Thermodynamic modeling of cementitious material is an established tool for predicting the hydrated phase assemblages, pore solution pH, and pore solution composition of mixtures of various chemical compositions and water-to-binder (w/b) ratios. However, traditional thermodynamic techniques have major limitations for modeling mixtures containing supplementary cementitious materials (SCM), and when modeling...
Performing bridge inspections can be a very daunting task for every department of transportation (DOT) in the country. Because the leading cause of deterioration in reinforced concrete bridge decks is corrosion of the steel reinforcement, the ability to detect the concentration of corrosion-causing chlorides in the concrete, using a non-destructive...
This thesis builds on a modeling tool that has been developed to link thermodynamic modeling and concrete performance. This tool is intended to predict the performance for modern concrete mixtures made with ordinary portland cement (OPC), conventional and novel supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), and limestone (Ls). The first part of...
Chloride binding in Portland limestone cements (PLC) can be attributed to the chemical reaction between chloride ions and carboaluminate phases to form Friedel’s salt and the physical interaction between chloride ions and calcium-silicate-hydrates (C-S-H). This thesis examines the chloride binding of mortar samples containing varying amounts of limestone, fly ash,...
Most of the concrete in the world is produced using hydraulic cement (ordinary portland cement, OPC) and siliceous or alumino-siliceous supplementary cementitious materials (SCM). Due to the shift in focus toward environmental sustainability within the construction industry, alkali-activated cementitious systems (AAC) have gained significant attention to reduce the carbon footprint...
The pozzolanic reactivity test (PRT) is used to quantify the pozzolanic reactivity of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs). The PRT computes reactivity by measuring heat release (Q) and calcium hydroxide (CH) consumption, as interpreted using thermodynamic modeling. The robustness of PRT is examined by experimentally varying CH-to-SCM ratio, solution-to-solid ratio, sulfate...
Microbial-induced corrosion of concrete (MICC) is a multi-stage deterioration process caused by microbial activity in wastewater infrastructure. MICC is a worldwide issue due to the reduced service life of the wastewater infrastructure and the economic impact associated with increased maintenance and reconstruction costs. This thesis explores two critical aspect of...
A vital aspect of concrete construction is quality assurance and control (QA/QC). Engineered structures must meet pre-determined and agreed-upon strength and durability requirements. Concrete falls into a specific category of infrastructure material because in most cases, these strength and durability requirements cannot be found until the material has at least...
Cementitious materials are often characterized through the use of advanced analytical techniques to understand the macro-, micro-, and nano-scale properties, including phase formation during hydration, and subsequent potential deterioration mechanisms which can affect service life. A major limitation with using such analytical techniques to quantify solid phases in cementitious systems...
Sustainable wastewater infrastructure systems are vital for civilizations to protect public health. Most of the structural elements of wastewater infrastructure are constructed using concrete owing to its versatility, low cost, and durability. Concrete structures that are exposed to wastewater can experience Microbially Induced Corrosion of Concrete (MICC), which is a...