High-density geopolymer concrete for Port Kembla breakwater upgrade

Mahmood, AH; Foster, SJ; Castel, A

High-density geopolymer concrete for Port Kembla breakwater upgrade

Mahmood, AH Foster, SJ Castel, A

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Publisher:: Elsevier BV
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Construction and Building Materials, 2020, 262
Issue Date:: 2020-11-30

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Mahmood, AH
dc.contributor.author	Foster, SJ
dc.contributor.author	Castel, A https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1619-9643
dc.date.accessioned	2021-01-19T04:42:36Z
dc.date.available	2021-01-19T04:42:36Z
dc.date.issued	2020-11-30
dc.identifier.citation	Construction and Building Materials, 2020, 262
dc.identifier.issn	0950-0618
dc.identifier.issn	0950-0618
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/145489
dc.description.abstract	© 2020 Elsevier Ltd Marine environments can pose continuous threats to coastal infrastructure, especially during episodic storm events. Thus, monitoring and maintenance of rock or concrete units-armoured coastal breakwaters are required, especially under present climate change scenarios, where changes in wave behaviour are anticipated and coastal structures are likely to be exposed to even greater wave energy resulting in higher rates of damage. A possible pathway towards the upgrading of existing breakwaters is to introduce high-density armour units, suggested by theoretical estimates and physical model test findings. In this project, a unique, sustainable high-density geopolymer concrete (GPC) mix was developed and trialled in fabricating armour units for upgrading existing coastal breakwaters. The system developed in laboratories was upscaled for field applications and is being tested at the Northern breakwater of NSW Ports’ Port Kembla Harbour. The concrete uses steel furnace slag (SFS) aggregate in an alkali-activated blended fly ash-blast furnace slag binder proportioned to facilitate the elimination of delayed expansion of the aggregate. The concrete properties were measured and microstructural analyses undertaken. The results show that SFS aggregate offers higher bulk density to the concrete alongside satisfactory strength in on-site curing and can reduce armour mass requirements at the same level of structural stability. Microstructural analyses confirm the elimination of SFS aggregate free-lime expansion. This important result provides a novel approach to both repair of existing structures and construction of new structures with reductions to both cost and carbon footprint.
dc.language	en
dc.publisher	Elsevier BV
dc.relation.ispartof	Construction and Building Materials
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.120920
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
dc.subject	0905 Civil Engineering, 1202 Building
dc.subject.classification	Building & Construction
dc.title	High-density geopolymer concrete for Port Kembla breakwater upgrade
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	262
utslib.for	0905 Civil Engineering
utslib.for	1202 Building
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology/School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access	*
pubs.consider-herdc	false
dc.date.updated	2021-01-19T04:42:07Z
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	262

Abstract:

© 2020 Elsevier Ltd Marine environments can pose continuous threats to coastal infrastructure, especially during episodic storm events. Thus, monitoring and maintenance of rock or concrete units-armoured coastal breakwaters are required, especially under present climate change scenarios, where changes in wave behaviour are anticipated and coastal structures are likely to be exposed to even greater wave energy resulting in higher rates of damage. A possible pathway towards the upgrading of existing breakwaters is to introduce high-density armour units, suggested by theoretical estimates and physical model test findings. In this project, a unique, sustainable high-density geopolymer concrete (GPC) mix was developed and trialled in fabricating armour units for upgrading existing coastal breakwaters. The system developed in laboratories was upscaled for field applications and is being tested at the Northern breakwater of NSW Ports’ Port Kembla Harbour. The concrete uses steel furnace slag (SFS) aggregate in an alkali-activated blended fly ash-blast furnace slag binder proportioned to facilitate the elimination of delayed expansion of the aggregate. The concrete properties were measured and microstructural analyses undertaken. The results show that SFS aggregate offers higher bulk density to the concrete alongside satisfactory strength in on-site curing and can reduce armour mass requirements at the same level of structural stability. Microstructural analyses confirm the elimination of SFS aggregate free-lime expansion. This important result provides a novel approach to both repair of existing structures and construction of new structures with reductions to both cost and carbon footprint.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/145489