Concrete hydration

The degree of concrete hydration, and hence the strength of the concrete, is a fimction of the concrete age and temperature history for the concrete over its fife. An integration of the history of concrete temperature over time is called time-temperature factor (TTF), and is a measurement of the concrete maturity. A correlation can be made between the strength developed in the concrete and the time-temperature factor. Such correlation is called concrete maturity curve. By using the maturity curve, an estimation of the concrete strength at a given time-temperature factor can be made. 

Combinations of lignite flyash from North Dakota and hydrated lime can increase the strength and durabiHty of soils. The lime content varies from 2—7% and 1ime flyash ratio from 1 1 to 1 7 (61). Lignite flyash can also be used as a partial replacement for Portland cement to produce strong, durable concrete (62). 

Type IV (Low Heat of Hydration). Type IV is used where the rate and amount of heat generated from hydration have to be minimised, ie, large dams. Compared to Type I, Type IV Pordand cement has only about 40 to 60% of the heat of hydration during the tirst seven days and cures at a slower rate. In large stmctures such as dams where the heat of hydration cannot be readily released from the core of the stmcture, the concrete may cure at an elevated temperature, and thermal stresses can build up in the stmcture because of nonuniform cooling that weakens the stmcture. U.S. production of Type IV Pordand cement is less than 1%. 

The properties of cured Pordand cement are affected by these four constituents of the manufactured Pordand cement. Tricalcium siHcate hydrates and hardens rapidly, giving rise to the initial set and eady strength. Increased concentrations of tricalcium siHcate causes an increase in the eady strength of Pordand cement concretes. Dicalcium siHcate hydrates and hardens more slowly, giving the cured concrete its strength increases beyond one week. 

Tetracalcium aluminoferrite acts as a processing aid by reducing the clinkering temperature. It hydrates rapidly but does Htde for any performance property of the cured concrete. It does, however, cause most of the color effects in the cured concrete. 

Calcium Silicates. Cements aie hydiated at elevated tempeiatuies foi the commercial manufacture of concrete products. Using low pressure steam curing or hydrothermal treatment above 100°C at pressures above atmospheric, the products formed from calcium siUcates are often the same as the hydrates formed from their oxide constituents. Hence lime and siUca ate ftequendy used in various proportions with or without Portland cement in the manufacture of calcium siUcate hydrate products. Some of these compounds are Hsted in Table 6. 

Other Phases in Portland and Special Cements. In cements free lime, CaO, and periclase, MgO, hydrate to the hydroxides. The in situ reactions of larger particles of these phases can be rather slow and may not occur until the cement has hardened. These reactions then can cause deleterious expansions and even dismption of the concrete and the quantities of free CaO and MgO have to be limited. The soundness of the cement can be tested by the autoclave expansion test of Portiand cement ASTM C151 (24). 

Hydration at Ordinary Temperatures. Pordand cement is generally used at temperatures ordinarily encountered in constmction, ie, from 5 to 40°C. Temperature extremes have to be avoided. The exothermic heat of the hydration reactions can play an important part in maintaining adequate temperatures in cold environments, and must be considered in massive concrete stmctures to prevent excessive temperature rise and cracking during subsequent cooling. 

Supersulfiated cement (82) has a very low heat of hydration and low drying shrinkage. It has been used in Europe for mass concrete constmction and especially for stmctures exposed to sulfate and seawaters. 

Concrete, Mortar, and Plaster. Citric acid and citrate salts are used as admixtures in concrete, mortar, and plaster formulations to retard setting times and reduce the amount of water requited to make a workable mixture (172—180). The citrate ion slows the hydration of Portland cement and acts as a dispersant, reducing the viscosity of the system (181). At levels below 0.1%, citrates accelerate the setting rate while at 0.2—0.4% the set rate is retarded. High early strength and improved frost resistance have been reported when adding citrate to concrete, mortar, and plaster. 

In report separately discuss the peculiarities of determination of the anion composition of the solid solutions, that conditioned by ability of diphosphate anion to destruction in water solutions. In given concrete case by most acceptable method of control of the diphosphate anion in the hydrated solid solutions is a traditional method of the quantitative chromatography on the paper. Methodical ways which providing of minimum destruction of the diphosphate anion in the time of preparation of the model to analysis (translation in soluble condition) and during quantitative determination of the P.,0, anion are considered. 

Drainage tests and initial measurements should not be made before 28 days have elapsed after the anodes are embedded in the artificial concrete system in order to allow the hydration of the concrete and to ensure moisture equilibrium, which can affect the potentials. The protection current density is limited to 20 mA ra"-(at the steel surface) to avoid possible reduction in the steel-concrete bond. Usual current densities lie in the range 1 to 15 mA 129-33]. 

It has to be remembered that hydration processes and moisture exchange occur with old concrete when sprayed concrete is applied. Both processes can affect the potentials so that the protection current should only be switched on 4 weeks after... 

When mature concrete is contaminated by chloride, e.g. by contact with deicing salts, the cement chemistry is more complex, and less chloride is taken up by the cement hydrate minerals and a larger proportion is free in the pore solutions and can therefore pose a greater hazard. When embedded steel corrodes, the production of a more voluminous corrosion product pushes the concrete from the steel with resultant cracking and spalling of the concrete. 

Abdelrazig, B. E. I. Sharp, J. H. (1988). Phase changes on heating ammonium magnesium phosphate hydrates. Thermochimica Acta, 129, 197-215. Abdelrazig, B. E. I., Sharp, J. H. El-Jazairi, B. (1988). The chemical composition of mortars made from magnesia-phosphate cement. Cement Concrete Research, 18, 415-25. 

A. N. Scian, Lopez. J. M. Porto, and E. Pereira. Mechanochemical activation of high alumina cements— hydration behavior Pt 1. Cement Concrete Res, 21(l) 51-60, January 1991. 

Concrete is a composite material composed of cement paste with interspersed coarse and fine aggregates. Cement paste is a porous material with pore sizes ranging from nanometers to micrometers in size. The large pores are known as capillary pores and the smaller pores are gel pores (i.e., pores within the hydrated cement gel). These pores contain water and within the water are a wide variety of dissolved ions. The most common pore solution ions are OH", K+ and Na+ with minor amounts of S042" and Ca2+. The microstructure of the cement paste is a controlling factor for durable concrete under set environmental exposure conditions. 

Portland cement is a fine, soft, powdery substance that acts as a critical component in producing Portland cement concrete. When mixed in contact with water, the cement will hydrate and generate complex chemicals that eventually bind the sand and gravel into a hard, solid mass, known as concrete. 

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