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Eingeladener Vortrag
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Stabilising admixtures are commonly used additives in repair mortars and grouts. Beyond this, such type of admixture is increasingly used in concrete and other cementitious materials. In particular when fresh mortar or concrete properties have to be adjusted reliably, stabilising agents can be beneficially used to improve workability and robustness of the mixture. The mode of operation of these admixtures varies, rather affecting either the liquid phase or the solid particles in the dispersion, both causing strong interactions with the mortar or concrete system, and significant changes in their rheological behaviour. Furthermore, these are strongly affected by the environmental temperature during the casting process. In the paper the effect of temperature on the performance of stabilising agents in cementitious systems is presented and how performance changes affect fresh and hardening mortar or concrete properties. Particular attention is placed on interactions between stabilising agents and superplasticizers. Results are discussed with special focus on self-compacting concrete.
Today polycarboxylate ether based superplasticizer (PCE) is commonly used in concrete technology when high flow properties and water reduction are specified. The ionic strength of the polymers’ backbones determines the adsorption behaviour of polymers on clinker and early hydration products. The amount of required polymers for specified flow properties and the performance over the time of casting is thus determined by the molecular structure of the superplasticizer. The time depending consumption of polycarboxylate ether polymers strongly affects the reaction of aluminates and sulphate ions as well as the hydration process in general. Hence, the choice of polymers for particular flow properties greatly affects the very early properties of cementitious materials such as setting, heat evolution and autogenous deformations.
In order to better understand how PCEs influence the early properties, mixes from cement, limestone filler, viscosity modifying agent and water were varied with a high and a low charge density superplasticizer in differing amounts. Results are presented from measurements with an automatic Vicat device, an isothermal heat flow calorimeter, and shrinkage cones. Tests were conducted at 5, 20, and 30 °C.
It is shown that in presence of PCE the final set correlates well with the inflexion point of the heat flow curve, which emphasises the interrelation between C-S-H formation and setting. No such clear correlation can be found for the initial set, which is attributed to the fact that the initial set is rather a rheological than a structural phenomenon, so that other effects overlap with C-S-H formation. The results demonstrate that for a given polymer concentration low charge density polymers yield earlier setting than high charge polymers. However, this influence is overridden by the influence of the total amount of polymers in a cementitious system. Since PCE is typically added according to rheological specifications, and low charge PCE typically requires higher amounts of polymers than high charge PCE for comparable flow performance, low charge PCE retards setting more than high charge PCE.
The paper furthermore points out that there is no significant influence of the polymer type or amount on the early deformations. Since type and amount strongly affect the hydration, it is demonstrated that early setting causes higher strain after the final set. It is hence concluded that higher PCE solid contents reduce the risk of early cracks that occur at time of setting, when a solid structure has already been formed but without resistance against cracks yet.
The SPIN project
(2011)
Globally, cement and concrete experts are at the cutting-edge to sustainable, green, healthy but nonetheless high-performance concrete. In the present age, concrete is not yet well established in Africa, which öfters the unique opportunity to build up a cement and concrete market based on the highest available state of technology. As this industry needs high level expertise, a central issue in implementation of skilled technology is cross-linking research institutions and laboratories. It should not be neglected that concrete is a product with comparably low transport ranges, which means that an improved concrete market will mainly support the local economy without exceeding financial drains to the international market, thus fostering the fight against poverty, which is an urgent need in most African countries.
The SPIN project highlights recent developments in the field of cement and concrete research with impact on the local and global economy. Challenges, future developments and opportunities for the African construction industry are in the focus.
The SPIN project is funded by the European Commission (EC) and supported by the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States under the project body of the ACP Science and Technology Programme. SPIN is acronym for “Spearhead network for Innovative, Clean and Safe Cement and Concrete Technologies”. The project aims to cross-link experts with industry and policy making bodies, aiming to establish sustainable cement and concrete construction in Africa.
Concrete technology was exposed to a rapid development during the last three decades. For the longest time in its history, concrete was considered as a three component System consisting of aggregates, which are bound by the hardened cement paste consisting of hydrated cement. Traditionally, the only way of adjusting the consistency of concrete was using well adjusted aggregates and grading curves and adding excess water to the concrete, accepting that the latter in return reduces strength and durability. During the last three decades, however, concrete has developed further from a three component System towards an (at least) five component system, since the use of mineral additions and Chemical admixtures has become state of the art. Both components are able to enhance the workability, the compactability, and the density of the microstructure with effects on strength, ductility and durability, while cement can be saved in parallel. Due to reasonable use of admixtures and additions, concrete can be designed to match mechanically high performance specifications. Traditionally, cement paste was considered the weakest component in concrete. Flowever, in modern concrete a good paste composition can yield highest performance, passing the role of the mechanical bottleneck towards the aggregates.
