Dalibor Kocáb

Applying Method of Acoustic Emission for Monitoring of Different Concrete Mixture during Setting and Hardening

Non Destructive Testing is a powerful tool for determination of properties, durability and lifetime of concrete structures. Acoustic Emission Method is an unusual technique which describes only active defects or changes into structure arising as a consequence dangerous tension into structure. The method is appropriate to be used in homogenous structures as metal structures when cracks are highly active (generates sound). Its application in civil engineering is not so much used because building structures are inhomogeneous. This article shows possible application of Acoustic Emission Method for monitoring of concrete structure changes during its lifetime. The main aim of the article is to show the application of Acoustic Emission Method during the early age to 28 days after mixing. It is believed that early age of concrete structure is very important for its quality. Common concrete cube specimens have been tested after the production by Acoustic Emission Method with using waveguides. The results of acoustic emission method will be compared to classical parameters of fresh concrete e.g. the value water-cement ratio, air void content measured by different methods (pressure methods, AVA) and similar. In the results will be compared four mixtures when two mixtures were aerated and two mixtures were without aeration.

Comprehensive Testing Techniques for the Measurement of Shrinkage and Structural Changes of Fine-Grained Cement-Based Composites during Ageing

The paper deals with an experimental analysis focusing on the utilization of a specific measurement technique for determining the development of shrinkage and for monitoring structural changes in fine-grained cement-based composites during their ageing. Advanced measurement equipment and procedure allowing simultaneous measurement of length changes, mass losses, acoustic responses, and temperature development were designed and verified by the experimental investigation. The main scope of the experiments performed was focused on finding the relationships between the characteristics being investigated while maintaining a uniform test setup. For the purpose of the experimental measurement, three fine-grained cement composite mixtures were designed and manufactured. The mixtures differed in the water-to-cement ratio (w/c) and in the amount of plasticizer. The measurement outputs are presented in the form of diagrams showing the relations between the studied parameters, such as relative length changes, mass losses, temperature progress, and acoustic emission (AE) activity during solidification of the composites. The measurement results showed close relations between the examined characteristics. The progress of relative length changes together with the progress of mass losses and temperature development is reflected in the AE activity. The advanced measurement procedure and technique provided valuable information about the behaviour of cement-based composites during early setting and long-term hardening.

Experimental Analysis on Shrinkage and Swelling in Ordinary Concrete

The paper deals with the experimental determination of shrinkage development during concrete ageing. Three concrete mixtures were made. They differed in the amount of cement in the fresh mixture, 300, 350, and 400 kg/m3. In order to determine the influence of plasticiser on the progress of volume changes, another three concrete mixtures were prepared with plasticiser in the amount of 0.25% by cement mass. Measurements were performed with the goal of observing the influence of cement and plasticiser content on the overall development of volume changes in the concrete. Changes in length and mass losses of the concrete during ageing were measured simultaneously. The continuous measurement of concrete mass losses caused by drying of the specimen’s surface proved useful during the interpretation of results obtained from the concrete shrinkage measurement. During the first 24 hours of ageing, all the concrete mixtures exhibited swelling. Its magnitude and progress were influenced by cement, water, and plasticiser content. However, a loss of mass caused by water evaporation from the surface of the specimens was also recorded in this stage. The measured progress of shrinkage corresponded well to the progress of mass loss.

Possibilities of Experimental Determinations of the Modulus of Elasticity in the early Stage of Ageing of Cement Composites

This paper deals with the possibilities of experimental determination of the dynamic and static modulus of elasticity of fine-grained cement composites in the early stage of setting and hardening - up to 72 hours. Several cement pastes and cement mortars were produced for the purpose of this experiment. The measurement of the modulus of elasticity on the manufactured cement-based composites was carried out in the first 24 hours, each time only by the ultrasonic pulse velocity test using the innovative Vikasonic instrument. In the following 48 hours, the resonance method and the static load test were employed. The results of the pilot measurement and particularly the assessment of the possibilities of determination of the moduli of elasticity are presented in this paper.

