TY - JOUR A1 - Mundra, S. A1 - Samson, G. A1 - Masi, G. A1 - Achenbach, R. A1 - Bastidas, D. M. A1 - Bernal, S. A. A1 - Bignozzi, M. C. A1 - Criado, M. A1 - Cyr, M. A1 - Gartner, N. A1 - von Greve-Dierfeld, S. A1 - Legat, A. A1 - Nikoonasab, Ali A1 - Provis, J. L. A1 - Raupach, M. A1 - Gluth, Gregor T1 - Application of electrochemical methods for studying steel corrosion in alkali-activated materials N2 - Alkali-activated materials (AAMs) are binders that can complement and partially substitute the current use of conventional cement. However, the present knowledge about how AAMs protect steel reinforcement in concrete elements is incomplete, and uncertainties exist regarding the application of electrochemical methods to investigate this issue. The present review by EFC WP11-Task Force ‘Corrosion of steel in alkali-activated materials’ demonstrates that important differences exist between AAMs and Portland cement, and between different classes of AAMs, which are mainly caused by differing pore solution compositions, and which affect the outcomes of electrochemical measurements. The high sulfide concentrations in blast furnace slag-based AAMs lead to distinct anodic polarisation curves, unusually low open circuit potentials, and low polarisation resistances, which might be incorrectly interpreted as indicating active corrosion of steel reinforcement. No systematic study of the influence of the steel–concrete interface on the susceptibility of steel to corrosion in AAMs is available. Less common electrochemical methods present an opportunity for future progress in the field. KW - Alkali-activated materials KW - Reinforcement corrosion KW - Steel corrrosion KW - Electrochemical methods KW - Concrete PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-572241 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/maco.202313743 SN - 1521-4176 VL - 74 IS - 7 SP - 988 EP - 1008 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim AN - OPUS4-57224 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Vollpracht, A. A1 - Gluth, Gregor A1 - Rogiers, B. A1 - Uwanuakwa, I. D. A1 - Phung, Q. T. A1 - Villagran Zaccardi, Y. A1 - Thiel, C. A1 - Vanoutrive, H. A1 - Etcheverry, J. M. A1 - Gruyaert, E. A1 - Kamali-Bernard, S. A1 - Kanellopoulos, A. A1 - Zhao, Z. A1 - Martins, I. M. A1 - Rathnarajan, S. A1 - De Belie, N. T1 - Report of RILEM TC 281-CCC: insights into factors affecting the carbonation rate of concrete with SCMs revealed from data mining and machine learning approaches N2 - The RILEM TC 281–CCC ‘‘Carbonation of concrete with supplementary cementitious materials’’ conducted a study on the effects of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) on the carbonation rate of blended cement concretes and mortars. In this context, a comprehensive database has been established, consisting of 1044 concrete and mortar mixes with their associated carbonation depth data over time. The dataset comprises mix designs with a large variety of binders with up to 94% SCMs, collected from the literature as well as unpublished testing reports. The data includes chemical composition and physical properties of the raw materials, mix-designs, compressive strengths, curing and carbonation testing conditions. Natural carbonation was recorded for several years in many cases with both indoor and outdoor results. The database has been analysed to investigate the effects of binder composition and mix design, curing and preconditioning, and relative humidity on the carbonation rate. Furthermore, the accuracy of accelerated carbonation testing as well as possible correlations between compressive strength and carbonation resistance were evaluated. One approach to summerise the physical and chemical resistance in one parameter is the ratio of water content to content of carbonatable CaO (w/CaOreactive ratio). The analysis revealed that the w/CaOreactive ratio is a decisive factor for carbonation resistance, while curing and exposure conditions also influence carbonation. Under natural exposure conditions, the carbonation data exhibit significant variations. Nevertheless, probabilistic inference suggests that both accelerated and natural carbonation processes follow a square-root-of-time behavior, though accelerated and natural carbonation cannot be converted into each other without corrections. Additionally, a machine learning technique was employed to assess the influence of parameters governing the carbonation progress in concretes. KW - Carbonation KW - Supplementary cementitious materials KW - Concrete PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-614388 DO - https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-024-02465-0 SN - 1871-6873 SN - 1359-5997 VL - 57 IS - 9 SP - 1 EP - 33 PB - Springer Nature AN - OPUS4-61438 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lima, G. T. S. A1 - Silvestro, L. A1 - Durlo Tambara, Luís Urbano A1 - Cheriaf, M. A1 - Rocha, J. C. T1 - Autonomous Self-Healing Agents in Cementitious Materials: Parameters and Impacts on Mortar Properties N2 - The concept of self-healing materials and the development of encapsulated curing agents represent a cutting-edge approach to enhancing the longevity and reducing the maintenance costs of cementitious structures. This systematic literature review aims to shed light