Performance of 3D-Printed Beams and Slabs Using Self-Sensing Cementitious Composites and DIC Method

This paper aims to explore the structural performance of 3D-printed and casted cement-based steel-reinforced concrete beams and one-way slabs incorporating short carbon fibre and activated carbon powder, which have been shown to enhance concrete's flexural strength and reduce its electrical resistivity. The samples are cast and printed in 250 × 325 × 3500 mm beams and 150 × 400 × 3500 mm one-way slabs and mechanical, electrical, and piezoresistivity properties were measured. This length of beams and one-way slabs with rebars have been considered as they can magnify the flexural and cracking behaviour and make them easier to be monitored and analysed. The samples were loaded up to 80% of maximum stress. Crack propagation and strain was assessed using the 2D digital image correlation (DIC) method. The results compared samples under continuously increasing loads between 3D-printed and cast samples. The 3D-printed composites had a better piezoresistive response due to the enhanced anisotropic behaviour. DIC analysis illustrated similar results among different samples, while 3D-printed blocks had lower cracking performance due to the horizontal case fracture in lower stress.

Prediction Models of Shielding Effectiveness of Carbon Fibre Reinforced Cement-Based Composites against Electromagnetic Interference

With the rapid development of communication technology as well as a rapid rise in the usage of electronic devices, a growth of concerns over unintentional electromagnetic interference emitted by these devices has been witnessed. Pioneer researchers have deeply studied the relationship between the shielding effectiveness and a few mixed design parameters for cementitious composites incoporating carbon fibres by conducting physical experiments. This paper, therefore, aims to develop and propose a series of prediction models for the shielding effectiveness of cementitious composites involving carbon fibres using frequency and mixed design parameters, such as the water-to-cement ratio, fibre content, sand-to-cement ratio and aspect ratio of the fibres. A multi-variable non-linear regression model and a backpropagation neural network (BPNN) model were developed to meet the different accuracy requirements as well as the complexity requirements. The results showed that the regression model reached an R² of 0.88 with a root mean squared error (RMSE) of 2.3 dB for the testing set while the BPNN model had an R² of 0.96 with an RMSE of 2.64 dB. Both models exhibited a sufficient prediction accuracy, and the results also supported that both the regression and the BPNN model are reasonable for such estimation.

Deicer Salt-Scaling Resistance of Concrete Using Recycled Concrete Aggregates Pretreated by Silica Fume Slurry

Concrete wastes such as recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) make up a significant part of construction and demolition waste (C&DW) which can be used to minimize usage of natural aggregates and reduce carbon footprint. This paper studies the salt-scaling resistance of recycled aggregate concrete produced with pretreated RCAs. The test method for evaluating salt-scaling resistance in concrete according to DIN EN 1340: 2003 was performed. Four series of concrete mixes using natural aggregates, RCAs, manually pretreated RCA, and modified RCA in a desiccator were subjected to the different tests in terms of bulk electrical resistance in two directions (X and Y) before and after freeze-thaw cycles, ultrasonic pulse velocity, and weight loss of the surface layer of concrete specimens. Moreover, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) of mixes was conducted and the microstructure of mixes considering the interface transition zone was studied. Results show that after exposure to cycles of freezing and thawing, the quality of concrete regarding ultrasonic pulse velocity did not change. The electrical resistance of specimens decreased significantly in X-direction and slightly in Y-direction after applying freeze-thaw cycles in all mixes. Nevertheless, surface modification of RCAs can increase electrical resistance and improve durability of concrete. SEM images show that the interface transition zone before and after freeze-thaw cycles remained unchanged which means strong bond between aggregate, new mortar, and old mortar. An estimation of the total charge passed indicated that all recycled aggregate concretes can be classified in a safe area and with very low chloride ion penetrability according to ASTM C1202.

