Combined effects of low-heat cement, expansive agent and shrinkage-reducing admixture on drying shrinkage and cracking of concrete
The cracking of double-block ballastless track slab concrete has become a critical issue, which can be mitigated through the use of low-heat Portland cement (LC), a MgO-based expansive agent (ME), and a shrinkage-reducing admixture (SR). However, the combined effects of these three components on shr...
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| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Case Studies in Construction Materials |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214509525001421 |
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| author | Lei Fang Dabao Fu Qiang Yuan Song Xu Dong Zhang Huangyi Cai Xiaoqing Zeng Yong Wang Jin Zhou |
| author_facet | Lei Fang Dabao Fu Qiang Yuan Song Xu Dong Zhang Huangyi Cai Xiaoqing Zeng Yong Wang Jin Zhou |
| author_sort | Lei Fang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The cracking of double-block ballastless track slab concrete has become a critical issue, which can be mitigated through the use of low-heat Portland cement (LC), a MgO-based expansive agent (ME), and a shrinkage-reducing admixture (SR). However, the combined effects of these three components on shrinkage cracking of concrete have not yet been studied. In this paper, the drying shrinkage deformation, cracking risk index (η), and microstructure of ordinary concrete and LC concrete with different contents of ME and SR are systematically studied. The findings indicate that LC decreases the cracking risk of concrete by approximately 38.7 % compared to ordinary Portland cement (PC). By generating expansion crystals and reducing the surface tension of pore solution, both ME and SR can further inhibit the shrinkage of LC, thereby improving the crack resistance of LC-concrete. A significant synergistic shrinkage reduction effect of ME (8 %) and SR (2 %) on LC-concrete is demonstrated, reducing the cracking risk by around 51.04 %. The combined use of SR and ME promotes the formation of more elongated brucite crystals, enhancing particle interaction and improving the cracking resistance of LC. These findings offer essential insights for designing concrete with high crack resistance, ensuring that the cracking risk index remains below the acceptable threshold. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c52f6184997941c882b7ad88c46e4583 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2214-5095 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Case Studies in Construction Materials |
| spelling | doaj-art-c52f6184997941c882b7ad88c46e45832025-02-05T04:32:05ZengElsevierCase Studies in Construction Materials2214-50952025-07-0122e04344Combined effects of low-heat cement, expansive agent and shrinkage-reducing admixture on drying shrinkage and cracking of concreteLei Fang0Dabao Fu1Qiang Yuan2Song Xu3Dong Zhang4Huangyi Cai5Xiaoqing Zeng6Yong Wang7Jin Zhou8College of Civil Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China; Corresponding authors.Fuzhou City Sustainable Development Urban Research Institute Co., Ltd., Fuzhou 350108, China; Corresponding authors.School of Civil Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410075, ChinaCollege of Civil Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, ChinaCollege of Civil Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, ChinaCollege of Civil Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, ChinaFuzhou City Sustainable Development Urban Research Institute Co., Ltd., Fuzhou 350108, ChinaSchool of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Xiamen University of Technology, Xiamen 361024, ChinaSchool of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Xiamen University of Technology, Xiamen 361024, ChinaThe cracking of double-block ballastless track slab concrete has become a critical issue, which can be mitigated through the use of low-heat Portland cement (LC), a MgO-based expansive agent (ME), and a shrinkage-reducing admixture (SR). However, the combined effects of these three components on shrinkage cracking of concrete have not yet been studied. In this paper, the drying shrinkage deformation, cracking risk index (η), and microstructure of ordinary concrete and LC concrete with different contents of ME and SR are systematically studied. The findings indicate that LC decreases the cracking risk of concrete by approximately 38.7 % compared to ordinary Portland cement (PC). By generating expansion crystals and reducing the surface tension of pore solution, both ME and SR can further inhibit the shrinkage of LC, thereby improving the crack resistance of LC-concrete. A significant synergistic shrinkage reduction effect of ME (8 %) and SR (2 %) on LC-concrete is demonstrated, reducing the cracking risk by around 51.04 %. The combined use of SR and ME promotes the formation of more elongated brucite crystals, enhancing particle interaction and improving the cracking resistance of LC. These findings offer essential insights for designing concrete with high crack resistance, ensuring that the cracking risk index remains below the acceptable threshold.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214509525001421Low-heat cementMagnesium oxide expansion agentShrinkage reducing agentConcrete for track slabCracking risk |
| spellingShingle | Lei Fang Dabao Fu Qiang Yuan Song Xu Dong Zhang Huangyi Cai Xiaoqing Zeng Yong Wang Jin Zhou Combined effects of low-heat cement, expansive agent and shrinkage-reducing admixture on drying shrinkage and cracking of concrete Case Studies in Construction Materials Low-heat cement Magnesium oxide expansion agent Shrinkage reducing agent Concrete for track slab Cracking risk |
| title | Combined effects of low-heat cement, expansive agent and shrinkage-reducing admixture on drying shrinkage and cracking of concrete |
| title_full | Combined effects of low-heat cement, expansive agent and shrinkage-reducing admixture on drying shrinkage and cracking of concrete |
| title_fullStr | Combined effects of low-heat cement, expansive agent and shrinkage-reducing admixture on drying shrinkage and cracking of concrete |
| title_full_unstemmed | Combined effects of low-heat cement, expansive agent and shrinkage-reducing admixture on drying shrinkage and cracking of concrete |
| title_short | Combined effects of low-heat cement, expansive agent and shrinkage-reducing admixture on drying shrinkage and cracking of concrete |
| title_sort | combined effects of low heat cement expansive agent and shrinkage reducing admixture on drying shrinkage and cracking of concrete |
| topic | Low-heat cement Magnesium oxide expansion agent Shrinkage reducing agent Concrete for track slab Cracking risk |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214509525001421 |
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