In the construction industry, concrete is the most common material, because of its good properties such as compressive strength and endurance. Concrete is a composition of several different materials where one of the main components is cement. When the hydration process starts, large amount of heat is generated. This leads to temperature rise within the structure. The heat development that takes place can become critical for massive structures such as dams and power plants, where natural cooling is not sufficient. This in combination with internal and external restraint resulting in tensions causing cracks in the structure. By controlling the temperature development, one can reduce the risk of cracking in massive structures. The controlling is divided into pre-cooling and post-cooling. Reduction of the risk for thermal cracking can be done in different ways. Parts of the cement in the concrete can be replaced by a pozzolan material such as silica fume, blast furnace slag or fly ash. Another method is to increase the size of the aggregates which makes it possible to reduce the cement content with remained strength. Cooling the aggregates or use of ice can also be used as a pre-cooling methods. The most common post-cooling method is the installation of cooling pipes. Pipes are installed between the reinforcement bars, in which one then pump through with cold water. This thesis aims at practicing the methods examined by Lagundžija & Thiam (2017). Focusing on those results that proved to be most effective, i.e. the combination of fly ash, ice and large aggregates. The results retrieved during the tests shows a significant increase in the compressive strength when using a combination of fly ash, ice and large aggregates. This gives us the opportunity to reduce the initial cement content. Reducing the cement content is the most effective factor regarding the heat development. When replacing amounts of the water with ice, it can be seen that the initial casting temperature was reduced. Further studies can be done to find the right amount of reduction of the cement that can be done while maintaining the required compressive strength. / Inom byggbranschen är betong det mest förekommande materialet, detta tack vare dess goda egenskaper, som till exempel tryckhållfasthet och uthållighet. Betongen utgörs av flera olika beståndsdelar där den centrala komponenten är cement. När cementets hydratationsprocess startar utvecklas en markant värmeutveckling. Detta leder till temperaturhöjningar inuti den nygjutna konstruktionen. Värmeutvecklingen kan bli kritisk för grövre konstruktioner, som till exempel dammar och kraftverk, där naturlig avkylning inte är tillräcklig. Detta i kombination med att inre och yttre tvång resulterar i dragspänningar som orsakar sprickor i konstruktionen. Genom att styra temperaturutvecklingen kan man minska risken för sprickbildning i massiva konstruktioner. Styrningen delas in i förberedande kylning och efterkylning. Reduktion av risken för termisk sprickbildning kan ske på olika sätt. Delar av cementen i betongen kan ersättas med ett puzzolant material som till exempel silikatstoft, masugnsslagg eller flygaska. En annan metod är att öka ballaststorleken vilket gör det möjligt att minska cementhalten med kvarvarande hållfasthet. Man kan även kyla ballasten alternativt blanda in is i mixen för att sänka den initiala temperaturen. Den mest förekommande efterkylningsmetoden är installation av kylrör. Det monteras in rör mellan armeringsjärnen, vilket man sedan pumpar kallt vatten igenom. Denna uppsats syftar på att praktiskt tillämpa de metoder som undersöktes av Lagundžija & Thiam (2017). Fokus på de resultat som visade sig vara mest effektiva, dvs kombinationen av flygaska, is och grov ballast. Resultaten som uppnåddes under de tester som utfördes visar en markant ökning i tryckhållfastheten vid användning av kombinationen med flygaska, is och grov ballast. Detta ger oss utrymmet att reducera den initiala cementhalten som används. Att minska cementinnehållet är den faktor som ger störst effekt gällande värmeutvecklingen. Fortsatta studier kan göras för att hitta rätt mängd reduktion av cementet som kan göras samtidigt som anvisad tryckhållfasthet bibehålls.

[pt] O presente estudo busca definir uma relação de mistura estável utilizando aditivos poliméricos à base de álcool polivinílico (PVOH) para controlar a perda de filtrado, antiespumante e dispersante, caracterizando a influência de cada adição na cinética de hidratação, propriedades mecânicas, físicas e reologia da mistura. Além disso, foi caracterizado o comportamento das pastas de cimento em condições de cura que simulam a situação do poço até 6100 m de profundidade, seguindo as recomendações da API, e o comportamento do material nos estados in situ, utilizando pressões confinantes para realizar os ensaios de compressão. Por fim, propôs-se a inclusão de microfibras de álcool polivinílico (PVA) para melhorar o desempenho mecânico das pastas cimentícias, avaliando diferentes tipos de carregamento e definindo os impactos da adição de fibras na viscosidade e tixotropia das misturas. Verificou-se que o uso de PVOH como aditivo de perda de filtrado não influencia na cinética de hidratação para concentrações de até 0,4% em peso de cimento, mas à medida que a quantidade de PVOH é aumentada na mistura, o processo de hidratação da pasta de cimento pode ser modificado por causa do mecanismo de absorção do PVOH. Além disso, novas fases de produtos de hidratação aparecem com o aumento da temperatura e pressão de cura: dellaite, hydroxyellestadite e alpha-C2SH. A última fase (alpha-C2SH) está relacionada à perda de capacidade de resistência das amostras curadas a 149°C, simulando o caso do poço de petróleo de 6100 m de profundidade. Para os ensaios triaxiais, a pressão de confinamento conferiu às amostras um comportamento diferente do caso uniaxial, implicando em uma considerável melhora da plasticidade no comportamento tensão-deformação. Embora se observe algum reforço por atrito devido a tensões de cisalhamento no plano das fissuras, o efeito mais importante do confinamento é suportar a deformação dúctil, mesmo para o caso da pasta de cimento reforçada com fibra de PVA. Finalmente, o estudo mostrou que as fibras de PVA conferem um leve aumento da viscosidade da pasta de cimento, uma fase plástica prolongada aparentemente sem perda de capacidade de carga em testes triaxiais e uma capacidade aprimorada de absorver energia ao avaliar cargas de tração e cisalhamento. / [en] The present study seeks to define a stable mixing ratio using powder Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVOH) based polymeric additives to control the loss of filtrate, defoamer, and dispersant, characterizing the influence of each addition on hydration kinetics, mechanical and physical properties, and rheology of the mix. The behavior of cement pastes under curing conditions that simulate the wellbore situation up to 6100 m depth was also evaluated, following API recommendations. Moreover, the behavior of the material under in situ states, using confining pressures to perform the compression tests, was characterized. Finally, the inclusion of Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) microfibers is proposed to improve the mechanical performance of cement pastes, evaluating different types of loading and defining the impacts of the fiber addition on the viscosity and thixotropy of the mixtures. It was found that the use of PVOH as a fluid loss additive does not influence hydration kinetics for concentrations up to 0.4% by weight of cement, but as the amount of PVOH is increased in the mixture, the hydration process of the cement paste may be modified because of the PVOH absorptive mechanism. Moreover, new hydration products phases appear with increasing curing temperature and pressure: dellaite, hydroxyellestadite, and alpha-C2SH. The last phase (alpha-C2SH) is related to the loss of strength capacity of the samples cured at 149°C, simulating a 6100 m depth wellbore. For the triaxial tests, the confining pressure gave the samples a behavior markedly different from the uniaxial case, implying a considerable improvement in the plasticity of the stress-strain behavior. Although some frictional reinforcement is observed due to shear stresses in the cracks surface, the most important effect of confinement is to withstand ductile deformation, even in the case of PVA fiber-reinforced cement paste. Finally, the study has shown that PVA fibers impart a slight viscosifying effect on the cement slurry, a prolonged plastic phase with apparently no loss of load-carrying capacity in triaxial tests, and an improved ability to absorb energy when evaluating tensile and shear loads.

The Phase change materials (PCM) have the ability to absorb and release heat as the temperature changes from high to low temperature and vice versa. The use of phase change materials has increased in the construction sector due to the established environmental requirements and the various application benefits, especially in the thermal comfort of building applications and construction of sustainable infrastructure around the world (Berardi and Gallardo, 2019). Over the past decade, many studies have been conducted on the thermal properties of PCM (phase change material), however, few studies have focused on the study effect of PCM on mechanical and physical properties, although of great importance. In this work, three different microencapsulated types of phase change material (PCM) have been studied, while its effect on the mechanical and hydration properties of the cement paste with regard to constant ratio of water to cement ratio has been taken into account. The PCMs that have been studied are the following: Microencapsulated PCM, which is Nextek 24 D, Nextek 57D (Microtek Laboratories) and Croda Therm ME29P (Croda). In this study, various tests were performed on cementitious paste mixed with different doses of PCM to test the effect that PCM has on the cement hydration (under semi-adiabatic and isothermal conditions), the physical properties (setting time, slump flow, density) and the mechanical properties ( compressive strength). The results of this study indicated that both the melting point of the PCM and its amount have a decisive effect on the properties of the cement paste. Finally, the following conclusions have been drawn: • Additions of different dosage levels of the 24D and Croda PCM types showed that an increase in the dosage resulted in impaired mechanical and physical properties such as compressive strength of the cement paste (mechanical) decreased, and the density and random flow decreased (physical). While Nextek 57D did not show a great effect on cement paste according to density and random flow, which gives reduced negative impact on cement paste workability (physical). According to the mechanical properties, Nextek57D PCM with different levels of levels showed immediate positive effect on cement paste compressive strength compared to reference paste (no addition of PCM), and other cement pastes with other PCM types used in this study. • Mikrotek 57D PCM also gives a positive effect at different dose levels compared to two other types of Nextek 24D and Croda PCM regarding the effect of heat flow, which gives rise to hydration heat during the cement hydration process. However, other types of Nextek 24D and Croda in all quantities showed negligible effect on the heat flow during the cement hydration process.

This work is devoted to study the influence of the composition on mechanical properties of high performance concret based on portland cement. 29 samples of high performance concrete (HPC) warying in composition were prepared. The constituents used for HPC preparation were: cement Aalborg White, silica fume, finelly ground blast furnace slag, finelly ground silica, calcinated bauxite and polycarboxylate based superplasticizer. The mechanical parameters (flexural and compressive strength) of the samples were observed after 7 and 28 days of moist curing. Compressive strength values after 28 days were in the range of 92 to 194 MPa and the flexural strength values were in the range of 7 to 23 MPa (without using of fiber reinforcement). The graphs showing mechanical parameters depending on the mixture composition were constructed and consequently evaluated.