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Early age and hardened performance of cement pastes combining mineral additions

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Abstract

To asses the influence of mineral additions (MA) at early age and on hardened performance of fluid cement based pastes, an experimental program was carried out. The design of the mixtures correspond to paste compositions used in self compacting concretes of moderated strength, as those employed for architectural applications. Two types of fillers (limestone and quartzite) have been used to substitute 50 % of cement in a reference paste, with and without a high range water reducing admixture. Then, three active MA (microsilica, nanosilica and metakaolin) were combined. A physical and mechanical characterization in the hardened state showed that the inclusion of MA to a cement-filler mixture can moderately improve the hardened performance of the pastes. Air and water cured samples were tested in order to evaluate the influence of curing conditions. At early ages (24 h), in situ temperature and ultrasonic pulse velocity were monitored on samples with limestone filler, combined with the three active MA, to study the reaction process and microstructure development, respectively. The reaction degree of the samples under study during the first 24 h was related to the microstructure development. Evaporation, drying shrinkage and cracking at early age were also monitored, considering an air flow of 3 m/s on the exposed sample surface. Some relations were described linking cracking risks at early ages with the chemical and physical phenomena involved at early age microstructure evolution.

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Acknowledgments

The authors want to acknowledge the contribution on the samples preparation and testing of the students Alvaro Mozas and Hector Arenas, and the help of Esperanza Salvador on the EDAX analysis of the SIDI of UAM, as well as the language revision done by Isabel Salto Weis. We would also want to thank R. Tascón, G. Sánchez and I. Pajares for their technical support. Some of the components were supplied by BASF Construction Chemicals España S. L., Omya Clariana SL and Cementos Portland Valderribas. Financial support for this research was provided by the grant CCG-08-UAH/MAT 4038, co-funded by University of Alcalá and the Comunidad de Madrid; PI3-2008-0499, funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, and the Research Program Geomateriales (S2009/Mat-1629), funded by the Comunidad de Madrid.

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  1. Departamento de Arquitectura. Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura y Geodesia, Universidad de Alcalá, C. Santa Úrsula, 8. Alcalá de Henares, 28801, Madrid, Spain

    Gonzalo Barluenga, Irene Palomar & Javier Puentes

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  1. Gonzalo Barluenga
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  2. Irene Palomar
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  3. Javier Puentes
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Correspondence to Gonzalo Barluenga.

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Barluenga, G., Palomar, I. & Puentes, J. Early age and hardened performance of cement pastes combining mineral additions. Mater Struct 46, 921–941 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-012-9944-9

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