This study investigates the microhardness and geometric degradation mechanisms of interfacial transition zones (ITZs) in recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) exposed to saline soil attack, focusing on the influence of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs). Ten RAC mixtures incorporating fly ash (FA), granulated blast furnace slag (GBFS), silica fume (SF), and metakaolin (MK) at 10 %, 15 %, and 20 % replacement ratios were subjected to 180 dry-wet cycles in a 7.5 %MgSO4-7.5 %Na2SO4-5 %NaCl solution. Key results reveal that ITZ's microhardness and geometric degradation decreases with exposure depth but intensifies with prolonged dry-wet cycles. The FAGBFS synergistically enhances ITZ microhardness while minimizing geometric deterioration, with ITZ's width and porosity reduced to 67.6-69.0 mu m and 25.83 %, respectively. In contrast, FA-SF and FA-MK exacerbate microhardness degradation, increasing porosity and amplifying microcrack coalescence. FA-GBFS mitigates the diffusion-leaching of aggressive/original ions and suppresses the formation of corrosion products, thereby inhibiting the initiation and propagation of microcracks. In contrast, FA-SF and FA-MK promote the formation of ettringite/gypsum and crystallization bloedite/glauberite, which facilitates the formation of trunk-limb-twig cracks.

If building loads cannot be transferred into the soil, ground improvements are often used, which require the addition of cement with considerable emissions of CO2. Thermo-mechanically processed crushed concrete fines can partially replace the required cement. This article deals with comprehensive laboratory tests to improve the soil mechanical properties of a typical sand as a building ground and demonstrates the applicability of thermo-mechanically processed concrete fines for the substitution of 25 wt.-% to 50 wt.-% of cement for practical construction purposes. Processing temperatures of 400 degrees C and 600 degrees C proved to be particularly effective, with greater reductions in strength and stiffness occurring outside this temperature range.

This study investigates the impact of cementation on the mechanical behavior of sands with various cement content (CSR) in drained triaxial compression, employing both Acoustic Emission (AE) and Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy (ESEM) measurements. The experimental findings, encompassing quantitative statistics of stress-strain relations, microstructure variations, and AE characteristics, demonstrate that: the addition of CSR from 1% to 20% leads to an exponential rise in peak strength and stiffness, marking a transition from ductile to brittle mechanical failure, which is pinpointed between CSR levels of 5% to 10%. AE characteristics unveil an upward-opening parabola of normalized AE hits with CSR, a clear transition zone identification, and three distinct types of AE rate evolutions corresponding to failure patterns of ductile bulging, shear banding, and brittle fracturing, respectively. It suggests an intimate correlation with the intrinsic differences in micro-mechanical behaviors and AE propagation properties of cemented sands with varying CSRs. Notably, the bulging and shear banding processes are divided by AE into three stages, whereas fracturing is characterized into five stages. Two precursory AE anomalies associated with incipient failure and complex failure modes are observed, emphasizing the advantage of using AE to reflect the internal micro-mechanical behavior of cemented sands over conventional stress-strain manifestations.

Seawater cement slurry (SCS) is a commonly used binder in offshore deep cement mixing (DCM) construction. Seawater cement slurries are usually prepared before they are grouted into the seabed and mixed with marine clay. The aim of this study is to explore the feasibility of applying carbonation technology to fabricate SCS suitable for offshore DCM while achieving carbon sequestration and obtaining better mechanical properties for stabilised marine sediments. This study demonstrated that after appropriate carbonation, carbonized SCS can be used in DCM to replace conventional SCS. Short-term carbonation promotes cement dissolution and hydration rates under seawater conditions rich in magnesium, calcium, and other inorganic ions. The carbonates include calcite, vaterite and amorphous carbonates, which provide additional nucleation sites for the hydration of SCS, resulting in an increment for amorphous CS(A)H gel with a dense pore structure and binding interaction with soil particles. After carbonation with 20 % CO2 for 5 min (0.5 wt% of cement), the UCS and secant modulus of cement-soil mixtures by 15.7 % and 111 % at the age of 1 day, and by 6.82 % and 10 % at the age of 28 days when treating marine clay with 80 % moisture content at a dosage of 260 kg/m3. 3 .

