TY - JOUR A1 - Niederleithinger, Ernst A1 - Gardner, S. A1 - Kind, Thomas A1 - Kaiser, R. A1 - Grunwald, Marcel A1 - Yang, G. A1 - Redmer, Bernhard A1 - Waske, Anja A1 - Mielentz, Frank A1 - Effner, Ute A1 - Köpp, Christian A1 - Clarkson, A. A1 - Thompson, F. A1 - Ryan, M. A1 - Mahon, D. T1 - Muon Tomography of the Interior of a Reinforced Concrete Block: First Experimental Proof of Concept N2 - Quality assurance and condition assessment of concrete structures is an important topic world-wide due to the aging infrastructure and increasing traffic demands. Common topics include, but are not limited to, localisation of rebar or tendon ducts, geometrical irregularities, cracks, voids, honeycombing or other flaws. Non-destructive techniques such as ultrasound or radar have found regular, successful practical application but sometimes suffer from limited resolution and accuracy, imaging artefacts or restrictions in detecting certain features. Until the 1980s X-ray transmission was used in case of special demands and showed a much better resolution than other NDT techniques. However, due to safety concerns and cost issues, this method is almost never used anymore. Muon tomography has received much attention recently. Novel detectors for cosmic muons and tomographic imaging algorithms have opened up new fields of application, such as the investigation of freight containers. Muon imaging also has the potential to fill some of the gaps currently existing in concrete NDT. As a first step towards practical use and as a proof of concept we used an existing system to image the interior of a reference reinforced 600 kg concrete block. Even with a yet not optimized setup for this kind of investigation, the muon imaging results are at least of similar quality compared to ultrasonic and radar imaging, potentially even better. The data acquisition takes more time and signals contain more noise, but the images allowed to detect the same important features that are visible in conventional high energy X-ray tomography. In our experiment, we have shown that muon imaging has potential for concrete inspection. The next steps include the development of mobile detectors and optimising acquisition and imaging parameters. KW - Concrete KW - Muon KW - Radar KW - Ultrasound KW - X-ray PY - 2021 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-529974 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10921-021-00797-3 VL - 40 IS - 3 SP - 1 EP - 14 PB - Springer Nature AN - OPUS4-52997 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zhang, T. A1 - Sens-Schönfelder, C. A1 - Epple, Niklas A1 - Niederleithinger, Ernst T1 - Imaging of Small-Scale Heterogeneity and Absorption Using Adjoint Envelope Tomography: Results From Laboratory Experiments N2 - To complement the information provided by deterministic seismic imaging at length scales above a certain resolution limit we present the first application of adjoint envelope tomography (AET) to experimental data. AET uses the full envelopes of seismic records including scattered coda waves to obtain information about the distribution of absorption and small-scale heterogeneity which provide complementary information about the investigated medium. Being below the resolution limit this small-scale structure cannot be resolved by conventional tomography but still affects wave propagation by attenuating ballistic waves and generating scattered waves. Using ultrasound data from embedded sensors in a meter-sized concrete specimen we image the distribution of absorption and heterogeneity expressed by the intrinsic quality factor Q−1 and the fluctuation strength ɛ that characterizes the strength of the heterogeneity. The forward problem is solved by modeling the 2-D multiple nonisotropic scattering in an acoustic medium with spatially variable heterogeneity and attenuation using the Monte-Carlo method. Gradients for the model updates are obtained by convolution with the back-propagated envelope misfit using the adjoint formalism in analogy to full waveform inversion. We use a late coda time window to invert for absorption and an earlier time window to infer the distribution of heterogeneity. The results successfully locate an area of salt oncrete with increased scattering and concentric anomalies of intrinsic attenuation. The resolution test shows that the recovered anomalies constitute reasonable representations of internal structure of the specimen. KW - Ultrasound KW - Scattering KW - Tomography KW - Concrete KW - Heterogeneity PY - 2022 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-563163 DO - https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JB024972 SN - 2169-9313 VL - 127 IS - 11 SP - 1 EP - 21 PB - American Geophysical Union AN - OPUS4-56316 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Grohmann, Maria A1 - Niederleithinger, Ernst A1 - Buske, S. A1 - Büttner, C. T1 - Application of Elastic P-SV Reverse Time Migration to Synthetic Ultrasonic Echo Data from Concrete Members N2 - The ultrasonic echo technique is frequently used in non-destructive testing (NDT) of concrete structures for thickness measurements, geometry determinations as well as localization of built-in components. To improve ultrasonic imaging of complex structures in concrete, we transferred a geophysical imaging technique, the reverse time migration (RTM), to NDT in civil engineering. In contrast to the conventionally used synthetic aperture focusing technique (SAFT) algorithms, RTM is a wavefield continuation method in time and uses the full wave equation. Thus, RTM can handle complicated wave propagations in any direction without dip limitation. In this paper, we focused on the application and evaluation of a two-dimensional (2D) elastic RTM algorithm considering compressional waves, vertically polarized shear waves, and Rayleigh waves. We tested the elastic RTM routine on synthetic ultrasonic echo data generated with a 2D concrete model consisting of several steps and circular air inclusions. As these complex structures can often be found in real-world NDT use cases, their imaging is especially important. By using elastic RTM, we were able to clearly reproduce vertical reflectors and lower edges of circular air voids inside our numerical concrete model. Such structures cannot be imaged with conventional SAFT algorithms. Furthermore, the used elastic RTM approach also yielded a better reconstruction of a horizontal reflector and upper boundaries of circular air inclusions. Our encouraging results demonstrate that elastic RTM has the potential to significantly improve the imaging of complex concrete structures and, thus, is a step forward for detailed, high-quality ultrasonic NDT in civil engineering. KW - Concrete KW - Ultrasound KW - Imaging KW - Reverse time migration KW - Elastic PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-580680 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10921-023-00962-w SN - 0195-9298 VL - 42 IS - 3 SP - 1 EP - 18 PB - Springer Nature AN - OPUS4-58068 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Rabe, U. A1 - Pudovikov, S. A1 - Herrmann, H.