• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.76 no.5
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• pp.591-598
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• 2020

Ultrasonic waves provide a non-destructive and sensitive way to monitor the concrete hydration. However, limited works are reported to monitor the evolution of the mechanical parameter at early ages. In this study, modified piezoelectric aggregates are embedded inside a concrete beam to excite and receive primary waves. A hydration index, namely, the variation of ultrasonic waveform (VUW) is developed to characterize the variation of the transmitted waves during the hydration process. The recorded hydration indices are compared with the compressive strength measured by destructive test at different ages. The results show that the VUW is closer to the compressive strength than the other two traditional hydration indices, ultrasonic velocity and wave packet energy. The proposed VUW provides a simple and accurate way to monitor the concrete hydration at early ages.

• Korean Journal of Exercise Nutrition
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.10-16
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• 2021

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to (i) assess hydration levels in elite male football players during a national team training camp before and during qualifying matches, (ii) evaluate the effect of coaching strategies for hydration based on feedback from hydration monitoring, and (iii) assess possible relationships between hydration status and training load or wellness markers. [Methods] Thirty-one male players (age 27±4 yrs; height 185±6 cm; weight 82.9±6.7 kg; body fat 10.4±2.3%) representing a national team from the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) participated. The players were studied during three different national team training camps related to the UEFA Nations League tournament. Urine specific gravity (U_SG) was measured to assess hydration status. During all camps, the players were actively coached on improving strategies for hydration and given individual feedback on their test results. The training load was measured using GPS technology, and wellness questionnaires were completed. [Results] U_SG decreased progressively and significantly (p<0.005) during camp 1 and hydration status improved over the three camps, with fewer dehydrated and more well-hydrated players identified during the last part of camp 3. Significantly (p<0.05) higher U_SG values were observed 2 days prior to a match (MD-2) than on match day (MD); consequently, 52% of the players were dehydrated on MD-2 and only 6% on MD. No correlations were observed between hydration status and training load or wellness markers. [Conclusion] Dehydration is a challenge in elite male football, but continuous monitoring of hydration status and coaching on hydration strategies can lead to major improvements and reduce the degree of dehydration.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.260-265
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• 2012

Impedance spectroscopy was used to monitor the hydration in the electrical/dielectric behaviors of chemical mechanical planarization (CMP)-blended cement mixtures. The electrical responses were analyzed using their equivalent circuit models, leading to the separation of the bulk and electrode based responses. The role of the CMP slurry was monitored as a function of the relative compositions of the CMP-blended cements, i.e. water, CMP slurry, and ordinary Portland cement. The presence of $Al_2O_3$ nanocrystals in the CMP slurries appeared to accelerate the hydration process, along with a more tortuous microstructure in the hydration, with enhanced hydration products. The frequency-dependent impedance spectroscopy was proven to be a highly efficient approach for evaluating the electrical/dielectric monitoring of the change in the pore structure evolution that occurs in CMP-blended cements.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.414-420
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• 2015

Concrete undergoes significant phase changes from liquid to solid states as hydration progresses. These phase changes are known as the setting process. A liquid state concrete is electrically conductive because of the presence of water and ions. However, since the conductive elements in the liquid state of concrete are consumed to produce non-conductive hydration products, the electrical conductivity of hydrating concrete decreases during the setting process. Therefore, the electrical properties of hydrating concrete can be used to monitor the setting process of concrete. In this study, a parameter identification method to estimate electrical parameters such as ohmic resistance of concrete is proposed. The effectiveness of the proposed method for monitoring the setting process of concrete is experimentally validated.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.41-54
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• 2013

Concrete is known as a heterogeneous product which is composed of complex chemical composition and reaction. The development of concrete thermal effect during early age is critical on its future structural health and long term durability. When cement is mixed with water, the exothermic chemical reaction generates hydration heat, which raises the temperature within the concrete. Consequently, cracking may occur if the concrete temperature rises too high or if there is a large temperature difference between the interior and the exterior of concrete structures during early age hydration. This paper describes the contribution of novel Fabry-Perot (FP) fiber optic temperature sensors to investigate the thermal effects of concrete hydration process. Concrete specimens were manufactured under various water-to-cement (w/c) ratios from 0.40 to 0.60. During the first 24 hours of concreting, two FP fiber optic temperature sensors were inserted into concrete specimens with the protection of copper tubing to monitor the surface and core temperature change. The experimental results revealed effects of w/c ratios on surface and core temperature developments during early age hydration, as well as demonstrating that FP fiber optic sensors are capable of capturing temperature variation in the concrete with reliable performance. Temperature profiles are used for calculating the apparent activation energy ($E_a$) and the heat of hydration (H(t)) of concrete, which can help us to better understand cement hydration.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.751-764
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• 2020

