Progress in Engineering Synthetic Cells and Cell-Free Systems

Plasters with mixed-in crystallization inhibitors: Results of a 4-year monitoring of on-site application

Salt crystallization is a major cause of weathering of mortars, including plasters and renders. In the last decade, the use of mixed-in salt crystallization inhibitors in mortars has been proposed as a solution to improve the durability of this material with respect to salt decay. Laboratory characterization and accelerated weathering tests have...

Tunable chitosan-alginate capsules for a controlled release of crystallisation inhibitors in mortars

Plasters and renders used in historic monuments are vulnerable to degradation caused by salt weathering. Crystallisation inhibitors (molecules/ions that alter salt crystallisation) mixed into mortars have shown promising results in mitigating salt damage by inhibiting salt crystallisation, promoting salt transport to the evaporating surface, and...

A study on leaching of crystallisation inhibitor in mortars

Crystallisation due to commonly occurring salts like sodium chloride (NaCl) is a known cause of damage in the built environment. Use of crystallisation inhibitors is a potential solution to reduce salt decay in building materials. Researchers have reported lower damage when sodium ferrocyanide (NaFeCN), a known NaCl crystallisation inhibitor, is...

Recommendation of RILEM TC 271-ASC: New accelerated test procedure for the assessment of resistance of natural stone and fired-clay brick units against salt crystallization

This recommendation is devoted to testing the resistance of natural stone and fired-clay brick units against salt crystallization. The procedure was developed by the RILEM TC 271-ASC to evaluate the durability of porous building materials against salt crystallization through a laboratory method that allows for accelerated testing without...

Leaching behaviour of a crystallisation inhibitor in mortars

This paper investigates the leaching behaviour of sodium ferrocyanide, a known crystallisation inhibitor of sodium chloride, which is added to mortars for mitigation of salt decay. Leaching and depletion of the inhibitor is a practical performance related issue that might over time, make the inhibitor less effective against salt decay. In...

Energy consumption of a laboratory jaw crusher during normal and high strength concrete recycling

This paper presents the measurement and analysis of energy consumption of a laboratory jaw crusher during concrete recycling. A method was developed to estimate the power requirements of a lab-scale jaw crusher. The impact of material properties on the crusher performance is studied. Eight concrete strength classes (C20/25–C80/95) were...

Experimental Study on Properties of Hydraulic Mortars with Mixed in Crystallisation Inhibitors

Sodium chloride (NaCl) is one of the most commonly occurring weathering agents, responsible for a progressive damage in mortar. Current solutions to mitigate salt damage in mortar, such as the use of mixed-in water repellent additives, have often exhibited low compatibility with the existing building fabric. In the last years, research has...

A new accelerated salt weathering test by RILEM TC 271-ASC: preliminary round robin validation

Salt crystallization is a major cause of damage in porous building materials. Accelerated salt weathering tests carried out in the laboratory are among the most common methods to assess the durability of material to salt decay. However, existing standards and recommendations for salt weathering tests have limitations in terms of effectiveness...

Effect of a mixed-in crystallization inhibitor on the properties of hydraulic mortars

Porous building materials are often subjected to damage due to salt crystallization. In recent years, the addition of crystallization inhibitors in lime-based mortar, has shown promising results in improving durability of this material against salt decay. Lime-based mortars have low mechanical properties and slow setting. They are often replaced...

Real-time chloride diffusion coefficient in concrete using embedded resistivity sensors

Service life of concrete infrastructure is severely compromised because of chloride-induced corrosion and measuring the chloride content is crucial to determine the remaining service life. DuraCrete provides a chloride ingress model based on Fick’s 2nd law. Although the diffusion coefficient is modelled as a time-dependent variable, the...

Effect Of Alkali Ferrocyanides On Crystallisation Of Sodium Chloride: Preliminary results

Sodium chloride (NaCl) is one of the ubiquitous soluble salts in the environment and is responsible for weathering of building materials. The salt weathering is attributed to the stress developed from crystallisation of these salts in pores of the building materials, with supersaturation as the driving force. In the last years, researchers have...

Real-time chloride diffusion coefficient in concrete using embedded resistivity sensors

Service life of concrete infrastructure is severely compromised because of chloride-induced corrosion and measuring the chloride content is crucial to determine the remaining service life. DuraCrete provides a chloride ingress model based on Fick’s 2nd law. Although the diffusion coefficient is modelled as a time-dependent variable, the...

Alkali silica reaction in the afsluitdijk: Assessment of concrete damage and remaining service life using experimental and modelling research

Alkali Silica Reaction (ASR) is one of the degradation mechanisms in concrete that poses a threat to the service life of existing structures. This physio-chemical process is progressive and can affect the the strength, stiffness and stability of concrete structures. A lot of mitigation measures are available to prevent the deleterious effects of...