Soluble P2O5 and fluorine in phosphogypsum can jeopardize the environment and even human health. The application in building materials is a pathway to consume phosphogypsum on a large scale. However, the presence of soluble phosphorus causes significant retardation that reduces the early strength of building materials containing phosphogypsum. In this study, the mechanism of soluble phosphorus removal from phosphogypsum by red mud were studied. The synergistic effect of phosphogypsum, red mud and blast furnace slag for the preparation of high-sulfur cementitious materials was also investigated. The results demonstrated that the soluble phosphorus was transformed to inert material and was completely stabilized when red mud dosing reached 20 %. The slow setting was significantly improved, causing an increase in 3-d compressive strength. More hydration products were generated to enhance the early strength, indicating that the optimal synergistic effect of phosphogypsum, red mud and blast furnace slag occurred. In addition, the compressive strength reached 21.40 MPa (3 d), 29.60 MPa (7 d), and 48.60 MPa (28 d) when the total admixture of phosphogypsum and red mud was 45 %. The environmental performance research also shows that the material was green and nonpolluting. This paper advocates the use of the physicochemical properties of different solid wastes to dispose of hazardous substances in phosphogypsum rather than the use of natural resources.

The preservation of the ancient seawall site is a focal point and challenge in the protection of historical relics along Hangzhou's Grand Canal in China. This endeavor holds significant historical and contemporary value in uncovering and perpetuating Hangzhou's cultural heritage. Researchers investigating the Linping of the seawall site aimed to address soil site deterioration by selecting environmentally friendly alkali-activated slag cementitious materials and applying the response surface method (RSM) to conduct solidification experiments on the seawall soil. Researchers used the results of unconfined compressive strength tests and microscopic electron microscopy analysis, considering the comprehensive performance of soil solidification mechanisms and mechanical properties, to establish a least-squares regression fitting model to optimize the solidification material process parameters. The experimental results indicate that the optimal mass ratio of lime, gypsum, and slag for achieving the best solidification process parameters for the seawall soil, with a 28-day curing period, is 1:1.9:6.2. This ratio was subsequently applied to the restoration and reconstruction of the seawall site, with parts of the restored seawall exhibited in a museum to promote the sustainable conservation of urban cultural heritage. This study provides theoretical support and practical guidance for the protection and restoration of soil sites.

The experimental study of geopolymeric stabilized samples based on ceramic waste powder (CWP) and sodium hydroxide solution acting as an alkali activator was investigated in the present research to evaluate the possibility of geopolymeric stabilization of silty sand soil as a sustainable method for improving the mechanical properties of inshore sand soils. X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) was employed to analyze and determine the chemical components of the CWP and natural soil. The effect of four factors on the unconfined compression strength (UCS) and failure strain (sigma f) of silty sand soil, including CWP content (0-24%), NaOH solution concentration (0-15 M), the curing time (7, 28, and 91 days), and the initial curing temperature (25C and 70(degrees)C), were investigated. The results demonstrated a substantial increase in both UCS and sigma f for geopolymeric stabilized samples in comparison to natural soil and the soil that was stabilized with 5% ordinary Portland cement (OPC). The UCS and sigma f values of the 28-day-cured optimal sample (CWP = 15% and NaOH solution concentration = 6 M) in comparison with natural soil increased from 0.080 to 2.22 MPa and from 2.31% to 5.45%, respectively. Moreover, the UCS value in this sample was 1.75, 1.81, and 1.29 times higher than the stabilized soil with 5% OPC for each curing time. Without an alkali activator, CWP addition to the soil had no effect on UCS at all curing times. However, when a 2 M NaOH solution was added to the soil without CWP, the UCS of this sample rose to 0.36 MPa after 7 days of curing. The UCS of geopolymeric stabilized samples experienced growth from 1.27 to 2.04 times by shifting the initial curing temperature from 25C to 70C. Through the use of energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectra and scanning electron microscope (SEM) photomicrograph, the microstructure of stabilized samples was inspected. SEM photomicrographs corroborated the UCS test findings, and EDX analysis confirmed the high quality of the aluminosilicate gels' growth and production. To sum up, soil stabilization using CWP geopolymer is a cost-effective, environmentally friendly method that reduces the consumption of natural resources and energy.

