• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.361-375
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• 2015

Constructions over soft and loose soils are one of the most frequent problems in many parts of the world. Cement and cement-lime mixture have been widely used for decades to improve the strength of these soils with the deep soil mixing method. In this study, to investigate the freeze-thaw effect of sand improved by polymers (i.e., styrene-acrylic-copolymer-SACP, polyvinyl acetate-PVAc and xanthan gum) and fly ash, unconfined compression tests were performed on specimens which were exposed to freeze-thaw cycles and on specimens which were not exposed to freeze-thaw cycles. The laboratory test results concluded that the unconfined compressive strength increased with the increase of polymer ratio and curing time, whereas, the changes on unconfined compressive strength with increase of freeze-thaw cycles were insignificant. The overall evaluation of results has revealed that polymers containing fly ash is a good promise and potential as a candidate for deep soil mixing application.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.41-48
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• 2021

In cold regions, the integrity of the infrastructures built on weak soils can be extensively damaged by weathering actions due to the cyclic freezing and thawing. This damage can be mitigated by exploiting soil stabilization techniques. Generally, ordinary Portland cement (OPC) is the most commonly used binding material for investigating the chemo-hydromechanical behavior. However, due to the environmental issue of OPC producing a significant amount of carbon dioxide emission, calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) cement can be used as one of the eco-sustainable alternatives. Although recently several studies have examined the strength development of CSA treated sand, no research has been concerned about CSA cement-stabilized sand affected by cyclic freeze and thaw. This study aims to conduct a comprehensive laboratory work to assess the effect of the cyclic freeze-thaw action on strength and durability of CSA cement-treated sand. For this purpose, unconfined compressive strength (UCS) and ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) tests were performed on the stabilized soil specimens cured for 7 and 14 days which are subjected to 0, 1, 3, 5, and 7 freeze-thaw cycles. The test results show that the strength and durability index of the samples decrease with the increase of the freeze-thaw cycles. The loss of the strength and durability considerably decreases for all soil samples subjected to the freeze-thaw cycles. Overall, the use of CSA as a stabilizer for sandy soils would be an eco-friendly option to achieve sufficient strength and durability against the freeze-thaw action in cold regions.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.187-199
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• 2022

The usability of waste materials as raw materials is necessary for sustainable production. This study investigates the effects of different powder materials used to replace cement (0%, 5% and 10%) and standard sand (0%, 20% and 30%) (basalt, limestone, and dolomite) on the compressive strength (f_c), flexural strength (f_r), and ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) of mortars exposed to freeze-thaw cycles (56, 86, 126, 186 and 226 cycles). Furthermore, the usability of artificial intelligence models is compared, and the prediction accuracy of the outputs is examined according to the inputs (powder type, replacement ratio, and the number of cycles). The results show that the variability of the outputs was significantly high under the freeze-thaw effect in mortars produced with waste powder instead of those produced with cement and with standard sand. The highest prediction accuracy for all outputs was obtained using the adaptive-network-based fuzzy inference system model. The significantly high prediction accuracy was obtained for the UPV, f_c, and f_r of mortars produced using waste powders instead of standard sand (R² of UPV, f_c and f_f is 0.931, 0.759 and 0.825 respectively), when under the freeze-thaw effect. However, for the mortars produced using waste powders instead of cement, the prediction accuracy of UPV was significantly high (R²=0.889) but the prediction accuracy of f_c and f_r was low (R²f_c=0.612 and R²f_f=0.334).

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.99-111
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• 2022

In this study, deep learning and k-Nearest Neighbor (kNN) models were used to estimate the sorptivity and freeze-thaw resistance of self-compacting mortars (SCMs) having binary and ternary blends of mineral admixtures. Twenty-five environment-friendly SCMs were designed as binary and ternary blends of fly ash (FA) and silica fume (SF) except for control mixture with only Portland cement (PC). The capillary water absorption and freeze-thaw resistance tests were conducted for 91 days. It was found that the use of SF with FA as ternary blends reduced sorptivity coefficient values compared to the use of FA as binary blends while the presence of FA with SF improved freeze-thaw resistance of SCMs with ternary blends. The input variables used the models for the estimation of sorptivity were defined as PC content, SF content, FA content, sand content, HRWRA, water/cementitious materials (W/C) and freeze-thaw cycles. The input variables used the models for the estimation of sorptivity were selected as PC content, SF content, FA content, sand content, HRWRA, W/C and predefined intervals of the sample in water. The deep learning and k-NN models estimated the durability factor of SCM with 94.43% and 92.55% accuracy and the sorptivity of SCM was estimated with 97.87% and 86.14% accuracy, respectively. This study found that deep learning model estimated the sorptivity and durability factor of SCMs having binary and ternary blends of mineral admixtures higher accuracy than k-NN model.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.85-95
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• 2024