-G. A1 - Wiggenhauser, H. A1 - Prabhakara, Prathik A1 - Niederleithinger, Ernst T1 - Using the Corner Reflection for Depth Evaluation of Surface Breaking Cracks in Concrete by Ultrasound N2 - The corner echo is a well-known effect in ultrasonic testing, which allows detection of surface breaking cracks with predominantly perpendicular orientation to the surface as, for example, corrosion cracks in metal pipes or shafts. This echo is formed by two planes, the surface of the crack and the surface which the crack breaks. It can also be classified as a half-skip method, since a reflection of the pulse occurs on the backwall before the reflection at the defect takes place. In combination with the diffraction from the crack tip, the corner echo also allows crack sizing. As shown in this paper, the corner reflection can be used in civil engineering for nondestructive inspection of concrete. Commercially available low frequency ultrasonic arrays with dry point contact sources generate SH transversal waves with sufficient divergence of the sound field in order to detect corner reflections. Ultrasonic line-scans and area-scans were acquired with a linear array on flat concrete specimens, and the data were reconstructed by the Synthetic aperture focusing technique. If the angles and the area of reconstruction are chosen accordingly, the corner echo reflection can be distinguished from other ultrasonic information. The corner echo can thus be used as a method for deciding whether a crack is a partial-depth crack or a full-depth crack and thus for obtaining a statement about crack depth. This paper presents corresponding experimental results obtained on concrete specimens with artificial test defects and cracks induced under controlled conditions. KW - Ultrasound KW - Crack depth KW - Concrete KW - Corner echo PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-574631 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10921-023-00956-8 SN - 0195-9298 VL - 42 IS - 2 SP - 1 EP - 19 PB - Springer Nature AN - OPUS4-57463 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Timofeev, Juri A1 - Azari, H. A1 - Satyanarayana, R. T1 - Controlled Creating of Delaminations in Concrete for Nondestructive Testing N2 - Locating and sizing delaminations is a common inspection task in the maintenance and quality control of construction and rehabilitation. Their detection is an important area of application of nondestructive testing in civil engineering (NDT-CE). To improve this application, NDT test systems and test solutions must be compared, for which specimens containing well-defined delaminations are needed to serve as a reference. Currently, there are no widely accepted procedures available for creating such flaws locally and reproducibly. This study presents procedures for creating artificial delaminations repeatably and as close as possible to natural delaminations. To produce the discontinuities only substances were used which can occur in concrete components and do not affect the application of NDT-CE methods. Ultrasonic pulse-echo (UPE) was used to test the flaws in the specimens. The delaminations were created by applying expansive mortar in prepared through holes. Three specimens with two delaminations each were built and tested using UPE. KW - Concrete KW - Reference KW - Delamination KW - Test specimen KW - Non-destructive testing PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-595201 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10921-023-01044-7 SN - 0195-9298 VL - 43 IS - 1 SP - 1 EP - 13 PB - Springer Science and Business Media LLC AN - OPUS4-59520 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Prabhakara, Prathik A1 - Mielentz, Frank A1 - Stolpe, Heiko A1 - Behrens, Matthias A1 - Lay, Vera A1 - Niederleithinger, Ernst T1 - Validation of novel ultrasonic phased array borehole probe by using simulation and measurement N2 - Low-frequency ultrasonic testing is a well-established non-destructive testing (NDT) method in civil engineering for material characterization and the localization of cracks, reinforcing bars and delamination. A novel ultrasonic borehole probe is developed for in situ quality assurance of sealing structures in radioactive waste repositories using existing research boreholes. The aim is to examine the sealing structures made of salt concrete for any possible cracks and delamination and to localize built-in components. A prototype has been developed using 12 individual horizontal dry point contact (DPC) shear wave transducers separated by equidistant transmitter/receiver arrays. The probe is equipped with a commercially available portable ultrasonic flaw detector used in the NDT civil engineering industry. To increase the sound pressure generated, the number of transducers in the novel probe is increased to 32 transducers. In addition, the timed excitation of each transducer directs a focused beam of sound to a specific angle and distance based on the previously calculated delay time. This narrows the sensitivity of test volume and improves the signal-to-noise ratio of the received signals. In this paper, the newly designed phased array borehole probe is validated by beam computation in the CIVA software and experimental investigations on a half-cylindrical test specimen to investigate the directional characteristics. In combination with geophysical reconstruction methods, it is expected that an optimised radiation pattern of the probe will improve the signal quality and thus increase the reliability of the imaging results. This is an important consideration for the construction of safe sealing structures for the safe disposal of radioactive or toxic waste. KW - Ultrasound KW - Phased array KW - Concrete KW - Borehole PY - 2022 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-565722 DO - https://doi.org/10.3390/s22249823 SN - 1424-8220 VL - 22 IS - 24 SP - 1 EP - 16 PB - MDPI CY - Basel AN - OPUS4-56572 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Pittrich, Tim A1 - Weise, Frank A1 - Stelzner, Ludwig T1 - The impact of blended cements on the spalling behavior of concrete at elevated temperatures: a review N2 - The cement and concrete industries are striving to reduce the CO2 emissions caused by the production of Portland cement. An effective way to