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To understand the main properties of cement, a ubiquitous material, a sound description of its chemistry and mineralogy, including its reactivity in aggressive environments and its mechanical properties, is vital. In particular, the porosity distribution and associated sample carbonation, both of which affect cement's properties and durability, should be quantified accurately, and their kinetics and mechanisms of formation known both in detail and in situ. However, traditional methods of cement mineralogy analysis (e.g. chemical mapping) involve sample preparation (e.g. slicing) that can be destructive and/or expose cement to the atmosphere, leading to preparation artefacts (e.g. dehydration). In addition, the kinetics of mineralogical development during hydration, and associated porosity development, cannot be examined. To circumvent these issues, X-ray diffraction computed tomography (XRD-CT) has been used. This allowed the mineralogy of ternary blended cement composed of clinker, fly ash and blast furnace slag to be deciphered. Consistent with previous results obtained for both powdered samples and dilute systems, it was possible, using a consolidated cement paste (with a water-to-solid ratio akin to that used in civil engineering), to determine that the mineralogy consists of alite (only detected in the in situ hydration experiment), calcite, calcium silicate hydrates (C-S-H), ettringite, mullite, portlandite, and an amorphous fraction of unreacted slag and fly ash. Mineralogical evolution during the first hydration steps indicated fast ferrite reactivity. Insights were also gained into how the cement porosity evolves over time and into associated spatially and time-resolved carbonation mechanisms. It was observed that macroporosity developed in less than 30 h of hydration, with pore sizes reaching about 100-150 µm in width. Carbonation was not observed for this time scale, but was found to affect the first 100 µm of cement located around macropores in a sample cured for six months. Regarding this carbonation, the only mineral detected was calcite.

In the present study, the chemical composition, mineralogy, and mechanisms of alteration of a cementitious grout based on a CEM III/C with addition of smectite, hydrotalcite, and silica fume, are studied using a combination of chemical and physical methods. This material was designed in the context of geological repository of radioactive wastes, with a twofold aim: first, to fill the technical voids left by drilling operations at the interface between the geological formation and the disposal galleries. Second, to neutralize a potential acidic transient due to pyrite oxidation, and to create an environment that favors low corrosion rates of carbon steels. The grout is mainly composed of calcium silicate hydrates having a Ca/Si ratio of ~0.8, incorporating Al in the bridging site of the Si chains (C-A-S-H), and accounting for 29–36 wt.% of the sample. It also contains silica fume (38–48 wt.%), smectite with interlayer Na (11–17 wt.%), hydrotalcite with interlayer CO32− (3–4 wt.%), and lower amounts of portlandite, calcite, and possibly gibbsite and gypsum. Upon alteration by water in a flow-through reactor, the main modifications affecting the sample are calcite and gypsum dissolution, hence releasing aqueous Ca2+ that is adsorbed in smectite interlayer by replacing Na+, and stoichiometric C-A-S-H dissolution. The evolution of solution chemistry and of the solid phase composition are reproduced successfully using a thermokinetic model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this research work is to develop a corrosion resistant fiber-reinforced concrete for radioactive waste disposal structures. In the case of precast concrete, the use of fibers is a solution to reduce the amount of steel reinforcement while maintaining high mechanical performance and durability. Concrete has a low strain capacity and a limited tensile strength. Generally, reinforcing bars are used to ensure tensile strength. A fiber reinforcement can also help to overcome such a mechanical weakness. For this purpose, an amorphous metallic fiber (AMF), corrosion-resistant and suitable for application in severe environment conditions are used. The fresh and hardened properties of the self-compacting fiber reinforced concrete (SCFRC) are studied with volume fractions of AMF of 0% and 0.28% and with three different aspect ratios (82, 114 and 123). Flexural tensile tests according to European standard EN 14651 are conducted to quantify the contribution of the fiber reinforcement on the residual flexural tensile strength. Since these fibers are electrically conductive, they are also tested to design a smart concrete. For this purpose, electrical resistance of specimens submitted to cyclic flexural loadings are monitored using a Wheatstone bridge.