This study investigates the influence of nano-silica and basalt fiber content, curing duration, and freeze-thaw cycles on the static and dynamic properties of soil specimens. A comprehensive series of tests, including Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS), static triaxial, and dynamic triaxial tests, were conducted. Additionally, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis was employed to examine the microstructure of treated specimens. Results indicate that a combination of 1% fiber and 10% nano-silica yields optimal soil enhancement. The failure patterns of specimens varied significantly depending on the type of additive. Static triaxial tests revealed a notable reduction in the brittleness index (IB) with the inclusion of basalt fibers. Specimens containing 10% nano-silica and 1% fiber exhibited superior shear strength parameters and UCS. The highest cohesion and friction angle were obtained for treated specimens with 10% nano-silica and 1% fiber, 90 kPa and 37.8°, respectively. Furthermore, an increase in curing time led to a significant increase in UCS values for specimens containing nano-silica. Additionally, the addition of fiber resulted in a decrease in IB, while the addition of nano-silica led to an increase in IB. Increasing nano-silica content in stabilized specimens enhanced shear modulus while decreasing the damping ratio. Freeze-thaw cycles were found to decrease the cohesion of treated specimens based on the results of static triaxial tests. Specimens treated with 10% nano-silica and 1% fiber experienced a reduction in shear modulus and an increase in the damping ratio under freeze-thaw conditions. SEM analysis reveals dense microstructure in nano-silica stabilized specimens, enhanced adhesion of soil particles and fibers, and increased roughness on fiber surfaces.

• Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.493-502
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• 2013

The purpose of this research is to estimate the drying shrinkage and durability of concrete using the fine river sand to utilize it actively as an alternative aggregate for concrete. For this purpose, the fine river sand samples were collected at the mid and down stream of main stream of Nakdong-River, and then the concrete specimens using the fine river sand were made according to strength level. After obtaining relation equation between compressive strength and cement-water ratio from the mix experiment result, the concrete specimens using different fine river sand were made for the specified concrete strength of 35MPa, and then their drying shrinkage and durability such as the resistance to freeze and thaw and carbonation were evaluated. It was observed from the test result that the durability of concrete using fine river sand was similar to that of concrete using reference sand, but the drying shrinkage of concrete using the fine river sand with small fineness was comparatively larger than that of concrete using reference sand.

• Magazine of the Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.116-124
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• 2002

Natural resources fur the construction materials such as good soil, sand, and coarse aggregates have been encountered to be short due to excessive use by human. Even though some soil has been found to be unsuitable for construction materials, soil with reinforcement can naturally be an answer to these alternatives. According to recently published papers on fiber mixed soil, fiber mixed with soil can improve shear strength, compressive strength and post-peak load strength retention. In this study, a series of tests were performed to clarify the characteristics of fiber mixed soil and to give basic data for design and construction and their engineering properties, that is, unconfined compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, shear strength, crack by drying, freeze-thaw, creep and Poisson\`s ratio, were investigated and analyzed. It has been shown that fiber mixed soil is one of good alternatives fur the civil and building construction materials.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.90 no.5
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• pp.467-480
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• 2024

The mechanical properties and durability of concrete pavements may be degraded in extreme situations, resulting in the need for partial repair or total replacement. During the past few decades, there has been a growing body of research on substituting a portion of Portland cement with alternative cementitious materials for improving concrete properties. In this study, two different configurations of powdered and granulated blast furnace slag were implemented, replacing fine aggregates (by 12 wt.%) and Portland cement (by 0, 20, 40, and 60 wt.%) in the making of roller-compacted concrete (RCC) mixes. The specimens were fabricated to investigate the mechanical properties and durability specifications, involving freeze-thaw, salt-scaling, and water absorption resistance. The experimental results indicated that the optimum mechanical properties of RCC mixes could be achieved when 20-40 wt.% of powdered slag was added to concrete mixes containing slag aggregates. Accordingly, the increases in compressive, tensile, and flexural strengths were 45, 50, and 28%, in comparison to the control specimen at the age of 90 days. Also, incorporating 60 wt.% of powdered slag gave rise to the optimum mix plan in terms of freeze-thaw resistance such that a negligible strength degradation was experienced after 300 cycles. In addition, the optimal moisture content of the proposed RCC mixtures was measured to be in the range of 5 to 6.56%. Furthermore, the partial addition of granulated slag was found to be more advantageous than using entirely natural sand in the improvement of the mechanical and durability characteristics of all mixture plans.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 1998.04a
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• pp.117-122
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• 1998

Concrete structures has been deteriorated by the freezing and thawing due to temperature gap. This study was conducted to evaluate durabilite of concrete which are increasingly demanded recently. Therefore the research of durability must be executed for application of waste foundry sand concrete real structures. Concrete durability must be executed for application of waste foundry sand concrete real structures. Concrete durability properties incorporating waste foundry sand was performed with the variable of W/C ratio, Sand/Waste foundry sand ratio and Air entrainment-Non air entrainment. Cylinder specimens were made and subjected to freezing and thawing cycle at $-18^{\cire}C$ and $4^{\cire}C$. Dynamic modulus of elasticity were evaluated as F/T cycle increase. The results show that strength of concrete is increased the W/C ratio decrease, the Sand/Waste foundry sand ratio increase when the concrete contains AE agent and decreasing WC ratio and AE concrete makes improved resistance of freezing and thawing improved. Especially, resistance of freezing and thawing is improved by Fine aggregate/Waste foundry sand ratio which is 50%, 25%, 0% in a row. Therefore it is turn out the waste foundry sand could be applied to concrete from the experiment.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 2010.05a
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• pp.201-202
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• 2010

In this Study, we manufactured the 70, 100MPa grade high strength concrete with the land sand by batcher plant in the field. In order to verify attainment of design compressive strength and the durability of the manufactured concretes we examined the tests such as compressive strength test, freeze-thaw test, carbonation test, test for concrete's ability to resist chloride ion penetration.