedure was then applied to RCA samples that were graded for Type I Underdrain application, to compare the calcite precipitation. Two key findings are (1) that calcite precipitation can be maximized with the optimum heating temperature (75℃) and time (17 hours), and (2) the potential for calcite precipitation from RCA is not as significant as for limestone. With the improved ACP procedure, the total amount of calcite precipitation from RCAs within the life cycle of a drain system can be determined when RCAs from different sources are used as pipe backfill materials in a drain system.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.47 no.5
• /
• pp.601-608
• /
• 1999

Background: Tuberculous pleural effusion responds well to the anti-tuberculosis agents in general, so no further aggressive therapeutic managements to drain the tuberculous effusion is necessary except in case of diagnostic thoracentesis. But in clinical practice, we often see some patients who later decortication need due to dyspnea caused by pleural thickening despite the completion of anti-tuberculosis therapy in the patients with tuberculous effusion. Especially, the patients with loculated tuberculous effusion might have increased chance of pleural thickening after treatment. The purpose of this study was that intrapleural urokinase instillation could reduce the pleural thickening in the treatment of loculated tuberculous pleural effusion. Methods: Thirty-seven patients initially diagnosed as having loculated tuberculous pleural effusion were randomly assigned to receive either the combined treatment of urokinase instillation and anti-tuberculosis agents(UK group) and anti-tuberculosis agents(Non-UK group) alone. The 16 patients in UK group received a single radiographically guided pig-tail catheter ranging in size from 10 to 12 French. 100,000 units of urokinase was dissolved in 150 ml of normal saline and instilled into the pleural cavity via pig-tail catheter every day, also this group was treated with anti-tuberculosis agents. While the 21 patients in Non-UK group were treated with anti-tuberculosis agents only except diagnostic thoracentesis. Then we evaluated the residual pleural thickening after treatment for their loculated tuberculous pleural effusion between the two groups. Also the duration of symptoms and the pleural fluid biochemistry like WBC counts, pH, lactic dehydrogenase(LDH), glucose, proteins, and adenosine deaminase(ADA) were compared. Results: 1) The residual pleural thickening(RPT)($5.08{\pm}6.77$ mm) of UK group was significantly lower than that($20.3222{\pm}26.37$ mm) of Non-UK group(P<0.05). 2) The duration of symptoms before anti-tuberculosis drug therapy of patients with RPT$\geq$10 mm($5.23{\pm}3.89$ wks) was significantly longer than the patients with RPT<10 mm($2.63{\pm}1.99$ wks)(P<0.05). 3) There were no significant differences in the pleural fluid findings like WBC count, glucose, LDH, proteins, pH, ADA between the patients with RPT$\geq$10 mm and the patients with RPT<10 mm. Conclusion : The treatment of loculated tuberculous pleural effusion with the urokinase instillation via percutaneous transthoraic catheter was effective to reduce the pleural thickening.