achieve this is to replace Portland cement clinker with more environmentally friendly supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) to produce blended cements. A variety of different SCMs are used today, from fly ash to more exotic options such as rice husk ash or waste glass powder. Depending on its material properties, concrete exposed to fire may experience spalling caused by thermomechanical and thermohydraulic mechanisms. Severe spalling leads to a reduction in the cross-section and exposure of the reinforcement, jeopardizing the load-bearing capacity of the concrete element. The use of blended cements changes the concrete properties which can affect spalling behavior at high temperatures. The link between high temperature and spalling behavior of concrete with blended cements has been investigated in several studies. A review of the existing literature led to the conclusion that the cement type influences the spalling behavior of concrete. However, the relationship does not appear to be clear, as there are contradictions and inconsistencies between the evaluated results. Therefore, further in-depth studies will help to gain a more precise understanding of the effects of blended cements on the spalling behavior of concrete at elevated temperatures. KW - Fire-induced concrete spalling KW - Concrete KW - Blended cements KW - SCM KW - Filler PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-635182 DO - https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-025-02713-x SN - 1359-5997 VL - 58 IS - 5 SP - 1 EP - 21 PB - Springer Science and Business Media LLC AN - OPUS4-63518 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Pauli, Jutta A1 - Ramírez, A. A1 - Crasselt, C. A1 - Schmidt, W. A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute T1 - Utilizing optical spectroscopy and 2',7'-difluorofluorescein to characterize the early stages of cement hydration N2 - The increasingly sophisticated nature of modern, more environmentally friendly cementitious binders requires a better understanding and control particularly of the complex, dynamic processes involved in the early phase of cement hydration. In-situ monitoring of properties of a constantly changing system over a defined period of time calls for simple, sensitive, fast, and preferably also non-invasive methods like optical spectroscopy KW - Flourescence KW - Optical probe KW - Sensor KW - Dye KW - Flourescin KW - Photophysics KW - PH KW - Quantum yield KW - Quality assurance KW - Mechanism KW - Cement KW - Concrete KW - Building material KW - Hydration KW - Process monitoring PY - 2021 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-537176 DO - https://doi.org/10.1088/2050-6120/ac2da0 SN - 2050-6120 VL - 10 IS - 1 SP - 2 EP - 13 PB - IOP Science AN - OPUS4-53717 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Dominguez-Bureos, Marco A1 - Sens-Schönfelder, Christoph A1 - Niederleithinger, Ernst A1 - Hadziioannou, Céline T1 - Stress- and Time-dependent Variations of Elastic Properties for Integrity Assessment in a Reinforced Concrete Test Bridge N2 - In lab experiments, it has been observed that the stress–and time-dependent elastic properties of a complex material at a structural scale perform accordingly to its composition at a microstructural level. We seek complementary practices to the current wavefield-based non-destructive testing techniques to assess not only the integrity level of civil structures but also the microstructural elements that contribute to it. In this paper, we study the systematic evolution of elastic properties of concrete as an alternative to investigate the density of micro imperfections in an outdoor-conditioned concrete structure. We estimate 5-second relative velocity changes in four locations on a Test bridge subjected to the action of vertical impulsive sources, at different prestressing levels (dynamic effects at different static conditions). We describe the structure’s stress- and time-dependent elastic response by means of acoustoelastic effect and Slow-dynamic processes, respectively. We also estimate the conventional ultrasound pulse velocity and perform a cooperative integrity analysis of the structure using the three elastic phenomena. Our findings reveal: 1) The presence of soft microstructures and their orientation’s influence on the acoustoelastic effect and Slow-dynamics in field-conditioned concrete structures. 2) The relation of low ultrasound pulse velocities with high acoustoelastic effect and high magnitudes and variability of Slow-dynamics. 3) Different elastic behaviours on the north and south spans of the bridge, suggesting different heterogeneity levels on the analysed locations of the concrete beam. KW - Concrete KW - Ultrasound KW - Nonlinear KW - Elastic properties KW - Damage PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-640064 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10921-025-01257-y SN - 0195-9298 VL - 44 IS - 4 SP - 1 EP - 16 PB - Springer Science and Business Media LLC AN - OPUS4-64006 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ukrainczyk, Neven A1 - Bernard, Thomas A1 - Babaahmadi, Arezou A1 - Huang, Liming A1 - Zausinger, Christoph A1 - Soive, Anthony A1 - Bonnet, Stéphanie A1 - Georget, Fabien A1 - Mrak, Maruša A1 - Dolenec, Sabina A1 - Völker, Tobias A1 - Suraneni, Prannoy A1 - Wilson, William T1 - Test methods for chloride diffusivity of blended cement pastes: a review by RILEM TC 298-EBD N2 - The use of supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) is an important part of the roadmap for reducing CO2 emissions and extending the service life of reinforced concrete structures. To accelerate the adoption of SCMs, the RILEM Technical Committee 298-EBD evaluates scaled-down cement paste test methods to assess the effect of SCM on resistance to chloride and sulfate ingress and reactivity, which are critical to concrete durability. This review focuses on methods for measuring chloride diffusivity and is divided into four sections: diffusivity models and parameters, diffusion test methods (including NMR and chloride measurements), migration test methods and implications for future research. Key insights highlight the complexities of multi-species ionic and molecular diffusion/migration, including various binding interactions, and compares the different measurement methodologies. The review also addresses the test scale and aggregate effects, noting the pros and cons of testing at the paste, mortar, and concrete scales. The review underscores the need for further investigation into testing protocols and the influence of SCM on chloride diffusion, emphasizing that comprehensive testing across different scales