Non-Destructive Evaluation of Mortar with Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag Blended Cement Using Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity

Non-destructive evaluation using ultrasonic pulse velocity (V_p) testing has extensive applications in the concrete industry. With advances in construction technology, the use of ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) as a partial replacement to cement in a concrete mix is growing in popularity primarily because it reduces the initial capital cost of raw materials and the associated energy costs. This paper investigates the effect of the water-to-cement (w_c) ratio and the cement content replaced by GGBFS on the development with time of the ultimate compressive strength (fc') and the compression wave velocity (V_p) of mortar. The results showed that in the case of mortar with higher percentages of GGBFS replacement (where nucleation surfaces are more abundant), increasing w_c can increase fc' but cause a decrease in V_p. The posterior hydration process is highly dependent upon the water particles in the mixture after the first stage of hydration. After 7 days of curing, experimental results show that the fc' of slag blended cement mix design w_c ratio of 0.6 surpassed the fc' value of an Ordinary Portland cement. A regression model correlating the fc' and V_p of slag blended mortar is developed, which can be used to predict fc' at concrete ages ranging from 1 day to 28 days for mixes with GGBFS percentage replacement values ranging from 15% to 45%.

Environmental protection by using waste copper slag as a coarse aggregate in self-compacting concrete

The copper production process causes waste and by-products called waste copper slag (WCS). A considerable amount of WCS is produced globally. This research aims to utilise WCS as an alternative to natural coarse aggregate in self-compacting concrete (SCC). To achieve this goal, WCS was utilised in different percentages (0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, and 100%) as a natural coarse aggregate replacement in SCC production. Following this, the fresh, mechanical, and durability characteristics of SCCs incorporating WCS as a partial replacement of coarse aggregates were investigated in-depth. Incorporating 100% WCS as coarse aggregates in SCCs showed 27%, 29%, and 26% growth in compressive, split, and flexural strengths in 28 days, respectively. The reduction of free drying shrinkage of the mixture containing 100% WCS compared to the control mixture was approximately 36%, and the water absorption of all the specimens was less than 6%. Further, the increase in weight for the mixture containing 100% WCS as coarse aggregates was less than 15% compared to the control mixture. A cost analysis of the SCCs showed that incorporating WCS for all coarse aggregates reduced production costs by 19%. Investigating the economic index of concrete containing WCS as a coarse aggregate showed that utilising the WCS in green SCC was feasible.

Review of Polymer Composites with Diverse Nanofillers for Electromagnetic Interference Shielding

Polymer matrix composites have generated a great deal of attention in recent decades in various fields due to numerous advantages polymer offer. The advancement of technology has led to stringent requirements in shielding materials as more and more electronic devices are known to cause electromagnetic interference (EMI) in other devices. The drive to fabricate alternative materials is generated by the shortcomings of the existing metallic panels. While polymers are more economical, easy to fabricate, and corrosion resistant, they are known to be inherent electrical insulators. Since high electrical conductivity is a sought after property of EMI shielding materials, polymers with fillers to increase their electrical conductivity are commonly investigated for EMI shielding. Recently, composites with nanofillers also have attracted attention due to the superior properties they provide compared to their micro counterparts. In this review polymer composites with various types of fillers have been analysed to assess the EMI shielding properties generated by each. Apart from the properties, the manufacturing processes and morphological properties of composites have been analysed in this review to find the best polymer matrix composites for EMI shielding.

The Effect of Fine and Coarse Recycled Aggregates on Fresh and Mechanical Properties of Self-Compacting Concrete

Today, the use of recycled aggregates as a substitute for a part of the natural aggregates in concrete production is increasing. This approach is essential because the resources for natural aggregates are decreasing in the world. In the present study, the effects of recycled concrete aggregates as a partial replacement for fine (by 50%) and coarse aggregates (by 100%) were examined in the self-compacting concrete mixtures which contain air-entraining agents and silica fumes. Two series of self-compacting concrete mixes have been prepared. In the first series, fine and coarse recycled mixtures respectively with 50% and 100% replacement with air entraining agent were used. In the second series, fine recycled (with 50% replacement) and coarse recycled (with 100% replacement) were used with silica fume. The rheological properties of the self-compacting concrete (SCC) were determined using slump-flow and J-ring tests. The tests of compressive strength, tensile strength, and compressive stress-strain behavior were performed on both series. The results indicated that air-entraining agent and silica fume have an important role in stabilization of fresh properties of the mixtures. The results of tests indicated a decrease in compressive strength, modulus of elasticity, and energy absorption of concrete mixtures containing air entrained agent. Also, the results showed that complete replacement (100%) with coarse recycled material had no significant effect on mechanical strength, while replacement with 50% fine recycled material has reduced compressive strength, tensile strength, and energy absorption.

