Özge Andiç-Çakır

Water Transport of Lightweight Concrete with Different Aggregate Saturation Levels

This study evaluates the effect of saturation degree of two different lightweight aggregate types with different water absorption characteristics compared to a limestone aggregate in a constant water-cement ratio (w/c) concrete mixture. Water transport properties such as water absorption, water sorptivity, aggregate-based drying shrinkage, and freezing-and-thawing resistance of the mixtures were investigated. Finally, SEM analysis was performed to evaluate the interfacial transition zone characteristics of these concrete mixtures in light of said findings. The test results indicated that the transport properties and freezing-and-thawing resistance of the concrete mixtures were improved at early ages and the total concrete drying-shrinkage was decreased by increasing saturation level of aggregate. However, aggregate moisture content does not have a significant effect on the compressive strength of the concrete mixtures.

A Functional Bleeding Test Apparatus for Concrete

Bleeding is one important indicator that is related to the physical and mechanical properties of fresh and hardened concrete. Standards generally prefer methodologies that are similar to one another to measure the bleeding of fresh concrete. The preferred test apparatus used in the standards is troublesome because it requires a manual test procedure and repeated measurements until final setting of the fresh concrete. The functional bleeding test apparatus presented in this study will ease test performance and eliminate the faults caused by the test procedure and the experimenter.