Real-time monitoring of stiffness and strength in cement based system has received significant attention in past few decades owing to the development of advanced techniques. Also, use of environment friendly supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) in cement, though gaining huge interest, severely affect the strength gain especially in early ages. Continuous monitoring of strength- and stiffness- gain using an efficient technique will systematically facilitate to choose the suitable time of removal of formwork for structures made with SCM incorporated concrete. This paper presents a technique for monitoring the strength and stiffness evolution in hydrating fly ash blended cement systems using electro-mechanical impedance (EMI) based technique. It is important to observe that the slower pozzolanic reactivity of fly ash blended cement systems could be effectively tracked using the evolution of equivalent local stiffness of the hydrating medium. Strength prediction models are proposed for estimating the strength and stiffness of the fly ash cement system, where curing age (in terms of hours/days) and the percentage replacement of cement by fly ash are the parameters. Evaluation of strength as obtained from EMI characteristics is validated with the results from destructive compression test and also compared with the same obtained from commonly used ultrasonic wave velocity (UPV). Statistical error indices indicate that the EMI technique is capable of predicting the strength of fly ash blended cement system more accurate than that from UPV. Further, the correlations between stiffness- and strength- gain over the time of hydration are also established. From the study, it is found that EMI based method can be effectively used for monitoring of strength gain in the fly ash incorporated cement system during hardening.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.279-289
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• 2018

Hydration heat and thermal induced cracking have always been a fatal problem for massive concrete structures. In order to study a massive reinforced concrete wall of a storage tank for liquefied natural gas (LNG) during its construction, two mock-ups of $0.8m{\times}0.8m{\times}0.8m$ without and with metal corrugated pipes were designed based on the actual wall construction plan. Temperature distribution and strain development of both mock-ups were measured and compared inside and on the surface of them. Meanwhile, time-dependent thermal and mechanical properties of the concrete were tested standardly and introduced into the finite-element (FE) software with a proposed hydration degree model. According to the comparison results, the FE simulation of temperature field agreed well with the measured data. Besides, the maximum temperature rise was slightly higher and the shrinkage was generally larger in the mock-up without pipes, indicating that corrugated pipes could reduce concrete temperature and decrease shrinkage of surrounding concrete. In addition, the cooling rate decreased approximately linearly with the reduction of heat transfer coefficient h, implying that a target cooling curve can be achieved by calculating a desired coefficient h. Moreover, the maximum cooling rate did not necessarily decrease with the extension of demoulding time. It is better to remove the formwork at least after 116 hours after concrete casting, which promises lower risk of thermal cracking of early-age concrete.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.101-107
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• 2000

Using the phytogram system, this study monitored hourly environmental factors(climate and soil), and radial growths and cambium activities of conifers in Worak mountain for 28 months from May 1996 to October 1998 to examine the influences of climatic factors on tree growths/carnbium activities of conifers in Worak Mountain, Korea. The phytogram system first puts a fine electrode into cambial zone. This device can automatically record environmental factors and cambium electrochemistry(hydration and proton levels). Dendrometers are attached to the phytogram for monitoring seasonal dynamics of cambial growth. We compared the results of radial growth by species and by diameter class. The growth decreased in order of Larix leptolepis, Pinus densiflora and Pinus rigida. Pre-monsoon growths were fast and May-June moisture regime was the most critical for all species. In the middle of September, radial growths were finished. The proton level and stem diameter reached the minimum at 4 p.m. On the other hand, the hydration level reached the maximum at 4 p.m. This diurnal change resulted from transpiration and the release of water from phloem storage to sapwood through xylem stream.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.245-250
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• 2001

Ultrasonic pulse velocity(UPV) is a useful tool for examining the property of early-age mortar or concrete. Thus, UPV has been used for a long time to characterize setting and hardening of cementitious materials. In this study, in order to investigate the characteristics of setting for mortar, UPV was measured using automatic monitoring system up to 3 days after casting. Test results show that UPV of high water to binder ratio(w/b) mortar remained constant at the beginning of hydration and then abruptly began to increase. However, UPV of low w/b mortar gradually increase due to setting retard caused by use of superplasticizer. Furthermore, the development of UPV for mortar with fly ash is slower than that of mortar without fly ash. It was concluded that the property change of mortar or concrete, such as setting and hardening can be assessed by monitoring of UPV.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.287-297
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• 2014

Heat of hydration of mass concrete is one of the most important factors that significantly affect structural quality and construction period. Therefore, appropriate methods to control heat of hydration are essential technologies for mass concrete construction. In this study, probability of thermal cracking was checked by thermal analysis prior to the construction of a turbine foundation in a domestic power plant. Subsequently, changes of concrete mix proportion and an effective curing method were proposed to control heat of hydration of mass concrete structures. Concrete manufactured by slag cement was proposed instead of concrete produced by ordinary Portland cement, and an automated curing method was proposed to improve the curing method using typical moist curing with blanket. The automated curing method maintains the temperature difference between center and surface of concrete below a setting value by temperature monitoring. Concrete with slag cement was used for actual construction. One of two identical turbine foundations was cured by an insulated curing method, and the other was cured by the automated curing method to compare the curing methods. And then, the effects of control of heat of hydration were evaluated based on temperature/strain monitoring and crack investigations.