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Improved understanding of the mechanisms underlying deleterious chemical attacks is necessary to better predict the long-term performance and durability of shotcrete in aggressive environments. In the scope of the research project “ASSpC - Advanced and Sustainable Sprayed Concrete”, new durable and sustainable shotcretes and new test methods are developed. In order to increase shotcrete durability, the spray cement (specified in Austrian Guideline “Sprayed concrete”) used is substituted with supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs). However, in the past SCMs have seen only limited use in the application of dry-mix shotcrete. This contribution presents 6 new mix designs intended to be used for dry-mix shotcrete, each with varying amounts and types of SCMs, and compares their performance and sprayability with a commercially available spray cement. As sulfate attack is one of the major threats to shotcrete (e.g. in tunnelling), the resistance of the new mixes against sulfate attack is tested using a modified version of the Swiss sulfate test according to SIA 262/1:2013. This approach provides new insights into damaging mechanisms of dry mix shotcrete in sulfate-loaded environments
Filler Effect in Shotcrete
(2019)
The effects of fine limestone powder on the early hydration of cementitious systems accelerated by means of alkali-free aluminum sulfate based products, commonly used for shotcrete applications, were investigated in the course of laboratory and real scale tests. In binary (CEM I + limestone) and ternary (CEM I + limestone + slag) systems the addition of fine limestone led to an enhancement of the hydration degree and strength development at early times (<24 h). The formation of ettringite, aluminate hydrates, and C-S-H is affected by the joint action of the setting accelerator and the fine limestone. Accelerator and limestone, in combination with the cement, can be optimized to enhance ettringite and silicate reaction, in some cases coupled with aluminate reaction inhibition, to produce mixes suitable for sprayed concrete applications. Such optimization can help to reduce the cement content in the mixes without compromising the early strength development of the shotcrete.
Before new mixes are sprayed in real scale applications, lab experiments have to be carried out to provide a basis for predicting a good performance in real scale. In many cases, to understand the correlations between the behavior in the lab and in real scale spraying, a further set of experiments after the real spraying is required. In this paper we present such a two way process for two new wet mixes, one with a very low tricalcium aluminate Portland cement and the other one with a CEM I with addition of ultra-fine calcite. Calorimetry and Shear-Modulus measurements were used in the lab to monitor hydration evolution. In the real scale spraying compressive strength was measured at periodic intervals up to 24 hours. The hydration of the sprayed samples was stopped at 3, 6 and 24 hours and samples were scanned with X-ray for the identification and quantification of the phases present. The results presented are used to discuss the extent to which lab experiments can predict the behavior of mixes in real scale and how small changes in the raw materials and the mixes can lead to quite different results.
Spritzbeton ist nachhaltig, wenn er sowohl umweltfreundlich als auch dauerhaft ist. Traditionelle Mischungszusammensetzungen für Spritzbeton enthalten einen hohen Anteil an fein gemahlenem Portlandzement und an Erstarrungsbeschleunigern. Beide Komponenten sind für eine sehr schnelle Festigkeitsentwicklung, aber auch hohe Umweltauswirkungen (wie CO2-Emissionen, Primärenergiebedarf) verantwortlich. Portlandzement ist ein hervorragendes Bindemittel, bringt aber ein hohes Versinterungspotenzial und bei normaler Zusammensetzung einen geringen Widerstand gegen chemischen Angriff, wie zum Beispiel den Sulfatangriff aus dem Bergwasser, mit sich. Hingegen können latent hydraulische und puzzolanische Zusatzstoffe die Dauerhaftigkeit erhöhen, sind aber auch für eine langsame Festigkeitsentwicklung bekannt. Im Beitrag wird ein neues Konzept des Mischungsentwurfs vorgestellt, das auf der Auswahl geeigneter Zusatzstoffe (i.e. feinste Kalksteinmehle, die die Hydratation beschleunigen, kombiniert mit gemahlenem Hüttensand und Puzzolanen), der Optimierung von Packungsdichte und Wasserbedarf sowie einem optimalen Mischungsverhältnis aller Feinstoffe beruht. Es wird an exemplarischen Mischungszusammensetzungen gezeigt, welche Eigenschaften bzw. Leistungsmerkmale in Labortests sowie in großmaßstäblichen Spritzversuchen erreicht werden können.