on the parameters involved in the autonomous self-healing of cementitious materials, utilizing various encapsulated healing agents such as pellets, granules, and capsules. This review also identifies and selects studies that offer additional insights into the efficacy of the self-healing process in cementitious materials and the influence of these specific encapsulated healing agents on the physical mechanical properties of mortars. This comprehensive approach provides a deep understanding of the interplay between self-healing and the physical–mechanical properties of mortars containing these encapsulated healing agents. The main findings indicate that the cement-to-sand ratio, characteristics of fine aggregates, and encapsulation methods significantly impact crack control, self-healing efficiency, and properties of mortar in both fresh and hardened states. The content of encapsulated healing agents within the cementitious matrix affects both the initial workability or flow and subsequent mechanical properties. While pellets coated with PVA film typically reduce workability in the fresh state and compressive strength, capsules coated with Portland cement and sodium silicate mitigate these effects and improve crack sealing in fresh and hardened states without compromising the self-healing capacity of cracks. The three-point flexural test has emerged as the preferred method for a pre-crack assessment over 28 days, with variations depending on the type of healing agent used. As noted in the literature, water has been identified as the optimal environment for autonomous healing. These findings underscore the potential of encapsulation techniques to enhance self-healing capabilities through the controlled release of agents within the cementitious matrix, thereby advancing the research on and development of intelligent construction materials and increasing the durability of cement-based structures. KW - Self-healing cementitious composite KW - Encapsulated curing agents KW - Pellets KW - Granules KW - Capsules KW - Physical–mechanical properties KW - Autonomous self-healing PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-611860 DO - https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14072000 SN - 2075-5309 VL - 14 IS - 7 SP - 1 EP - 23 PB - MDPI CY - Basel AN - OPUS4-61186 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kazlagić, Anera A1 - Russo, Francesco A1 - Vogl, Jochen A1 - Sturm, Patrick A1 - Stephan, D. A1 - Gluth, Gregor ED - Resch-Genger, Ute ED - Koch, Matthias ED - Meermann, Björn ED - Weller, Michael G. T1 - Development of a sample preparation procedure for Sr isotope analysis of Portland cements N2 - The 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratio can, in principle, be used for provenancing of cement. However, while commercial cements consist of multiple components, no detailed investigation into their individual 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratios or their influence on the integral 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratio of the resulting cement was conducted previously. Therefore, the present study aimed at determining and comparing the conventional 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratios of a diverse set of Portland cements and their corresponding Portland clinkers, the major component of these cements. Two approaches to remove the additives from the cements, i.e. to measure the conventional 87Sr/86Sr isotopic fingerprint of the clinker only, were tested, namely, treatment with a potassium hydroxide/sucrose solution and sieving on a 11-µm sieve. Dissolution in concentrated hydrochloric acid/nitric acid and in diluted nitric acid was employed to determine the 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratios of the cements and the individual clinkers. The aim was to find the most appropriate sample preparation procedure for cement provenancing, and the selection was realised by comparing the 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratios of differently treated cements with those of the corresponding clinkers. None of the methods to separate the clinkers from the cements proved to be satisfactory. However, it was found that the 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratios of clinker and cement generally corresponded, meaning that the latter can be used as a proxy for the clinker 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratio. Finally, the concentrated hydrochloric acid/nitric acid dissolution method was found to be the most suitable sample preparation method for the cements; it is thus recommended for 87Sr/86Sr isotope analyses for cement provenancing. KW - Cement KW - Provenancing KW - Sr isotopes KW - Portland clinker KW - Dissolution PY - 2022 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-542239 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-021-03821-7 SN - 1618-2642 SN - 1618-2650 VL - 414 IS - 15 (Topical collection: Analytical methods and applications in the materials and life sciences) SP - 4379 EP - 4389 PB - Springer CY - Berlin AN - OPUS4-54223 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Nikoonasab, Ali A1 - Müller, Thoralf A1 - Gluth, Gregor T1 - Study of steel behavior in synthetic pore solutions of GGBFS-containing cements using EIS N2 - Steel