Influence of a Shrinkage-Reducing Admixture on the Damage to the Internal Structure of Alkali-Activated Composites during Testing of the Modulus of Elasticity

This article deals with an experimental determination of the static modulus of elasticity in compression on fine-grained composites based on alkali-activated slag. This experiment included an alkali-activated composite without a shrinkage-reducing admixture and the same composite with a shrinkage-reducing admixture. The test specimens were subjected to testing of the dynamic modulus of elasticity using the ultrasonic pulse velocity test and the resonance method as well as of the static modulus of elasticity in compression. The static modulus of elasticity test was accompanied by the measurement of the acoustic activity of the material using the acoustic emission method, whose advantages is the possibility to detect early formation and propagation of cracks in the internal structure of the material. The output of the described experiment is a detailed evaluation of the differences in the behaviour of the tested alkali-activated composites based on the observed values of the modulus of elasticity and the recorded acoustic activity of the material during loading.

Experimental Determination of how the Static Modulus of Elasticity is Influenced by the Value of the Upper Loading Stress

There is a large number of factors that have a strong influence on the elastic modulus of concrete. These are technological influences as well as issues connected with the testing methods for its determination, one of which is the choice of the upper loading stress of cyclic loading during testing the static modulus of elasticity of concrete in compression. The upper loading stress should be equal to 1/3 of the specimen’s compressive strength, however, its choice is often made incorrectly. This paper describes an experiment focused on discovering the impact that deviating from the 1/3 upper loading stress has on the measured value of the static modulus of elasticity.

Observation of the Development of the Elastic Modulus and Strength in a Polymer-Cement Mortar Using the Acoustic Emission Method

The paper describes an experiment focused on observing the development of the elastic modulus and compressive strength in a polymer-cement mortar during the first 28 days of aging. The specimens (aged 3 and 28 days) were tested for the static and dynamic modulus of elasticity using two methods – the ultrasonic pulse velocity test and the resonance method. During the test of the modulus of elasticity in compression the mortar’s behaviour was also examined by means of the acoustic emission method, which is based on the recording of mechanical pulses caused by dilation waves generated by microcracks that form during loading. The outcome of the experiment is an evaluation of the polymer-cement mortar’s behaviour in terms of the development of its elastic modulus and compressive strength as well as in terms of the material’s acoustic response during loading.

In Situ Determination of the Elastic Modulus of Concrete by Means of Ultrasonic Pulse Method

The paper deals with the in-situ determination of the modulus of elasticity on the bridge elements using ultrasonic pulse method. This non-destructive test method was chosen for the measurement because of its undisputed advantages that allow the measurement of relatively thick layers of material. For the purpose of the elastic modulus verification the direct measurement was used, in which a pair of transducers (transmitter and receiver) were placed directly opposite to each other. The results of performed in-situ measurements as well as the results of verification tests performed in the laboratory are presented in the paper. The article also discusses the issue of evaluation and interpretation of the results obtained by in-situ measurements using non-destructive test method.

Repeatability and Reproductibility of Results of Fresh Concrete Testing

The aim of this paper is to summarize the results of 11 experiments which focused on assessing the precision of results of fresh concrete testing. The observed characteristics are slump test, flow table test, density and air content. More than twenty participants (testing laboratories) took part in these experiments. The test results were evaluated with statistical methods used for evaluations of interlaboratory comparisons. The article deals especially with the values of repeatability and reproducibility, which provide further understanding of the interval within which it is possible to expect with the given probability the test results measured in one or more laboratories.

Influence of the Maximum Aggregate Grain Size on the Modulus of Elasticity and on the Parameters of the Acoustic Emission of Concrete Exposed to High Temperatures

Several very large and tragic fires of buildings have occurred recently, drawing attention to the issues of fire resistance of buildings (especially high-rise buildings and tunnels) and of building materials. For cement-based composites, it is essential to comprehensively understand the behaviour of their internal structures when exposed to high temperatures. This paper deals with the changes of the physical properties of concrete with different aggregate grain sizes when exposed to high temperatures. The emphasis is placed on the changes of the static and dynamic modulus of elasticity as an important parameter in assessing the behaviour of structures or their parts. During the test of the static modulus of elasticity, the acoustic emission method was also used as its results may reveal the behaviour of the internal structure of the material during mechanical loading.