The application process, which gives shotcrete its name is a robust and established method, dating back to the beginning of the 20th century. Since then, the spraying process has been significantly enhanced. However, during the last decades no major technical changes have been made. In this study the wet - mix shotcrete process including the dosing of accelerator was investigated. For this, we monitored the concrete and accelerator pressure with 5 sensors in the pumps and pipes, and analysed the accelerator distribution in the hardened shotcrete matrix. The recorded pressure fluctuations clearly indicated that the pumping of the concrete with a double-piston pump led to flow pulsations. The pressure along the accelerator pipes, controlled by a peristaltic pump, was not steady either. However, the accelerator flow pulsation had a higher frequency than that of the concrete flow. This misalignment led to changes in the accelerator to concrete ratio during the spraying process. The impact of these incongruent concrete and accelerator flows on the resulting hardened shotcrete was visually analysed with the use of 0.02 % uranin as fluorescent tracer added to the accelerator. The tracer distribution showed that changes in the accelerator/concrete ratio led to the formation of ‘accelerator layers’, layers with higher accelerator concentrations in the hardened shotcrete. These layers show differences in chemistry, mineralogy and open porosity compared to the rest of the shotcrete matrix. The presence of accelerator enriched layers can have detrimental effects on the shotcrete properties, especially affecting the durability and mechanical performance. In consequence, we recommend a revision of the shotcrete process to eliminate these inhomogeneities.
Although the number and size of interconnected pores have been identified as the most important aspects of concrete microstructure, comprehensive datasets on shotcrete porosity and pore size distributions are still scarce and their key controls are poorly investigated. In this study we investigate the effects of the spraying process, setting accelerator addition and mix design on the microstructure of real-scale dry- and wet-mix shotcrete and hand-mixed and sprayed accelerated pastes. A newly proposed deconvolution analysis of the pore size distributions, measured by mercury intrusion porosimetry, offers increased precision in determining the critical and median pore diameter parameters. In total >50 samples were analysed. Results show that the dry-mix shotcrete exhibits a shift towards coarser pore sizes (∼100–1 μm) than wet-mix shotcrete. Combinations of different supplementary cementitious materials are favourable for producing wet-mix shotcretes with refined pore structures. The addition of setting accelerators, up to 10 wt-% of binder mass, and the spraying process cause systematic variations in the pore volume and pore structure of (sprayed) paste and shotcrete.
Shotcrete is a material frequently used in underground constructions such as tunnels, where Ca leaching and sulfate attack are important durability issues. In this study, two test methods were employed to investigate the sulfate resistance and leaching behaviour of dry- and wet-mix shotcretes in sulfate solutions on a time-resolved basis. Tests on powdered samples showed the dissolution of AFm, portlandite and C-A-S-H, subsequently followed by the precipitation of calcite and ettringite. The extent of sulfate expansion of drill cores corresponded to the chemical response of the powder materials, particularly on the reactivity of Ca- and Al-containing hydrated cement phases. The use of high-purity metakaolin (7-10 wt%) in the shotcrete binder significantly decreased the sulfate durability, while high amounts of other SCMs such as blast-furnace slag and silica fume (> 20 wt%) had a positive effect on the durability of shotcrete.
The reduction of clinker use is mandatory to lower the negative environmental impact of concrete. In shotcrete mixes, similarly to the case of conventional concrete, the use of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) and proper mix design allow for the substitution of clinker without compromising the mechanical properties. However, the impact of the substitution on the durability of shotcrete needs to be further assessed and understood. The results from the present study, obtained from real-scale sprayed concrete applications, show a reduction of the Ca2+ leaching and sintering potential of clinker-reduced shotcrete mixes due to the presence of SCMs. This positive effect, crucial for low maintenance costs of tunnels, is mainly related to a reduced portlandite content, which on the other hand negatively affects the carbonation resistance of shotcrete. Additionally, the hydration of SCMs positively influences the chloride penetration resistance presumably due to a combination of microstructural changes and changes in the chloride binding capacity. Differences found in the pore size distribution of the various mixes have low impact on the determined durability parameters, in particular compared to the effect of inhomogeneities produced during shotcrete application.