provides complementary information for assessing durability performance. KW - Chloride ingress KW - Diffusion tests KW - Migration test KW - Cement paste KW - Concrete KW - Supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-645889 DO - https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-025-02809-4 SN - 1359-5997 VL - 58 IS - 10 SP - 1 EP - 35 PB - Springer Science and Business Media LLC AN - OPUS4-64588 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Koerdt, Andrea A1 - Gerengi, Husnu A1 - Kaya, Ertugrul A1 - M. Solomon, Moses A1 - Snape, Matthew T1 - Advances in the Mitigation of Microbiologically Influenced Concrete Corrosion: A Snapshot N2 - Concrete, a versatile construction material, faces pervasive deterioration due to microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) in various applications, including sewer systems, marine engineering, and buildings. MIC is initiated by microbial activities such as involving sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB), sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (SOB), etc., producing corrosive substances like sulfuric acid. This process significantly impacts structures, causing economic losses and environmental concerns. Despite over a century of research, MIC remains a debated issue, lacking standardized assessment methods. Microorganisms contribute to concrete degradation through physical and chemical means. In the oil and gas industry, SRB and SOB activities may adversely affect concrete in offshore platforms. MIC challenges also arise in cooling water systems and civil infrastructures, impacting concrete surfaces. Sewer systems experience biogenic corrosion, primarily driven by SRB activities, leading to concrete deterioration. Mitigation traditionally involves the use of biocides and surface coatings, but their long-term effectiveness and environmental impact are questionable. Nowadays, it is important to design more eco-friendly mitigation products. The microbial-influenced carbonate precipitation is one of the green techniques and involves incorporating beneficial bacteria with antibacterial activity into cementitious materials to prevent the growth and the formation of a community that contains species that are pathogenic or may be responsible for MIC. These innovative strategies present promising avenues for addressing MIC challenges and preserving the integrity of concrete structures. This review provides a snapshot of the MIC in various areas and mitigation measures, excluding underlying mechanisms and broader influencing factors. KW - MIC KW - Corrosion KW - Concrete KW - Environment PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-619218 DO - https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17235846 VL - 17 IS - 23 SP - 1 EP - 19 PB - MDPI AN - OPUS4-61921 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Stohl, Leonie A1 - Manninger, Tanja A1 - von Werder, Julia A1 - Dehn, F. A1 - Gorbushina, Anna A1 - Meng, Birgit T1 - Bioreceptivity of concrete - A review N2 - Materials that support natural biodiversity on their surfaces can compensate for human activities that have a negative impact on nature and thus contribute to a carbon-neutral and nature-positive world. Specifically designing bioreceptive materials which favor the growth of biofilms on their surface is an approach complementing conventional, macroscopic green façades. But what exactly characterizes a bioreceptive substrate and how do biofilm and substrate interact? How and why does a spontaneous colonization and the formation of biofilms take place? What are biofilms and how can they be established in a laboratory setting? How can this existing knowledge be transferred to the artificial stone concrete so that this material can be tuned to increase (or decrease) its bioreceptivity? This review paper aims at summarizing the existing state of knowledge on bioreceptive concrete and pointing out inconsistencies and contradictions which can only be removed by more interdisciplinary research in the field. KW - Bioreceptivity KW - Biofilm KW - Green facades KW - Developing building materials KW - Surface interactions KW - Concrete PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-581685 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2023.107201 SN - 2352-7102 VL - 76 SP - 1 EP - 17 PB - Elsevier AN - OPUS4-58168 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Stohl, Leonie A1 - Tonon, Chiara A1 - Cook, Jake A1 - Gorbushina, Anna A1 - Dehn, Frank A1 - von Werder, Julia T1 - Understanding bioreceptivity of concrete: realistic and accelerated weathering experiments with model subaerial biofilms N2 - Vertical greening systems are a promising solution to the increasing demand for urban green spaces, improving environmental quality and addressing biodiversity loss. This study facilitates the development microbially greened algal biofilm facades, which offer a low maintenance vertical green space. The study focuses on concrete as a widely used building material and explores how physical surface characteristics impact its bioreceptive properties. Concrete samples, produced from the same mix but differing in surface structure, were subjected to a laboratory weathering experiment to assess their bioreceptivity. A novel inoculation method was employed, involving a single initial inoculation with either alga ( Jaagichlorella sp.) alone, or a model biofilm consisting of a combination of the alga ( Jaagichlorella sp.) with a fungus ( Knufia petricola). The samples underwent four months of weathering in a dynamic laboratory setup irrigated with deionized water to observe subaerial biofilm attachment and growth. The formation of subaerial biofilms was monitored with high resolution surface imaging, colorimetric measurements and Imaging Pulse Amplitude Modulated Fluorometry (Imaging PAM-F), with Imaging PAM-F proving the most effective. Statistical analysis revealed that by impacting surface pH value and water retention capability, surface structures significantly influence microbial growth and that the concrete’s bioreceptivity can be influenced through thoughtful design of the materials surface. The inoculation of algae combined with a fungus facilitated the formation of a stable subaerial biofilm, enabling algae to colonize a surface structure that it could not colonize alone. This finding highlights the importance of modelling synergistic interactions present in natural biofilms. KW - Bioreceptivity KW - Concrete KW - Biofilm PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-653105 DO - https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-025-02864-x SN - 1359-5997 VL - 59 IS - 2 SP - 1 EP - 18 PB - Springer Science