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Why Africa can spearhead innovative and sustainable cement and concrete technologies globally
(2016)
The perception of concrete in the society as well as in the politics is rather negative. This becomes obvious in the fact that the phrase “concrete jungle” has become synonym for hapless living with no perspectives. In politics and research funding, it is also not easy to create a broader audience, since concrete is falsely considered as old-fashioned material that is sufficiently understood today and does not need further considerations, particularly compared to allegedly newer materials. However, particularly since the last two decades the technology has completely changed. Binders of today are no more the same binders as used before, and concrete mixture compositions of today diverge quite significantly from compositions in the past. There is little understanding world-wide about that. This causes that potentials the concrete technology bears are wasted.
In the broadly found opinion that concrete is old-fashioned and ugly, it is ignored that architectural sins are not inherent to the material, which actually is extremely versatile and CO2-friendly compared to all other construction materials available. It is also ignored that 98% of the outer Earth’s crust are made of the elements cement and concrete are made from, and therefore it will be an illusion to believe that the complementary 2% can create materials to develop regions and infrastructures in less developed areas in the world.
For betterment in Africa the infrastructural development should have highest priority, since poor connections between settlements are responsible for enormous Price increases [2], and urban traffic congestion is responsible for an incredible loss of productivity. It is not unrealistic to assume that earners that are dependent on a car get stuck in traffic about 3-4 hours per day in cities like Lagos, Nairobi or Dar es Salaam. However, the traffic congestions do not only affect the car owners negatively but the living of the entire urban population every day.
Besides infrastructure, housing should be the other priority, since a large part of the African population does not live in adequate condition. This is a societal problem, since unequal Distribution of wealth is a major driving force for instability in societies. The latter has a global impact, since 8 many phenomena that can be observed all over the world such as political radicalism, xenophobia, terrorism, and migration can often be linked to instable societies.
However, the importance of infrastructure has an even wider range. Most African countries go through a change process recently. In order to strengthen very positive perspectives, the focus in politics and research funding is put on issues such as agriculture, energy, and health, which are without doubt extremely important issues. However, it is typically overlooked that all enhancements in these areas can only become effective, when an infrastructure is created to support the implementation of better concepts. Mobility is the key to a prosperous future, and mobility can only be granted by infrastructural construction activities. Hence, compared to many other regions in the world, cement and concrete technologies have a significantly higher relevance in Africa.
Viscosity modifying agents: Key components of advanced cement-based materials with adapted rheology
(2022)
Viscosity modifying agents (VMAs) are essential ingredients for the production of flowable cement-based materials. This paper presents an overview of commonly used VMAs and attempts to shed some light on the underlying physics at the origin of their mechanisms of action. The main molecular parameters of VMA controlling the rheological properties of the cement pore solution are highlighted. As the mechanisms of action of VMAs in cement-based materials are closely related to their affinity with the surface of cement particles, the adsorption of the main VMA types is discussed. The effect of VMAs on flow properties and stability of cement-based materials is presented for VMAs added without any superplasticizer, and then in systems incorporating both VMAs and superplasticizers. Finally, the effect of VMAs in enhancing concrete properties to secure adequate performance of different construction applications, and perspectives for future developments of novel cement-based materials made with VMAs are showcased.
Polysaccharides provide high potential to be used as rheology modifying admixtures in mineral binder systems for the construction industry such as concrete or mortar. Since superplasticizers have become state of technology, today, concrete is more and more adjusted to flowable consistencies. This often goes along with the risk of segregation, which can be effectively avoided by adding stabilising agents supplementary to superplasticizers. Stabilising agents are typically based on polysaccharides such as cellulose, sphingan gum, or starch. Starch clearly distinguishes in its effect on rheology from other polysaccharides, mainly due to the strong influence of amylopectin on the dispersion and stabilisation of particles. Based on rheometric investigations on cementitious and limestone based dispersions with different volumetric water to solid ratios, the mode of operation of modified potato starch is explained in comparison to a sphingan gum. It is shown that the stabilising effect of starch in a coarsely dispersed system is mainly depending upon the water to solid ratio and that above a certain particle volume threshold starch mainly affects the dynamic yield stress of dispersions, while plastic viscosity is affected only to a minor degree. Sphingans operate more independent of the particle volume in a coarsely dispersed system and show significantly higher effect on the plastic viscosity than on the yield stress. In systems incorporating superplasticizers, influences of both stabilising agents on yield stress retreat into the background, while both observed polysaccharides maintain their effect on the plastic viscosity.
Self-compacting concrete (SCC) differs substantially from normal concrete as regards the quantity of superplasticiser dosage. The functionality of superplasticisers, based on the polycarboxylate ether (PCE) superplasticiser customary with SCC, is nowadays very well understood at construction material research level. However, knowledge concerning pertinent correlations does not always permeate practice to an equal extent. PCEs are extremely polymorphic as opposed to earlier superplasticiser groups, which still possess a considerable proportion of the superplasticiser market. The geometry of polymers can be adjusted individually to performance characteristics required for certain uses. Yet, in selecting a superplasticiser for its specified rheological properties, a very strong influence can equally be exerted simultaneously on the subsequent hydration process. The charge density of the PCE employed also plays a key role in connection with both rheology and early hydration.
