The improvement in the impermeability of concrete was studied using different methods. The main aim was to investigate impermeability improvement of concrete and to compare these methods. Two different methods were examined to investigate and compare impermeability and strength improvement of concrete by using two different sets of concrete specimens. These methods included the application of coating materials to concrete and the production of concrete using different constituent amounts and types. The first set of concrete specimens was prepared by applying two different coating materials (a coating material including both powder and liquid components / and a coating material including only a liquid component) on reference concrete specimens separately. The second set of concrete specimens was prepared using different proportions of concrete constituents such as cement, water, steel and plastic fibers, mineral and chemical concrete admixtures. Various tests were conducted on both sets of concrete specimens in order to compare the permeability of concrete specimens. However, some of these tests v were not applied on all of the specimens because of test and material specifications. The tests were used to evaluate compressive strength, water absorption, chloride ion penetration and depth of water penetration under pressure. These test methods were carried out on concrete cube specimens and concrete cores taken from those specimens according to the relevant standards. It was found that the permeability of the concrete specimens decreased significantly when the coating material which was composed of the combination of powder and liquid components was applied on concrete specimens. However, permeability did not decrease significantly for concrete specimens coated with the coating material composed of only a liquid component. Significant improvement in the impermeability of the concrete specimens was observed when the amount of cement was increased, the water-to-cement ratio was decreased, mineral admixtures (silica fume and fly ash) and plasticizers were used. This improvement was associated with densification of the concrete microstructure and reduction in capillary pores as a result of pozzolanic reaction and due to reduction in water-to-cement ratio. Coating materials were determined to be effective for concretes with high permeability prior to coating whereas their effect was less significant for lower-initial permeability concretes. Moreover, the effect of coating materials on permeability differed depending on their chemical compositions. The effect of using steel fibers and plastic fibers for the improvement of concrete impermeability was found to be insignificant.

Esta pesquisa trata da estabilização de misturas de agregados reciclados por meio da ativação de seus finos, cujas composições possibilitam a ocorrência de reações químicas de cimentação. Para o desenvolvimento da pesquisa foram utilizados dois tipos de agregados reciclados: um proveniente de resíduo de demolição de natureza cimentícia e outro da indústria de cerâmica vermelha. O uso dos materiais foi feito por meio de dosagens para obtenção de misturas cujas combinações de materiais pudessem, quimicamente, potencializar a ocorrência de hidratação do cimento anidro existente nos finos do agregado reciclado cimentício e de reação pozolânica pela pozolanicidade da cerâmica vermelha. Com isso foram obtidas cinco misturas, compostas pelos agregados reciclados em estudo misturados entre si e com a adição de aglomerantes hidráulicos, sobre as quais foram realizados ensaios em laboratório para verificação da ocorrência das reações químicas esperadas com consequente estabilização das misturas, de modo a influenciar nos respectivos comportamentos mecânicos. Também foi realizada a avaliação de características do empacotamento dos grãos como forma de verificar se o arranjo físico, neste caso, exerce influência significativa na melhora do comportamento mecânico das misturas estudadas. Os resultados obtidos indicaram que, de fato, ocorreram as reações químicas esperadas, comprovadas pelos resultados dos ensaios de termogravimetria e difração de raios x, realizados em três diferentes idades de cura. Verificou-se, também, a melhora no comportamento mecânico das misturas por meio do aumento da resistência à compressão simples e do módulo de resiliência com a evolução da cura, além de baixa deformabilidade aos 91 dias de cura. Com isso foi comprovada a estabilização das misturas em estudo, com a consequente melhora de seus desempenhos, sendo devida, principalmente, à ocorrência das reações químicas de hidratação do cimento anidro e pozolânica. A pesquisa demonstrou a possibilidade de se estabilizar misturas de agregados reciclados cimentícios e de cerâmica vermelha por meio da ocorrência de reações químicas de cimentação promovidas pela combinação destes materiais. / This research deals with the stabilization of mixtures constituted by recycled aggregates through the activation of its fines portions, whose components enable the occurrence of chemical cementation reactions. In order to develop this research, two types of recycled aggregates were used: one from demolition waste with cementitious origin, and the other one from the red ceramic industry. The use of these materials was done through mix designs to obtain mixtures whose combinations of materials could chemically increase the occurrence of hydration of the anhydrous existing in fine portion of the recycled cementitious aggregates, and pozzolanic reactions due to the pozzolanicity of red ceramics. Thus, five mixtures were obtained, and they were composed by the studied recycled aggregates, mixed together and with the addition of hydraulic binders, on which laboratory tests were performed in order to verify the occurrence of the expected chemical reactions with consequent stabilization of the mixtures, in order to influence their mechanical behavior. Furthermore, it was performed the evaluation of packing characteristics of the particles to verify if the physical arrangement, in this case, has any significant influence on improving the mechanical behavior of the mixtures studied. The results obtained indicated that in fact the expected chemical reactions occurred, which was verified by the results from thermogravimetry and X-ray diffraction tests performed at three different times of curing. The improvement of the mixtures mechanical behavior by increasing of their compressive strength and their resilient modulus was also verified as the mixtures were cured, in addition to low deformability at 91 days of curing. Thus, the stabilization of the mixtures studied was confirmed, which was mainly due to the occurrence of chemical hydration reactions of the anhydrous cement and pozzolanic reactions. The study demonstrated the possibility of stabilizing mixtures of recycled aggregates cementitious waste and red ceramic by the occurrence of cementing chemical reactions promoted by combination of these materials.