and Business Media LLC AN - OPUS4-65310 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kruschwitz, Sabine A1 - Munsch, Sarah Mandy A1 - Telong, Melissa A1 - Schmidt, Wolfram A1 - Bintz, Thilo A1 - Fladt, Matthias A1 - Stelzner, Ludwig T1 - The NMR core analyzing TOMograph: A multi-functional tool for non-destructive testing of building materials N2 - NMR is becoming increasingly popular for the investigation of building materials as it is a non-invasive technology that does not require any sample preparation nor causes damage to the material. Depending on the specific application it can offer insights into properties like porosity and spatial saturation degree as well as pore structure. Moreover it enables the determination of moisture transport properties and the (re-)distribution of internal moisture into different reservoirs or chemical phases upon damage and curing. However, as yet most investigations were carried out using devices originally either designed for geophysical applications or the analysis of rather homogeneous small scale (< 10 mL) samples. This paper describes the capabilities of an NMR tomograph, which has been specifically optimized for the investigation of larger, heterogeneous building material samples (diameters of up to 72 mm, length of up to 700 mm) with a high flexibility due to interchangeable coils allowing for a high SNR and short echo times (50 - 80 m s). KW - Fire spalling KW - Moisture transport KW - Concrete KW - Cement hydration KW - Sensitivity KW - Supplementary cementitous materials KW - Frost salt attack PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-573755 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mrl.2023.03.004 SN - 2097-0048 VL - 3 IS - 3 SP - 207 EP - 219 PB - Elsevier B.V. AN - OPUS4-57375 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Müller, Sabine A1 - Niederleithinger, Ernst A1 - Bohlen, T. T1 - Reverse time migration: a seismic imaging technique applied to synthetic ultrasonic data N2 - Ultrasonic echo testing is a more and more frequently used technique in civil engineering to investigate concrete building elements, to measure thickness as well as to locate and characterise built-in components or inhomogeneities. Currently the Synthetic Aperture Focusing Technique (SAFT), which is closely related to Kirchhoff migration, is used in most cases for imaging. However, this method is known to have difficulties to image steeply dipping interfaces as well as lower boundaries of tubes, voids or similar objects. We have transferred a processing technique from geophysics, the Reverse Time Migration (RTM) method, to improve the imaging of complicated geometries. By using the information from wide angle reflections as well as from multiple events there are fewer limitations compared to SAFT. As a drawback the required computing power is significantly higher compared to the techniques currently used. Synthetic experiments have been performed on polyamide and concrete specimens to show the improvements compared to SAFT. We have been able to image vertical interfaces of step-like structures as well as the lower boundaries of circular objects. It has been shown that RTM is a step forward for ultrasonic testing in civil engineering. KW - Beton KW - Ultraschall KW - Concrete KW - Imaging KW - Ultrasonics KW - Reverse time migration PY - 2012 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-262952 DO - https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/128465 SN - 1687-8868 SN - 1687-885X VL - 2012 IS - Article ID 128465 SP - 1 EP - 7 PB - Hindawi Publishing Corporation CY - New York, NY, USA AN - OPUS4-26295 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Provis, J. L. A1 - Arbi, K. A1 - Bernal, S. A. A1 - Bondar, D. A1 - Buchwald, A. A1 - Castel, A. A1 - Chithiraputhiran, S. A1 - Cyr, M. A1 - Dehghan, A. A1 - Dombrowski-Daube, K. A1 - Dubey, A. A1 - Ducman, V. A1 - Gluth, Gregor A1 - Nanukuttan, S. A1 - Peterson, K. A1 - Puertas, F. A1 - van Riessen, A. A1 - Torres-Carrasco, M. A1 - Ye, G. A1 - Zuo, Y. T1 - RILEM TC 247-DTA round robin test: mix design and reproducibility of compressive strength of alkali-activated concretes N2 - The aim of RILEM TC 247-DTA ‘Durability Testing of Alkali-Activated Materials’ is to identify and validate methodologies for testing the durability of alkali-activated concretes. To underpin the durability testing work of this committee, five alkali-activated concrete mixes were developed based on blast furnace slag, fly ash, and flash-calcined metakaolin. The concretes were designed with different intended performance levels, aiming to assess the capability of test methods to discriminate between concretes on this basis. A total of fifteen laboratories worldwide participated in this round robin test programme, where all concretes were produced with the same mix designs, from single-source aluminosilicate precursors and locally available aggregates. This paper reports the mix designs tested, and the compressive strength results obtained, including critical insight into reasons for the observed variability in strength within and between laboratories. KW - Alkali-activated materials KW - Alkali-activated slag KW - Compressive strength KW - Concrete KW - Mix-design PY - 2019 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-489131 DO - https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-019-1396-z SN - 1359-5997 SN - 1871-6873 VL - 52 IS - 5 SP - Article Number 99 PB - Springer Nature AN - OPUS4-48913 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Oesch, Tyler A1 - Weise, Frank A1 - Meinel, Dietmar A1 - Gollwitzer, Christian T1 - Quantitative in-situ analysis of water transport in concrete completed using X-ray computed tomography N2 - This paper describes a novel methodology for quantitative in-situ moisture measurement without tracking agents using X-ray computed tomography (XCT). The high levels of grey-scale precision required for the measurement of moisture without tracking agents resulted in the need for an additional image calibration procedure to correct for water-related X-ray scattering and for equipment-variability related artefacts arising during in-situ testing. This calibration procedure was developed on the basis of existing principles of XCT image cor-rection. Resulting images of moisture distribution exhibit a high level of agreement with expected material behaviour. This research demonstrated that XCT can be successfully used to measure both moisture-front movement over time and changes in 3D moisture distribution within samples. This approach to moisture measurement lays the groundwork for the planned future investigation of the interaction between cracking