Worldwide, cement and concrete experts are at the cutting-edge to sustainable, green, healthy but nonetheless high-Performance concrete. The current relatively low development of the cement and concrete industry in Africa offers the unique opportunity to start directly on the best achievable and sustainable Level, if only Expertise is sufficiently available. It should not be neglected that concrete is a product with comparably low Transport ranges, which means that an improved concrete market will mainly Support the local economy without exceeding financial Drains to the international market, thus fostering the fight against poverty, which is an urgent Need in most African countries.
The construction sector has traditionally been a source of employment in African regions. However, due to policy changes, cut backs in public investments as well as a fall in the number of employments in the private sector have been observed in many countries. Furthermore a shift from registered companies to informal contractors could be noticed. Many contractors offer services they do not provide permanently or for which the required equipment has to be borrowed. A study that was published in 2000 about the situation in Tanzania pointed out that only ca. 15% of the enterprises that offer concrete works own a concrete mixer. The building practice with concrete varies widely over the African continent. Whereas the level of technology and the infrastructure for cement and concrete in South Africa is elaborate, in East Africa and particularly those that were heavily suffering from civil war during the nineties of the last century, the availability of cement and concrete is poor and these materials are far from being everyday building practice. Most of the population relies on indigenous forms of construction requiring wood obtained from felling of forest trees and ultimately contributing to de-forestation. Informal settlements in South-Africa and Kenya are literal evidence where originally green natural vegetation has been turned into artificial desert-like landscapes.
Baupraxis und Infrastrukturentwicklung im Hinblick auf die Betonindustrie in Ost- und Südafrika
(2011)
Der Bausektor stellt in Afrika traditionell eine der stabileren Quellen für den Arbeitsmarkt dar. Durch ständige Wechsel in der Politik wurden jedoch in zahlreichen Ländern Einschnitte bei den öffentlichen Investitionen sowie ein Rückgang der Beschäftigtenzahlen im Privatsektor beobachtet. Darüber hinaus konnte eine Verlagerung von offiziell tätigen und registrierten hin zu nicht registrierten Bauunternehmen festgestellt werden. Zahlreiche Bauunternehmen bieten Dienstleistungen an, die sie nicht ständig ausführen oder für die sie sich das erforderliche Gerät leihen müssen. Einer im Jahre 2000 hinsichtlich der Situation in Tansania veröffentlichten Studie zufolge verfügen nur etwa 15 % der Unternehmen, die Betonbauarbeiten anbieten, über einen eigenen Betonmischer. Die auf dem afrikanischen Kontinent angewandten Baupraktiken im Betonbau weichen erheblich voneinander ab. Während Südafrika über eine fortgeschrittene Technologie und eine hoch entwickelte Infrastruktur im Hinblick auf die Zement- und Betonindustrie verfügt, sind Zement und Beton in den ostafrikanischen Ländern, insbesondere in jenen, die in den 90er Jahren des vergangenen Jahrhunderts von schweren Bürgerkriegen erschüttert wurden, kaum verfügbar und zählen keinesfalls zu den in der täglichen Baupraxis verwendeten Baustoffen. Hier wird auf einheimische Baumethoden, bei denen vorwiegend Holz verwendet wird, zurückgegriffen. Dieses wird durch Abholzung gewonnen, was schließlich zur Rodung ganzer Waldgebiete führt. Die ohne entsprechende Planung, Genehmigung und Erschließung errichteten Siedlungen in Südafrika und Kenia veranschaulichen erschreckend, wie einstmals von grüner Vegetation bedeckte Landstriche in künstliche, wüstenartige Landschaften verwandelt wurden.
The cement and concrete market in East, Central and Southern Africa is highly fragmented. The concrete industry in this area consists of multiple parties, including producers and suppliers of construction materials, formal and informal contractors, engineers and architects, unions of trades persons and workmen, governmental bodies and formal institutions of research and education. All these institutions mostly do not interact adequately, which makes building with cementitious materials susceptible to damage and failures. Completely opposed to the situation in Europe or North America, cement in Africa is often unaffordable, while manpower is cheap, which results in a questionable economisation of cement. Typically, there is not sufficient awareness of methods to sensibly reducing the cement content in concrete or replace Ordinary Portland Cement by adequate alternative materials. Research activities in this field of technology are often missing completely. Only few countries in the area, such as South Africa, are exempted from these issues.
This paper presents the SPIN project, which is a joint project of a consortium of 8 African and 3 European partners within the ACP Science and Technology Programme. The project is funded by the EC and ACP Secretariat is the project body. The main objective of the current project is to strengthen the cement and concrete industry in the East and Central African regions. The project shall generate reasonable solution strategies to implement clean, safe and sustainable cement and concrete technology on the African continent, including general and specific guidelines for sensible application. Furthermore it shall be the kick-off for future projects, research activities and the world-wide expansion of a European-African network.
The paper addresses special problems the cement and concrete market in Eastern, Central and Southern African countries has to face. Several options are presented in detail, which shall help overcoming the current situation. Customized solutions for the African market include rational methods for reducing the amount of cement used and the replacement of Ordinary Portland Cement with cheaper alternatives. The use of recycled concrete through a new and economically effective method, as well as the opportunity of using locally available resources is also discussed.