Soft to medium clay soil possesses major sources of damages to the pavement layers overlying them because of their potential failure under moisture changes and external heavy traffic load. In such situations, soil stabilization methods can be used to improve the soil properties and satisfy the desired engineering requirements. This study presents the use of sugarcane bagasse ash (SBA) and lime as chemical stabilizers for a clay soil subbase. Sugarcane bagasse ash and lime are used individually and as mixtures at varying percentages to stabilize a clay soil from Taxila, Pakistan. Various geotechnical laboratory tests such as Atterberg limits, compaction test, and California Bearing Ratio (CBR) are carried out on both pure and stabilized soils. These tests are performed at 2.5%, 5%, and 7.5% of either SBA or lime by weight of dry soil. In addition, mixtures of lime and SBA in ratios of 1:1, 2:1, 3:1, 1:2, and 1:3 are used in 5%, 7.5%, and 10% of dry soil weight, respectively. Results indicate that soil improved with 7.5% SBA showed a 28% increase in the liquid limit, while soil mixed with 2.5% lime in combination with 7.5% SBA showed an increase of 40% in the plastic limit. For the plasticity index, the soil mixed with 7.5% SBA showed an increase of 42%. Moreover, 2.5% lime in combination with 2.5% SBA showed the best improvement in soil consistency as this mixture reduced the soil plasticity from high to low according to the plasticity chart. Furthermore, 2.5% SBA in combination with 5% lime demonstrated the largest improvement on the CBR value, which is about a 69% increase above that of the pure soil. Finally, the cost analysis indicates a promising improvement method that reduces pavement cost, increases design life, and mitigates issues of energy consumption and pollution related to SBA as a solid waste material.

There is a huge reservation of loess in the Shanxi mining area in China, which has great potential for preparing supplementary cementitious materials. Loess was modified via mechanical and thermal activation, and the pozzolanic activity was evaluated using an Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometer (ICP-OES). Moreover, the workability of grouting materials prepared using modified loess was assessed. The experimental results revealed that the number of ultrafine particles gradually increased with the grinding time, enhancing the grouting performance. The coordination number of Al decreased upon the breakage of the Al-O-Si bond post-calcination at 400 degrees C, 550 degrees C, 700 degrees C, and 850 degrees C. Moreover, the breaking of the Si-O covalent bond produced Si-phases, and the pozzolanic activity of loess increased. Furthermore, the modified loess was hydrated with different cement proportions. With increasing grinding time, the overall setting time increased until the longest time of 14.5 h and the fluidity of the slurry decreased until the lowest fluidity of 9.7 cm. However, the fluidity and setting time decreased with increasing calcination temperature. The lowest values were 12.03 cm and 10.05 h. With the increase in pozzolanic activity, more ettringite was produced via hydration, which enhanced the mechanical properties. The maximum strength of the hydrated loess after grinding for 20 min reached 16.5 MPa. The strength of the hydrated loess calcined at 850 degrees C reached 21 MPa. These experimental findings provide theoretical support for the practical application of loess in grouting.

Loess, a terrestrial clastic sediment, is formed essentially by the accumulation of wind-blown dust, while stone waste (SW) is an industrial waste produced during stone machining. Utilising loess and SW to prepare environmentally-friendly supplementary cementitious materials can not only address environmental issues caused by solid waste landfills but also meet the demand of reinforcement of coal-seam floor aquifer for grouting materials. In this paper, the effects of the loess/SW mass ratio and calcination temperature on the transformation of calcined products are investigated and their pozzolanic activities are evaluated. The workability, environmental impact and cost of grouting materials based on cement and calcined products are also assessed. Experimental results reveal that higher temperatures favour the formation of free lime and periclase, which tend to be involved in solid-state reactions. Higher temperature and loess/SW mass ratio strengthens the diffraction peaks of dodecalcium hepta-aluminate (C12A7), dicalcium ferrite (C2F) and dicalcium silicate (C2S). The clay minerals in loess become completely dehydroxylated before 825 degrees C, generating amorphous SiO2 and Al2O3. Covalent Si-O bonds are interrupted and that disordered silicate networks are generated in the calcined products, which is confirmed by the increased strength of the Si29 resonance region at -60 ppm to -80 ppm. Although co-calcined loess and SW contain the most four-fold aluminium at 950 degrees C, recrystallisation depresses the pozzolanic activity. Hence, the loess/SW sample designated LS2-825 exhibits the better hydration activity. Additionally, grouting materials composed of cement and LS2-825 exhibit good setting times, fluidity, strength and a low carbon footprint in practical engineering applications, and they also provide the additional benefit of being cost effective.