Fire Performance of Heavyweight Self-Compacting Concrete and Heavyweight High Strength Concrete

In this study, the fresh and hardened state properties of heavyweight self-compacting concrete (HWSCC) and heavyweight high strength concrete (HWHSC) containing heavyweight magnetite aggregate with 50, 75, and 100% replacement ratio, and their performance at elevated temperatures were explored experimentally. For fresh-state properties, the flowability and passing ability of HWSCCs were assessed by using slump flow, T500 mm, and J-ring tests. Hardened-state properties including hardened density, compressive strength, and modulus of elasticity were evaluated after 28 days of mixing. High-temperature tests were also performed to study the mass loss, spalling of HWSCC and HWHSC, and residual mechanical properties at 100, 300, 600 and 900 °C with a heating rate of 5 °C/min. Ultimately, by using the experimental data, rational numerical models were established to predict the compressive strength and modulus of elasticity of HWSCC at elevated temperatures. The results of the flowability and passing ability revealed that the addition of magnetite aggregate would not deteriorate the workability of HWSCCs and they retained their self-compacting characteristics. Based on the hardened densities, only self-compacting concrete (SCC) with 100% magnetite content, and high strength concrete (HSC) with 75 and 100% magnetite aggregate can be considered as HWC. For both the compressive strength and elastic modulus, decreasing trends were observed by introducing magnetite aggregate to SCC and HSC at an ambient temperature. Mass loss and spalling evaluations showed severe crack propagation for SCC without magnetite aggregate while SCCs containing magnetite aggregate preserved up to 900 °C. Nevertheless, the mass loss of SCCs containing 75 and 100% magnetite content were higher than that of SCC without magnetite. Due to the pressure build-up, HSCs with and without magnetite showed explosive spalling at high temperatures. The residual mechanical properties analysis indicated that the highest retention of the compressive strength and modulus of elasticity after exposure to elevated temperatures belonged to HWSCC with 100% magnetite content.

Optical rectification of a 100 W average power mode-locked thin-disk oscillator

We demonstrate terahertz (THz) generation at megahertz repetition rate by optical rectification in GaP crystals, using excitation average power levels exceeding 100 W. The laser source is a state-of-the-art diode-pumped Yb:YAG SESAM-mode-locked thin-disk laser, capable of generating 580 fs pulses at an average power up to 120 W and a repetition rate of 13.4 MHz directly from a one-box oscillator, without the need for any extra amplification stages. In this first demonstration, we measure a maximum THz average power of 78 μW at a central frequency of 0.8 THz. Our results show that optical rectification of state-of-the-art high average power ultrafast sources in nonlinear crystals is within reach and paves the way toward high average power, ultrafast laser pumped THz sources.

Opportunities of marker-assisted selection for rice fragrance through marker-trait association analysis of microsatellites and gene-based markers

Developing fragrant rice through marker-assisted/aided selection (MAS) is an economical and profitable approach worldwide for the enrichment of an elite genetic background with a pleasant aroma. The PCR-based DNA markers that distinguish the alleles of major fragrance genes in rice have been synthesised to develop rice scent biofortification through MAS. Thus, the present study examined the aroma biofortification potential of these co-dominant markers in a germplasm panel of 189 F2 progeny developed from crosses between a non-aromatic variety (MR84) and a highly aromatic but low-yielding variety (MRQ74) to determine the most influential diagnostic markers for fragrance biofortification. The SSRs and functional DNA markers RM5633 (on chromosome 4), RM515, RM223, L06, NKSbad2, FMbadh2-E7, BADEX7-5, Aro7 and SCU015RM (on chromosome 8) were highly associated with the 2AP (2-acetyl-1-pyrroline) content across the population. The alleles traced via these markers were also in high linkage disequilibrium (R(2) > 0.70) and explained approximately 12.1, 27.05, 27.05, 27.05, 25.42, 25.42, 20.53, 20.43 and 20.18% of the total phenotypic variation observed for these biomarkers, respectively. F2 plants harbouring the favourable alleles of these effective markers produced higher levels of fragrance. Hence, these rice plants can be used as donor parents to increase the development of fragrance-biofortified tropical rice varieties adapted to growing conditions and consumer preferences, thus contributing to the global rice market.