induced by varying chemical and mechanical processes and water transport in concrete. KW - X-ray computed tomography (XCT) KW - In-situ testing KW - Water transport KW - Quantitative moisture measurement KW - Concrete PY - 2019 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-474395 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s11242-018-1197-9 SN - 1573-1634 VL - 127 IS - 2 SP - 371 EP - 389 PB - Springer Netherlands AN - OPUS4-47439 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bruno, Giovanni T1 - Brittle Materials in Mechanical Extremes N2 - The goal of the Special Issue “Brittle Materials in Mechanical Extremes” was to spark a discussion of the analogies and the differences between different brittle materials, such as, for instance, ceramics and concrete. Indeed, the contributions to the Issue spanned from construction materials (asphalt and concrete) to structural ceramics, reaching as far as ice. The data shown in the issue were obtained by advanced microstructural techniques (microscopy, 3D imaging, etc.) and linked to mechanical properties (and their changes as a function of aging, composition, etc.). The description of the mechanical behavior of brittle materials under operational loads, for instance, concrete and ceramics under very high temperatures, offered an unconventional viewpoint on the behavior of brittle materials. This is not at all exhaustive, but a way to pave the road for intriguing and enriching comparisons. KW - Microcracking KW - Ceramics KW - Concrete KW - Asphalt KW - Mechanicalproperties KW - Microstructure KW - Strength PY - 2020 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-514558 DO - https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13204610 VL - 13 IS - 20 SP - 4610 PB - MDPI CY - Basel AN - OPUS4-51455 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Gluth, Gregor A1 - Bernal, S. A. T1 - RILEM TC CUC: Carbon dioxide uptake by concrete during and after service life – Opening Letter N2 - The ability of cement to chemically bind CO2 in a carbonation reaction enables the material to act as a carbon sink, which could partly account for offsetting the CO2 emissions associated with cement production. In response to the many open questions in this context, the RILEM Technical Committee CUC was created in May 2024. The focus of the TC will be to facilitate discussions regarding the current approaches to estimate the CO2 uptake by cementitious materials (concrete and other construction products) during and after service life. This Opening Letter presents aspects of the motivation to establish the TC, a brief overview of the state of the art in the field, the scheduled work programme, and the anticipated impact of the TC outputs. Though it is not intended to be an exhaustive discussion of the challenges to be addressed, from what is summarized in this letter, it is clear that work is required to base estimates of CO2 uptake by cementitious materials on a data set that is as extensive, accurate and forward-looking as possible. It is anticipated that the inclusion of interdisciplinary perspectives and data from academia and industry will enable progress in the field. KW - Cement KW - Concrete KW - Recarbonation KW - Carbon dioxide uptake KW - Carbonation rate PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-623724 DO - https://doi.org/10.21809/rilemtechlett.2024.208 SN - 2518-0231 VL - 9 SP - 61 EP - 67 PB - RILEM AN - OPUS4-62372 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Stohl, Leonie A1 - Manninger, Tanja A1 - Dehn, Frank A1 - von Werder, Julia T1 - Understanding bioreceptivity of concrete: material design and characterization N2 - The climate crisis is driving an increasing demand for ecologically oriented concepts. In the building sector, this demand includes not only the use of environmentally friendly materials but also the greening of urban areas. One promising approach is the development of bioreceptive concrete façades, which support the growth of green biofilms directly on their surfaces. These innovative façades are anticipated to deliver benefits comparable to those of macroscopically greened façades, such as enhanced biodiversity and improved air quality, while offering the advantages of being more self-sustaining and stable systems once fully established. However, the development of bioreceptive concrete presents substantial challenges. Due to the interdisciplinarity and novelty of this field, standardized methods for material characterization and bioreceptivity assessment are currently lacking. This study proposes an approach for evaluating surface properties crucial for bioreceptivity, developed on differently structured samples of ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC). Existing methods and standards from concrete technology are critically reviewed and, where necessary, modified to meet the unique requirements of measuring bioreceptive material properties. Special attention is given to the surface pH value and water retention characteristics, as these are essential for promoting microbial growth and ensuring the long-term stability of green biofilms. The observed surface characteristics vary according to the imprinted surface structures, offering a spectrum of material properties and enabling the evaluation of their impact on bioreceptivity. The findings presented form the foundation for subsequent laboratory weathering experiments, which will be discussed in a complementary publication. KW - Bioreceptivity KW - Concrete KW - Biofilm PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-648180 DO - https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-025-02863-y SN - 1359-5997 VL - 58 IS - 10 SP - 1 EP - 12 PB - Springer Science and Business Media LLC AN - OPUS4-64818 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kruschwitz, Sabine A1 - Bischof, Eik A1 - Taffe, A. T1 - Multi-sensor investigation of concrete moisture using ultrasound, radar and microwave N2 - Moisture and salt loads of concrete can significantly change its microstructure and consequently lead to chemical and mechanical degradation. However, the non-destructive investigation of moisture and salt present in concrete is still difficult. In order to address and compare the sensitivity of different methods concrete samples with different pore systems realized by varying the w/z ratios have been fabricated. The focus of this study was put on the analysis of ultrasonic long and trans waves measured on the surface and in transmission mode. The results show clear dependencies of all applied methods. With the radar and microwave methods predominantly changes in the concrete moisture could be detected, whereas the