corrosion in sulfide-containing solutions presents a challenge in a number of environments and appli¬cations, such as the kraft process, the oil and gas industry, and reinforced concrete structures. In concrete, sulfides are introduced by ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBFS), which is a widespread component of standard cements and which can also be utilized in the production of alkali-activated materials (AAMs). However, a knowledge gap exists concerning the compositions of pore solutions in GGBFS-containing cements, especially regarding sulfur and its various species and understanding how these sulfur species affect the surface layer and the corrosion behavior of steel in such environments. The present study employed electrochemical impedance spec¬tros-copy to study the behavior of steel in synthetic solutions representing GGBFS-containing cements and AAMs. The electrochemical behavior of steel in sulfide-containing solutions differs from that observed in ordinary Portland cement solutions, generally exhibiting lower open circuit potentials and polarization resistances in the former environments. This suggests that the criteria or standards used to assess the probability of steel corrosion in Portland cement concrete are not applicable to GGBFS-containing concrete due to differences of their pore solution compositions. T2 - International Workshop on Impedance Spectroscopy – IWIS 2024 CY - Chemnitz, Germany DA - 24.09.2024 KW - Cement KW - Ground granulated blast-furnace slag KW - Sulfide KW - Steel corrosion KW - Impedance spectroscopy PY - 2024 DO - https://doi.org/10.1109/IWIS63047.2024.10847235 SP - 44 EP - 48 PB - IEEE AN - OPUS4-61221 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Nikoonasab, Ali A1 - Licht, M. A1 - Weiler, L. A1 - Achenbach, R. A1 - Raupach, M. A1 - Gluth, Gregor T1 - Pore solution compositions and redox potentials of ground granulated blast furnace slag-containing cement pastes N2 - The pore solutions of hardened ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS)-containing cements differ from the pore solutions of other cements with effects on reinforcement corrosion, application of electrochemical methods and immobilisation of radioactive waste. In the present study, the pore solutions of seven different GGBFS-containing cements (alkali-activated slag, alkali-activated slag/fly ash blends, hybrid alkaline cement (HAC), CEM III/C and CEM III/B) were extracted and their elemental and sulfate concentration, pH, redox potential and conductivity were determined; a Portland cement (CEM I) pore solution was analysed analogously. The silicon and aluminium concentrations of the alkali-activated cements increased with fly ash fraction, reaching values up to 5 mM and 10 mM, respectively, and thus were considerably higher than those of the standard cements. The redox potentials of the pore solutions of the GGBFS-containing cements were in the range from −100 mV to –500 mV vs Ag/AgCl, that is considerably lower than that of the Portland cement (8–20 mV vs Ag/AgCl), with the value depending on the GGBFS fraction and whether the cements were alkali-activated or not. These results indicate that the effects of reduced sulfur species from GGBFS in cements are more pronounced in alkali-activated materials, including HAC, and increase with GGBFS fraction. KW - Alkali-activated materials KW - Ground granulated blast furnace slag KW - Sulfide KW - Redox potential KW - Pore solution PY - 2026 DO - https://doi.org/10.1680/jadcr.25.00041 SN - 1751-7605 SN - 0951-7197 VL - 38 IS - 4 SP - 238 EP - 249 PB - Emerald CY - Leeds AN - OPUS4-64619 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bernal, S. A. A1 - Angst, U. M. A1 - Provis, J. L. A1 - Thiel, C. A1 - Gluth, Gregor A1 - Villagran-Zaccardi, Y. A1 - De Belie, N. T1 - Recommendation of RILEM TC 281-CCC: RILEM CPC-18R1—guideline for measuring the carbonation depth of hardened concrete using a pH indicator solution N2 - This recommendation provides a procedure for determining the carbonation depth on the surface of concrete by applying a pH indicator. This includes definitions of carbonation, carbonation depth and carbonation front, as well as descriptions of the different pH indicator solutions that can be used. Recommendations for testing laboratory-prepared specimens and those obtained from concrete structures are also given. This involves guidelines for sample preparation and/or extraction, CO2 exposure duration, carbonation depth determination and reporting of results. A section on data interpretation is also provided, as carbonation results are used for determining durability of concrete, as well as a criterion for materials selection or for carbon uptake calculations. The new Recommendation CPC-18R1 is intended to supersede the former RILEM recommendation CPC-18, particularly when prescribed as the preferred method for evaluating and reporting carbonation depths. KW - Carbonation KW - Concrete KW - pH indicator KW - Phenolphthalein KW - Testing PY - 2026 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-656191 DO - https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-026-02966-0 SN - 1359-5997 SN - 1871-6873 VL - 59 IS - 3 SP - 1 EP - 11 PB - Springer Nature AN - OPUS4-65619 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -