Documents published in Scipedia

• Overview on Testing Method of Internal Damage to Special-shaped Stone Components in Palace Museum

  Y. Qian, F. Qi, K. Niu

  DBMC 2023.

  
  

  Abstract

  Irregular historic stone components are very important parts of the ancient architecture in the Palace Museum. They have been subjected to deteriorations from surface to interior under the combined effects of many factors such as wetting and drying, salt dissolution and recrystallization, selfload, external load, and environment action. The internal damages in these stone components are difficult to detect but are crucial for the assessment of the intact of these components. In order to detect the internal damage of stone components, especially the special-shaped stone components, which cannot be tested by comment methods. Taking evaluation on preservation status of stone components in a qualitative and quantitative way， with application of ultrasonic computerized tomography and regular inspection, a convenient, safe, economical, efficient, and readable method for detecting the internal damage of irregular stone components can be established in order to detect any safety hazards as early as possible and provide data support for assessment and conservation, achieving a better preventive conservation.

  Abstract
  Irregular historic stone components are very important parts of the ancient architecture in the Palace Museum. They have been subjected to deteriorations from surface to interior [...]

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• Evaluating the Future Moisture Performance of the Stucco-Clad Wall Assembly in Selected Canadian Cities

  O. Zhe, X. Xiao, H. Ge, M. Lacasse

  DBMC 2023.

  
  

  Abstract

  Due to climate change, it is expected that the amount of precipitation in most parts of Canada will increase in the coming decades. Consequently, the building envelope exposed to such climate could experience a higher moisture load than in the past, which could have a negative impact on its performance in the long run. The stucco-clad wall assembly, which has been widely employed in the construction of low-rise residential buildings throughout Canada may not be adequately designed to be resilient to the future climate. Thus, in the study described in this paper, the future moisture performance of the stucco-clad wall assembly located in two Canadian cities with different levels of moisture load, i.e., Vancouver and Calgary, subjected to projected future climate is investigated. The analysis includes two phases: conducting watertightness for a full-scale stucco wall specimen to determine the relationship between the climate data and the moisture load in the wall assembly and implementing hygrothermal simulations using the relationship obtained from the watertightness test for the performance assessment. Mould growth index at the exterior surface of the oriented strand board of stucco-clad wall assembly for the historical and projected future time periods is compared and discussed.

  Abstract
  Due to climate change, it is expected that the amount of precipitation in most parts of Canada will increase in the coming decades. Consequently, the building envelope exposed [...]

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• Analysis of Thermal Bridges in Concrete and Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) Constructions: A Numerical Study

  A. Zegeye, F. Tariku

  DBMC 2023.

  
  

  Abstract

  The thermal efficiency of a building envelope relies on various factors, including insulation resistance, continuity, the thermal conductivity of structural materials, and the presence of thermal bridges. This study focuses on studying the thermal performance of thermal bridge details in two construction types: concrete and Concrete and Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT). For the study, two common building envelope details with significant thermal bridges are considered, balcony and intermediate wall-to-floor connections. Utilizing the finite element program COMSOL Multiphysics, hourly transient simulations were conducted over a one-year period to assess the heat loss/gain associated with thermal bridges, considering daily, seasonal, and annual heat flow for two diverse climatic conditions (hot weather Houston-Climate Zone 2 and cold weather Toronto-Climate Zone 6). The findings demonstrate that thermal bridges constructed from CLT outperformed those made of concrete. In Toronto, the annual heat flow for the concrete balcony was 146% higher compared to CLT, while in Houston, it was 67% higher. However, this trend was significantly reduced for the wall-to-floor detail, with a concrete detail showing a 13% increase in heat flow for Toronto and a 7% decrease in annual heat flow for Houston. Furthermore, the dynamic analysis revealed notable heat flow magnitude changes in the balcony detail, highlighting the importance of thermal conductivity, while the wall-to-floor detail exhibited dampening fluctuations in heat flow, emphasizing the material's heat capacity importance in this context.

  Abstract
  The thermal efficiency of a building envelope relies on various factors, including insulation resistance, continuity, the thermal conductivity of structural materials, and [...]

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• Use of Machine Learning in Processes Optimization for Drinking Water Treatment Plant Butoniga (Istria, Croatia)

  G. Volf, S. Zorko, I. Čule

  DBMC 2023.

  
  

  Abstract

  Drinking water treatment plant Butoniga is located in central Istria (Croatia) downstream of the Butoniga reservoir. The Butoniga reservoir is an artificial lake created in 1987 with two main objectives: 1) protection from adverse water impacts, and 2) drinking water supply. The operation of the drinking water treatment plant is mainly related to the tourist season, and the 5.000.000 m3 of produced and distributed drinking water annually, 3.000.000 m3 is produced and distributed during June 15 to September 15, when the raw water quality in the Butoniga reservoir is the worst. Regarding this, main problem with Butoniga reservoir and thus drinking water treatment plant appear in summer months when water temperature is the most critical parameter and raw water for the treatment process must be captured from the lowest layer of the reservoir which have increased concentrations of Mn, Fe, NH4 and lower pH values and thus influence on the treatment processes. To deal with this problem, model predicting Mn, seven days in advance is build using machine learning approaches. Build model have high accuracy compared to the measured data, with a good prediction of the peak values. As such, obtained model can help in optimization of the treatment processes which are depending on the quality of raw water, and overall, in sustainability and management of the drinking water treatment plant Butoniga.

  Abstract
  Drinking water treatment plant Butoniga is located in central Istria (Croatia) downstream of the Butoniga reservoir. The Butoniga reservoir is an artificial lake created in [...]

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• Proposal of Soundness Index for Existing RC Apartment Building for Proper Management Through Visual Monitoring

  N. Tsuchiya, N. Mishima, K. Nemoto, K. Matsuzawa, K. Nakada, T. Kage, H. Tanano

  DBMC 2023.

  
  

  Abstract

  A numerical index for housing complexes of reinforced concrete maintained properly was proposed. First, based on the literature review, deterioration grade and a method for evaluating soundness for RC housing complexes, which determined by visual inspection, was proposed. And then, accelerated deterioration experiments of small RC wall and investigation of existing buildings were conducted. From the study, a correlation between the deterioration grade determined visually and rebar corrosion grade was confirmed. By using building health H(t), that is proposed as index of soundness for existing RC housing complexes, RC housing complexes whose age were 46 to 69 years were evaluated. From the study, it was confirmed how much deterioration the evaluation value indicates.

  Abstract
  A numerical index for housing complexes of reinforced concrete maintained properly was proposed. First, based on the literature review, deterioration grade and a method for [...]

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• Effect of Moderately Elevated Temperatures on Performance of Portland Cement Concrete

  S. Gao, M. Liu, Q. Kong, K. Li

  DBMC 2023.

  
  

  Abstract

  High temperature is one of the critical factors leading to the change in concrete performance since it affects the physical structure and chemical components of concrete. However, some concrete structures are continuously subjected to moderately elevated temperatures (typically less than 200 ℃) when operating, such as chimneys for the metallurgical industry and structures in nuclear power plants. The deterioration process of these structures could be caused and accelerated by a high-temperature environment. Thus, the safety and performance of these concrete structures at elevated temperatures during service life are crucial. This paper aims to investigate the change in concrete performance exposed to sustained moderately high temperatures. The concrete cured for 56 days was subjected to temperatures ranging from 65℃ to 200 ℃ for 28 days. The mechanical properties of concrete at different heating temperatures were tested, including compressive strength, splitting tensile strength and modulus of elasticity. Meanwhile, concrete’s durability after heating was evaluated using the concrete electrical resistivity test. The concrete elevated-temperature performance was compared to identical concretes at room temperatures, and the evolution of each property was analyzed. Based on experimental results, the long-term performance of concrete in a moderately elevated temperature environment is predicted.

  Abstract
  High temperature is one of the critical factors leading to the change in concrete performance since it affects the physical structure and chemical components of concrete. [...]

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• Heavy Metals Immobilization Property and Mechanisms of LDHs-modified Cementitious Materials

  L. Chi, C. Huang

  DBMC 2023.

  
  

  Abstract

  Layered double hydroxide (LDH) has a positive effect on the adsorption and immobilization of heavy metals. The compressive strength and the heavy metal ions Pb2+ immobilization of CaAl-LDH modified cement paste were studied in this paper. Through research, it was found that compared with the cement paste sample with a Pb2+ content of 1% after curing for 7d and 28d, the addition of CaAlLDH to the cement paste sample increased the compressive strength by 6.1% and 1.6%, respectively, demonstrating the enhancing effect of CaAl-LDH on the strength of cement paste. Compared with the sample containing only Pb2+, the addition of CaAl-LDH to the cement increased the immobilization rate by 0.3% after 12 hours of leaching time and showed varying degrees of improvement at different leaching times. The immobilization mechanism of heavy metals in LDH blended cement paste was revealed by microstructure characterization. It was founded that Pb2+ can replace Ca2+ in AFt, AFm, and LDH, and can co-precipitate with OH-.

  Abstract
  Layered double hydroxide (LDH) has a positive effect on the adsorption and immobilization of heavy metals. The compressive strength and the heavy metal ions Pb2+ immobilization [...]

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• Chemo-physical Analysis on Corrosion Initiation of Offshore Structures under Chloride Attack

  B. Dong, Y. Yu, W. Gao

  DBMC 2023.

  
  

  Abstract

  Chloride ingress has been recognized as a main factor inducing the corrosion of offshore reinforced concrete structures. It is acknowledged that the chemical attack can lead to concrete property deterioration, which inevitably affects the reinforcement corrosion. Herein, the influence of the concrete aging on the chloride-induced corrosion initiation is systematically evaluated by a novel numerical framework. In this framework, the chemo-physical analysis is conducted based on coupled NernstPlanck model and Gibbs energy minimization model. The proposed method is first validated against reported experimental results. It is found that the chloride ingress is always accompanied by leaching of hydrates near the exposure surface, leading to the porosity enlargement. Moreover, due to chemical binding of chloride to monosulfoaluminate, ettringite continuously precipitates under the function of released sulfate ions. Through a series of numerical analyses, it is revealed that the newly formed hydrates impose competitive effects on chloride transportation due to the simultaneous pore-clogging and expansion-induced microcracks. Chloride-induced corrosion occurs earlier in the situation that the effect of microcracks overcomes that of pore clogging, otherwise, the corrosion is delayed.

  Abstract
  Chloride ingress has been recognized as a main factor inducing the corrosion of offshore reinforced concrete structures. It is acknowledged that the chemical attack can lead [...]

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• Carbonation-induced Early Corrosion Propagation Based Service Life Assessment Model (CECP-SAM)

  L. Chen, R. Su

  DBMC 2023.

  
  

  Abstract

  Supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) are widely used for sustainable concrete. However, this is challenged due to the deteriorated resistance towards carbonation-induced corrosion. This paper introduces the establishment of a novel carbonation-induced early corrosion propagation based service life assessment model (CECP-SAM). This model is characterized by considering the early corrosion propagation (incipient cracking) and the use of supplementary cementitious materials. Based on experimental and numerical methods, the effects of binders, water/binder (W/B) ratio, exposure condition, cover thickness, rebar diameter, semi-carbonation zone, cathode-anode ratio on service life are investigated by CECP-SAM. The model is justified by using the results from a field investigation in Hong Kong. Performance-based service life equations are also given based on CECP-SAM.

  Abstract
  Supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) are widely used for sustainable concrete. However, this is challenged due to the deteriorated resistance towards carbonation-induced [...]

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• Service Life Prediction of Concrete Against Freezing and Thawing Based on Water Absorption Results

  L. Xu, J. Wang, C. Zhang, Z. Li, Q. Yang

  DBMC 2023.

  
  

  Abstract

  Freezing and thawing resistance performance of concrete is a critical issue when evaluating the durability performance of concrete. This paper aims to predict the freezing and thawing resistance performance of concrete based water absorption indexes, meanwhile, five groups of experiments on porosity, short-term water absorption, long-term water absorption, MIP and pore structure scanning were respectively carried out for concrete. According to the experimental results, the important indexes such as porosity, water absorption, gas content and bubble spacing coefficient were obtained, which provided the basis for the prediction of durability and service life. The concept of equilibrium time ratio is introduced to simplify the calculation process. Based on the critical saturation theory, the service life of concrete against freezing and thawing is predicted by combining the environmental parameters and the indexes measured in experiments. The calculated results verified that the freeze-thaw durability life of air-entrained concrete is significantly increased compared with that of concrete without air-entrained concrete. In addition, a wide range of the service life was predicted for the 5 mixes, and the results could provide a guidance for selecting a proper mix design of concrete subjected to freezing and thawing.

  Abstract
  Freezing and thawing resistance performance of concrete is a critical issue when evaluating the durability performance of concrete. This paper aims to predict the freezing [...]

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