different pore systems were not observed to alter the signals. In contrast for the ultrasound method also the ongoing hydration as well as the nature of the pore system strongly influenced the signals. As a consequence in a subsequent drying experiment it was also tried to delineate the effects of moisture and hydration. All specimens have been re-saturated under pressure and the drying experiment was repeated using the same multi-sensor approach. T2 - NDT-CE 2015 - International symposium non-destructive testing in civil engineering CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 15.09.2015 KW - Concrete KW - Moisture KW - Non-destructive testing KW - Ultrasound KW - Radar KW - Velocities KW - Microwave KW - Multi-sensor approach PY - 2015 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-347612 UR - http://www.ndt.net/?id=18322 SN - 1435-4934 VL - 20 IS - 11 SP - 1 EP - 4 PB - NDT.net CY - Kirchwald AN - OPUS4-34761 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Shokouhi, Parisa A1 - Zoëga, Andreas A1 - Wiggenhauser, Herbert T1 - Nondestructive investigation of stress-induced damage in concrete N2 - The changes in the sonic surface wave velocity of concrete under stress were investigated in this paper. Surface wave velocities at sonic frequency range were measured on a prismatic concrete specimen undergoing several cycles of uniaxial compression. The loading was applied (or removed) gradually in predefined small steps (stress-controlled). The surface wave velocity was measured at every load step during both loading and unloading phases. Acoustic Emission (AE) test was conducted simultaneously to monitor the microcracking activities at different levels of loading. It was found that the sonic surface wave velocity is highly stress dependent and the velocity-stress relationship follows a particular trend. The observed trend could be explained by a combination of acoustoelasticity and microcracking theories, each valid over a certain range of applied stresses. Having measured the velocities while unloading, when the material suffers no further damage, the effect of stress and damage could be differentiated. The slope of the velocity-stress curves over the elastic region was calculated for different load cycles. This quantity was normalized to yield a dimensionless nonlinear parameter. This parameter generally increases with the level of induced damage in concrete. KW - Nondestructive testing (NDT) KW - Surface wave velocity KW - Concrete KW - Acoustoelasticity KW - Microcracking PY - 2010 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-215943 UR - http://downloads.hindawi.com/journals/ace/2010/740189.pdf DO - https://doi.org/10.1155/2010/740189 SN - 1687-8094 SN - 1687-8086 VL - 2010 IS - Article ID 740189 SP - 1 EP - 9 PB - Hindawi Publ. Corp. CY - New York, NY, USA AN - OPUS4-21594 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Niederleithinger, Ernst A1 - Wolf, Julia A1 - Mielentz, Frank A1 - Wiggenhauser, Herbert A1 - Pirskawetz, Stephan T1 - Embedded ultrasonic transducers for active and passive concrete monitoring N2 - Recently developed new transducers for ultrasonic transmission, which can be embedded right into concrete, are now used for non-destructive permanent monitoring of concrete. They can be installed during construction or thereafter. Large volumes of concrete can be monitored for changes of material properties by a limited number of transducers. The transducer design, the main properties as well as installation procedures are presented. It is shown that compressional waves with a central frequency of 62 kHz are mainly generated around the transducer's axis. The transducer can be used as a transmitter or receiver. Application examples demonstrate that the transducers can be used to monitor concrete conditions parameters (stress, temperature, …) as well as damages in an early state or the detection of acoustic events (e.g., crack opening). Besides application in civil engineering our setups can also be used for model studies in geosciences. KW - Ultrasound KW - Transmission KW - Concrete KW - Damages KW - Cracks KW - Stress KW - Monitoring KW - Acoustic emission KW - Transducers KW - Coda wave interferometry PY - 2015 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-345632 DO - https://doi.org/10.3390/s150509756 SN - 1424-8220 VL - 15 IS - 5 SP - 9756 EP - 9772 PB - MDPI CY - Basel AN - OPUS4-34563 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bernal, S. A. A1 - Dhandapani, Y. A1 - Elakneswaran, Y. A1 - Gluth, Gregor A1 - Gruyaert, E. A1 - Juenger, M. C. G. A1 - Lothenbach, B. A1 - Olonade, K. A. A1 - Sakoparnig, M. A1 - Shi, Z. A1 - Thiel, C. A1 - Van den Heede, P. A1 - Vanoutrive, H. A1 - von Greve-Dierfeld, S. A1 - De Belie, N. A1 - Provis, J. L. T1 - Report of RILEM TC 281-CCC: A critical review of the standardised testing methods to determine carbonation resistance of concrete N2 - The chemical reaction between CO2 and a blended Portland cement concrete, referred to as carbonation, can lead to reduced performance, particularly when concrete is exposed to elevated levels of CO2 (i.e., accelerated carbonation conditions). When slight changes in concrete mix designs or testing conditions are adopted, conflicting carbonation results are often reported. The RILEM TC 281-CCC ‘Carbonation of Concrete with Supplementary Cementitious Materials’ has conducted a critical analysis of the standardised testing methodologies that are currently applied to determine carbonation resistance of concrete in different regions. There are at least 17 different standards or recommendations being actively used for this purpose, with significant differences in sample curing, pre-conditioning, carbonation exposure conditions, and methods used for determination of carbonation depth after exposure. These differences strongly influence the carbonation depths recorded and the carbonation coefficient values calculated. Considering the importance of accurately determining carbonation potential of concrete, not just for predicting their durability performance, but also for determining the amount of CO2 that concrete can re-absorb during or after its service life, it is imperative to recognise the applicability and limitations of the results obtained from different tests. This will enable researchers and practitioners to adopt the most appropriate testing methodologies to evaluate carbonation resistance, depending on the purpose of the conclusions derived from such testing (e. g. materials selection, service life prediction, CO2 capture potential). KW - Concrete KW - Cement KW - Carbonation KW - Testing KW - Standards PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-609364 