The objective of this study was to identify and characterize naturally-occurring communities of Bacteria and Fungi fouling the surfaces of concrete structures in Georgia, USA, through the use of culture-independent and culture-dependent approaches. Genomic DNA was extracted and ribosomal RNA genes were PCR amplified from 4 biofouled sites located in or around the cities of Atlanta, Gainesville, LaGrange, and Savannah. Bacterial and fungal community composition was determined by phylogenetic analysis. Molecular analysis revealed five bacterial phyla, and representatives of the phylum Cyanobacteria and the classes Betaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria dominated the bacterial clone libraries. Fungal clone libraries showed the dominant phylotypes to be most closely related to Alternaria, Cladosporium, Epicoccum and Udeniomyces. Phylogenetically distinct microbial populations were present at each of the biofouled sites. In addition, cultured isolates were obtained from sites and tested for their ability to foul concrete of varied compositions under laboratory-controlled conditions. Biofouling tests revealed that fungal isolates obtained from the field were able to colonize concrete surfaces when supplied with moisture (95-100% relative humidity) and a nutrient source, and that fouling was affected by concrete water/cement ratio, surface roughness, and the presence of photocatalytically-activated cement added to inhibit microbial growth.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 120-121). / xii, 282 leaves, bound ill. (some col.) 29 cm

This thesis reports a research of the corrosion mechanism and corrosion rate of steel reinforcement in concrete. Experimental results are presented to compare the corrosion behaviours of steel reinforcement in two blended-cement concretes in seawater. The experimental program included a study of the influence of crack width on macrocell corrosion, an investigation of the procedure for the determination of polarisation curves of steel in concrete and, an evaluation of the corrosion rate of steel in concrete and the influence of crack width as determined by a new polarisation curve analysis. A mechanism is proposed to interpret the different influences, in both the short and long term, of concrete crack width on the macrocell corrosion rate. This mechanism is based on the finding that the corrosion-spread phenomenon is caused by polarisation effects. An oxygen-depletion mechanism is also proposed to explain the much lower macrocell corrosion rate in the slag cement concrete than that in the flyash cement concrete. The procedure for polarisation testing of steel in concrete is found to be critical to obtaining correct polarisation curves. A twotest procedure is verified to be an appropriate procedure and used in this investigation. Experimental polarisation curves of steel in concrete are found to be very different to those expressed by the kinetic Butler-Volmer equation and, this is considered to be a result of the influence of the passive film on the steel surface in concrete. An empirical polarisation formula is developed and its interpretation is based on the postulation of two parallel kinetic processes occurring at the steel/passive-film/concrete interface; one is the active corrosion process and the other is the film growth/dissolution process. The formula is used to model experimental polarisation curves of steel in concrete through curvefitting analyses. Good curve-fitting results are obtained between the polarisation test curves and model curves. The results are used for evaluation of the corrosion rate and Tafel behaviours of steel in the two concretes and for assessment of the influence of crack width on the corrosion rate within the crack zone.

This is partly because the requirements for such an ultimate material change with people’s perception about its properties as well as its environmental impact. Thus, the once-believed ultimate Portland cement binder is now becoming unacceptable for a number of reasons including poor durability as well as severe environmental impact during production. Thus, an improved mineral binder is required by modern society to serve the same purposes as the existing Portland cement binder, as well as to reduce the current environmental impact caused by Portland cement production. / Geopolymerisation is such a ‘green’ technology capable of turning both natural ‘virginal’ aluminosilicates and industrial aluminosilicate wastes, such as fly ash and blast furnace slag, into mechanically strong and chemically durable construction materials. However, the source materials for geopolymer synthesis are less reactive than Portland cement clinkers and the chemical compositions of these source materials can vary significantly. Consequently, product quality control is a major engineering challenge for the commercialisation of geopolymers. / This thesis is therefore devoted to the mechanistic understanding of the interfacial chemical interactions between a number of natural and industrial aluminosilicates and the various activating solutions, which govern the reactivity of the aluminosilicate source materials. The effects of activating solution alkalinity, soluble silicate dosage and anionic contamination on the reactivity of the aluminosilicate source materials to produce geopolymeric binders, as well as their bonding properties to natural siliceous aggregates for concrete making, are examined. In particular, a new set of novel ‘realistic’ reaction models has been developed for such purposes. These reaction models have been further utilised to develop a novel analytical procedure, which is capable of studying geopolymerisation on ‘real’ geopolymers in situ and in real time. This novel procedure is invaluable for the total understanding of geopolymerisation, which is in turn vital for effective geopolymer mix designs.

Thesis (M.S.)--Missouri University of Science and Technology, 2008. / Vita. The entire thesis text is included in file. Title from title screen of thesis/dissertation PDF file (viewed March 31, 2008) Includes bibliographical references (p. 48-49).

Thesis (M.S.)--Auburn University, 2007. / Abstract. Vita. Includes bibliographic references (ℓ. 156-158)

Thesis (Ph.D.)--McMaster University, 2005. / Supervisor: A. Ghobarah. Also available online.

Thesis (Ph.D) -- McMaster University, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 317-326). Also available via World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- McMaster University, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 214-221). Also available via World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--McMaster University, 2005. / Supervisor: A. Ghobarah. Also available online.