Esta pesquisa trata da estabilização de misturas de agregados reciclados por meio da ativação de seus finos, cujas composições possibilitam a ocorrência de reações químicas de cimentação. Para o desenvolvimento da pesquisa foram utilizados dois tipos de agregados reciclados: um proveniente de resíduo de demolição de natureza cimentícia e outro da indústria de cerâmica vermelha. O uso dos materiais foi feito por meio de dosagens para obtenção de misturas cujas combinações de materiais pudessem, quimicamente, potencializar a ocorrência de hidratação do cimento anidro existente nos finos do agregado reciclado cimentício e de reação pozolânica pela pozolanicidade da cerâmica vermelha. Com isso foram obtidas cinco misturas, compostas pelos agregados reciclados em estudo misturados entre si e com a adição de aglomerantes hidráulicos, sobre as quais foram realizados ensaios em laboratório para verificação da ocorrência das reações químicas esperadas com consequente estabilização das misturas, de modo a influenciar nos respectivos comportamentos mecânicos. Também foi realizada a avaliação de características do empacotamento dos grãos como forma de verificar se o arranjo físico, neste caso, exerce influência significativa na melhora do comportamento mecânico das misturas estudadas. Os resultados obtidos indicaram que, de fato, ocorreram as reações químicas esperadas, comprovadas pelos resultados dos ensaios de termogravimetria e difração de raios x, realizados em três diferentes idades de cura. Verificou-se, também, a melhora no comportamento mecânico das misturas por meio do aumento da resistência à compressão simples e do módulo de resiliência com a evolução da cura, além de baixa deformabilidade aos 91 dias de cura. Com isso foi comprovada a estabilização das misturas em estudo, com a consequente melhora de seus desempenhos, sendo devida, principalmente, à ocorrência das reações químicas de hidratação do cimento anidro e pozolânica. A pesquisa demonstrou a possibilidade de se estabilizar misturas de agregados reciclados cimentícios e de cerâmica vermelha por meio da ocorrência de reações químicas de cimentação promovidas pela combinação destes materiais. / This research deals with the stabilization of mixtures constituted by recycled aggregates through the activation of its fines portions, whose components enable the occurrence of chemical cementation reactions. In order to develop this research, two types of recycled aggregates were used: one from demolition waste with cementitious origin, and the other one from the red ceramic industry. The use of these materials was done through mix designs to obtain mixtures whose combinations of materials could chemically increase the occurrence of hydration of the anhydrous existing in fine portion of the recycled cementitious aggregates, and pozzolanic reactions due to the pozzolanicity of red ceramics. Thus, five mixtures were obtained, and they were composed by the studied recycled aggregates, mixed together and with the addition of hydraulic binders, on which laboratory tests were performed in order to verify the occurrence of the expected chemical reactions with consequent stabilization of the mixtures, in order to influence their mechanical behavior. Furthermore, it was performed the evaluation of packing characteristics of the particles to verify if the physical arrangement, in this case, has any significant influence on improving the mechanical behavior of the mixtures studied. The results obtained indicated that in fact the expected chemical reactions occurred, which was verified by the results from thermogravimetry and X-ray diffraction tests performed at three different times of curing. The improvement of the mixtures mechanical behavior by increasing of their compressive strength and their resilient modulus was also verified as the mixtures were cured, in addition to low deformability at 91 days of curing. Thus, the stabilization of the mixtures studied was confirmed, which was mainly due to the occurrence of chemical hydration reactions of the anhydrous cement and pozzolanic reactions. The study demonstrated the possibility of stabilizing mixtures of recycled aggregates cementitious waste and red ceramic by the occurrence of cementing chemical reactions promoted by combination of these materials.

This thesis contains two main parts: theoretical and experimental. The theoretical part deals with summarization knowledge of high-volume fly ash (HVFA) concretes. Among others, there are mentioned processes of producing of fly ash, characteristic features and resistance to aggressive environments of HVFA concretes. The theoretical part ends with a suitable example of practical application. In the practical part were tested properties of nine different mixtures containing 40%, 50% and 60% replacement by weight of the cement by fly ash. They were compared with the reference mixtures without fly ash addition. The main endpoints were long-term compressive strength, resistance to aggressive environments, the influence of fly ash on consistency, hydratation temperatures, water absorption and volume changes.