DO - https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-024-02424-9 VL - 57 SP - 1 EP - 31 PB - Springer Nature AN - OPUS4-60936 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Henning, Ricky A1 - Sturm, Patrick A1 - Keßler, S. A1 - Gluth, Gregor ED - Lothenbach, B. ED - Wieland, E. ED - Altmaier, M. T1 - Influence of salt aggregate on the degradation of hybrid alkaline cement (HAC) concretes in magnesium chloride-rich saline solution simulating evaporite rock N2 - Concretes produced from salt aggregate and hybrid alkaline cements, an alkali-activated slag/fly ash blend, or a Portland cement were exposed to a magnesium chloride-rich saline solution ([Mg2+] = 3.6 m, [Cl−] = 8.3 m), representing a solution formed after contact of surface water with evaporite rock (rock salt) in a nuclear waste repository. The hydration and deterioration of the concretes were studied with X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, pH mapping and permeability measurements. The results show that calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) or sodium-substituted calcium aluminium silicate hydrate (C-N-A-S-H) and Friedel's salt were the major reaction products in the concretes prior to exposure to the saline solution. During exposure to the saline solution, increasing amounts of C-S-H/C-N-A-S-H dissolved, and gypsum and a secondary AFm phase formed. The durability of the concretes improved with increasing amounts of Portland clinker in the cements, due to the associated differences in permeability and chemical resistance. Nevertheless, a massive increase of permeability occurred for all concretes, likely caused by crack formation due to the formation of gypsum from anhydrite in the salt aggregate. Thus, the behavior of the concretes differed from, and was more complex than, the behavior of plain cement pastes. T2 - Joint 6th International Workshop on Mechanisms and Modelling of Waste/Cement Interactions (JCCW 2023) CY - Prague, Czech Republic DA - 20.11.2023 KW - Nuclear waste repository KW - Evaporite rock KW - Magnesium chloride brine KW - Concrete KW - Hybrid alkaline cement PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-599928 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2024.106027 SN - 0883-2927 SN - 1872-9134 VL - 168 SP - 1 EP - 14 PB - Elsevier AN - OPUS4-59992 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Gluth, Gregor A1 - Arbi, K. A1 - Bernal, S. A. A1 - Bondar, D. A1 - Castel, A. A1 - Chithiraputhiran, S. A1 - Dehghan, A. A1 - Dombrowski-Daube, K. A1 - Dubey, A. A1 - Ducman, V. A1 - Peterson, K. A1 - Pipilikaki, P. A1 - Valcke, S. L. A. A1 - Ye, G. A1 - Zuo, Y. A1 - Provis, J. L. T1 - RILEM TC 247-DTA round robin test: carbonation and chloride penetration testing of alkali-activated concretes N2 - Many standardised durability testing methods have been developed for Portland cement-based concretes, but require validation to determine whether they are also applicable to alkali-activated materials. To address this question, RILEM TC 247-DTA ‘Durability Testing of Alkali-Activated Materials’ carried out round robin testing of carbonation and chloride penetration test methods, applied to five different alkali-activated concretes based on fly ash, blast furnace slag or metakaolin. The methods appeared overall to demonstrate an intrinsic precision comparable to their precision when applied to conventional concretes. The ranking of test outcomes for pairs of concretes of similar binder chemistry was satisfactory, but rankings were not always reliable when comparing alkali-activated concretes based on different precursors. Accelerated carbonation testing gave similar results for fly ash-based and blast furnace slag-based alkali-activated concretes, whereas natural carbonation testing did not. Carbonation of concrete specimens was observed to have occurred already during curing, which has implications for extrapolation of carbonation testing results to longer service life periods. Accelerated chloride penetration testing according to NT BUILD 443 ranked the tested concretes consistently, while this was not the case for the rapid chloride migration test. Both of these chloride penetration testing methods exhibited comparatively low precision when applied to blast furnace slag-based concretes which are more resistant to chloride ingress than the other materials tested. KW - Alkali-activated materials KW - Durability KW - Carbonation KW - Chloride penetration KW - Concrete PY - 2020 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-504045 DO - https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-020-1449-3 SN - 1359-5997 SN - 1871-6873 VL - 53 IS - 1 SP - 21 PB - Springer Nature AN - OPUS4-50404 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - 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 - Jägle, Eva A1 - Tuladhar, Rujika A1 - Niederleithinger, Ernst A1 - Epple, Niklas A1 - Sanchez Trujillo, Camila Andrea A1 - Gehlen, Christoph A1 - Timothy, Jithender J. T1 - Evaluation of ultrasonic signals collected from laboratory concrete specimens: Preprocessing and analysis with coda wave interferometry N2 - Efficient maintenance of infrastructure relies on monitoring and assessment of its condition. New technologies and methods thereby enable a deeper understanding of the materials used and of the structures built. Coda Wave Interferometry (CWI) is currently explored for continuous monitoring of reinforced concrete structures as well as material testing. This ultrasound-based method is sensitive to even small material alterations and therefore suitable for the detection of initial damage stages. Herein, a step-by-step procedure for the evaluation of ultrasonic signals with CWI methods is presented. The described procedure is proposed for ultrasonic signals collected with embedded ultrasonic transducers with a center frequency of 50 kHz to 70 kHz from prism-shaped concrete specimen with dimensions of 400 mm x 100 mm x 100 mm. The raw ultrasonic signal, preprocessing and CWI analysis are described and influences of parameters within the analysis are discussed. The presented procedure allows systematic and comparable analysis of ultrasonic signals generated with similar conditions and therefore contributes to the application of CWI methods for structural health monitoring and material testing. KW - Ultrasound KW - Concrete KW - Coda wave interferometry KW - Structural health monitoring PY - 2026 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-656027 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mex.2026.103811 SN - 2215-0161 VL - 16 SP - 1 EP - 19 PB - Elsevier B.V. AN - OPUS4-65602 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 -