Alkali-aggregate reactivity (AAR) is one of the major causes of damage in concrete. Potential susceptibility of aggregates to this reaction can be determined using several methods. This study compares gravel alkali reactivity results obtained from different tests conducted on coarse aggregates with complex petrography. The potential for the reactivity in the aggregates was revealed in the chemical test using treatment with sodium hydroxide. Optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction were used to identify the reactive constituents. The expansion measured in the mortar bars test confirmed that the aggregate was potentially capable of alkali silica reactivity with consequent deleterious effect on concrete.

The process of historical building conservation includes the repair of mortars eroded due to material and environmental factors. Identification of old mortar constituents is necessary to enable duplicating the material. Information on the binder and aggregate types and contents can be obtained from microscopic observation used in combination with instrumental methods. This paper presents the results of microstructure and mineral composition tests of mortars collected from the walls of thirteenth century buildings. A combination of techniques was used, which included X-ray diffraction, transmitted light optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy with micro-area elemental composition analysis. The test results revealed porous lime and sand mortars with a binder-aggregate ratio often beyond the commonly adopted values. The mortars contained sand grains of up to 0.5 mm and larger pieces of limestone, flint, feldspar and brick. Transmitted light optical microscopy and scanning microscopy were found to be essential techniques for mortar characterization in existing buildings and structures.

The results from the experimental research are presented in the abstract. The experimental research involved utilization of the sludge from the mine water treatment plant of Coal Quarry ČSA/Czechoslovak Army/ (hereinafter “ČSA”) and Coal Quarry Jana Švermy (hereinafter “JŠ”) in the segment of thermal insulation mortars. The mine water treatment is described below including chemical and mineralogical sludge composition as the additional component of the binding material in the polyurethane thermal insulation mortars. Furthermore the composition of experimental mixtures of the thermal insulation polyurethane mortar is presented in the work and its physical-mechanical properties. The monitored elements included the strength characteristics, heat conductivity coefficient λ, and water vapour diffusion coefficient μ.

The article is an attempt to compare the impact of the use of various types of limestone as the main constituent of cement on selected mortar properties. Four different limestones were added in amount of 15, 30, 40% to CEM I 42.5 R to obtain limestone cemens. Rheological properties (yield stress, plastic viscosity) of fresh mortar, tensile and compressive mortar strength, early shrinkage, and drying shrinkage were tested. Obtained results indicate that both tensile and compressive strength decreases with the increase of the limestone content in cement. Limestone can worsen or improve workability, depending on distribution of limestone grains. The addition of limestone increases the early shrinkage, but reduces the shrinkage after 28 days. Studies show that the granulation of limestone plays an important role in determining the influence of limestone on mortar properties.

Mortar feedstock is extruded to form bead and it is selectively placed line by line in the material extrusion additive manufacturing. With respects to part building process healthiness, load-supporting ability of overlaid beads is emphasized as buildability. Buildability is primarily dependent on thixotropic properties of feedstock and vertical overlapping schedule. In the present study, water-to-binder (w/b) ratio was chosen as material aspect to assess buildability. Uneven bead shape evolution and premature failure were highlighted owing to low yield stress of high w/b ratio feedstock. Feedstock with optimum w/b ratio showed good buildability even at the interval time of 19 sec.

In this study, the results of experiment research on building mortars based on dry mixtures with the use of granite dust are given. It also shows the possibilities of their industrial release. In the conditions of energy resources shortage, gradual exhaustion of natural raw materials, aggravation of environmental problems, an important direction in the production of building mixtures is the development of mixes with waste materials from various industries. In particular, granite dust, which simultaneously allows to rationally use natural mineral material and solve environmental problems. Based on the obtained data, experimental and statistical models of physical and mechanical properties of fresh and hardened mortar are constructed and ways of optimizing their compositions and improving the properties of mortars are analyzed. It is established that the use of granite dust and some additives provides high standardized parameters for mortar mixture and bricklaying process, including plasticity, compressive strength and others at the low level of cement consumption. Fresh mortar mixtures have a prolonged slump retention.

In this study, cubic and cylindrical cement mortar specimens were first subjected to high temperatures, then the cubic and cylindrical specimens were taken out and conducted with uniaxial compressive test and splitting tensile test, respectively. The effect of the length to side ratio on the uniaxial compressive properties and the effect of thickness-to-diameter ratio on the splitting tensile properties of cement mortar specimens after high temperature were studied. Test results show that: (1) With temperature increasing from 25°C (room temperature) to 400°C, the compressive strength and elastic modulus of cubic specimens with three kinds of side lengths decrease; the decreasing rates of compressive strength and elastic modulus of cubic specimen with side length of 70.7 mm is higher than those of cubic specimens with side length of 100 mm and 150 mm, and the strain at the peak stress of cubic specimens with three kinds of side lengths increase. (2) After the same temperature, the tensile strength of cylindrical specimen decreases with the thickness-to-diameter ratio increasing from 0.5 to 1.0. The decreasing rate of tensile strength of cylindrical specimen with thickness-to-diameter ratio is highest when the temperature is 25°C (room temperature), followed by that after the temperature of 200°C, and that after the temperature of 400°C is the lowest.

An attempt was made in the present work to study the compressive strength and microstructure of geopolymer containing high calcium fly ash (HCFA) and silica fume. Concentration of sodium hydroxide solution 8M, 10M, 12M & 14M, liquid to binder ratio 0.5 and sodium hydroxide to sodium silicate ratio 2.5 were selected for the mixes. Geopolymer mortar test results indicated that the mix with 40% silica fume by the weight of HCFA yielded higher compressive strength under ambient curing. The XRD pattern typically shows the major portion of amorphous phase of geopolymer. The existence of C-A-S-H gel, N-A-S-H gel and hydroxysodalite gel products were observed through SEM which developed dense microstructure and thus enhanced strength of HCFA and silica fume geopolymer.