Superplasticizers (SPs) have been employed in concrete technology for decades to improve the workability of concrete in its fresh state. The addition of SPs in cement-based systems affects the early properties. Although the interaction of the cement particles with various SPs has been extensively researched, there still exists limited research on the interaction of SPs with supplementary cementitious materials such as rice husk ash (RHA). This paper investigates the rheological properties and early hydration kinetics of RHA-blended systems with three types of SPs, a polycarboxylate ether (PCE) and two lignosulphonates (LS-acc and LS-ret). In rheological properties, the addition of SP causes an initial improvement of workability as the yield stress is significantly reduced. The pastes with PCE and LS-acc show a slight increase of yield stress over time whereas pastes with LS-ret tend to lower the yield stress slightly over time, further improving the workability. Without SP, pastes with RHA show a lower yield stress but an increase in plastic viscosity as cement is further replaced with RHA. The addition of the LS SPs is observed to lower the plastic viscosity but remains constant with further replacement of cement with RHA. This indicates that LS SPs further adsorbs on RHA particles and hydration products produced causing dispersion of the particles
within the system. In early hydration kinetics, pastes with PCE retard hydration and the degree of retardation is further increased with LS SPs. In the presence of RHA, the retardation of LS SP systems is significantly reduced. The pastes with PCE show more ettringite in the SEM micrographs, but is observed to be shorter needles. This indicates an initial good workability for PCE. However, C-S-H and CH were observed to be low in quantity, whereby the pastes with LS show more nucleation sites for C-S-H and CH. The ettringite needles in the LS systems were similar in quantity and more elongated in some cases but not abundant as in the PCE systems.
Most factors acting on concrete rheology work at an extremely small-scale level. Influencing factors in the millimetre or centimetre area are essentially restricted to sand and aggregates. The latter, however, make up 50 to 70% of the total volume of most concretes – a fact often ignored in research on controlling concrete processing properties.
Whereas suitably chosen concrete admixtures and additives can influence rheology in a very targeted manner, sand and aggregates are less suitable for controlling rheology but nonetheless contribute to the rheology of the Overall system. The actions of sand and aggregate can impose themselves upon the actions of admixtures and additives
and, in unfavourable circumstances, even render them redundant. For this reason, any results concerning the processability of binding agent systems can only be transferred to concrete with great care. It is important to better understand the action of sand and aggregates in order to be able to harmonise them in such a way that they complement the action of superplasticisers positively, instead of
working against them. Savings on costs can also be made by this targeted fine-tuning.
Innovative admixture technology has significantly widened up the ränge of possibilities of concrete engineers. For many decades the water to cement ratio (w/c) was the major influencing factor for the performance of concrete. Due to the need to adjust a consistency, which still allowed reasonable workability, the w/c was typically significantly higher than technologically reasonable. Rheology modifying admixtures Support adjusting the concrete consistency largely independent of the w/c. It was only after the invention of the first superplasticizers that modern concrete technology significantly evolved in terms of flowability, strength, and durability, and only due to the steady evolution of the technology modern innovations, such as Self-Compacting Concrete, Ultra-High-Performance Concrete, or Engineered Cementitious Composites were made possible. Today’s superplasticizers are extremely versatile and can be adjusted to individual technologicalspecifications. However, the other side of the coin of versatility is that cementitious Systems incorporating superplasticizers have become more sensitive against environmental influences, such as the environmental temperature, which may cause unwanted effects or demand for supplementary admixture use such as stabilizing admixtures. Hence, concrete mixture composition with admixtures demands for a high level of expertise and offen there is lack of awareness about the mode of Operation of rheology modifying admixtures among concrete technologists. The paper gives a comprehensive overview about rheology modifying admixtures such as superplasticizers or stabilizing agents, and how they can be used depending upon the application in the most favourable way. Based on experiences with the sub-Saharan African concreting boundary conditions, which exhibit many challenges in terms of environmental boundary conditions and construction site logistics, conclusions are finally drawn, how admixtures can be used in the most beneficial way to improve the concrete casting Situation.
Innovative admixture technology has significantly widened up the ränge of possibilities of concrete engineers. For many decades the water to cement ratio (w/c) was the major influencing factor for the performance of concrete. Due to the need to adjust a consistency, which still allowed reasonable workability, the w/c was typically significantly higher than technologically reasonable. Rheology modifying admixtures Support adjusting the concrete consistency largely independent of the w/c. It was only after the invention of the first superplasticizers that modern concrete technology significantly evolved in terms of flowability, strength, and durability, and only due to the steady evolution of the technology modern innovations, such as Self-Compacting Concrete, Ultra-High-Performance Concrete, or Engineered Cementitious Composites were made possible. Today’s superplasticizers are extremely versatile and can be adjusted to individual technological specifications. However, the other side of the coin of versatility is that cementitious Systems incorporating superplasticizers have become more sensitive against environmental influences, such as the environmental temperature, which may cause unwanted effects or demand for supplementary admixture use such as stabilizing admixtures. Hence, concrete mixture composition with admixtures demands for a high level of expertise and offen there is lack of awareness about the mode of Operation of rheology modifying admixtures among concrete technologists. The paper gives a comprehensive overview about rheology modifying admixtures such as superplasticizers or stabilizing agents, and how they can be used depending upon the application in the most favourable way. Based on experiences with the sub-Saharan African concreting boundary conditions, which exhibit many challenges in terms of environmental boundary conditions and construction site logistics, conclusions are finally drawn, how admixtures can be used in the most beneficial way to improve the concrete casting Situation.