Accelerated carbonation of recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) could be an efficient way to reduce the carbon footprint. High CO2-concentration under optimal relative humidity could accelerate the CO2 binding capacity of the hydrated cement paste in the RCA. The latter is the topic of this paper. The study looks into the forced carbonation of crushed cement pastes as a basis to understand the CO2 uptake in relation to various binders containing supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) such as fly ash (FA) and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS). Samples include three cement pastes: ordinary Portland cement, substitution rate of 30 % FA and 50 % GGBS respectively at a water/binder ratio of 0.45. All binders were graded to 0/2, 2/4 and 4/8 mm fraction sizes and preconditioned before exposed to CO2 concentration of 10 % under controlled temperature at 20 °C and 65 % RH. All tested binders presented a high CO2 uptake within the first hours of exposure with clear differences concerning the fraction sizes and the composition. The phase content before and after carbonation was observed by X-ray diffraction and the portlandite and calcite were quantified by thermogravimetric analyses and their derivative curves for fraction size 4/8 mm.

To reduce the carbon footprint of cementitious materials and resource extraction intensity of concrete industry (natural gravel or crushed rock), usage of recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) in concrete and as a CO2-sink by accelerated carbonation is widely investigated. Implementation of this technology will not only reduce the climate impact, but also improve the performance of the RCA creating a truly circular material. At first, some locally available recycled concrete was crushed in different fractions and characterized. To quantify the adhered mortar/aggregate content ratio on the as-received RCA, an image analysis method (IAM) was introduced. The analysis revealed that the adhered mortar accounts for around 40% of the RCA independently on the fraction. The results of IAM of as-received RCA were used to evaluate its remaining potential of CO2-storage. The effect of accelerated carbonation on the quality of RCA was evaluated by means of water absorption. The carbonation was determined by means of thermogravimetric analyses (TGA) and its derivative curve (DTG) resulting in similar CO2-storage for coarse fractions 4/8 mm and 8/16 mm under the accelerated carbonation conditions.

This paper investigates the fracture mechanical properties of concrete, using crushed concrete aggregates (CCA) and granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) for partial cement replacement. CCAs made from prefabricated concrete replace 100% of the fine and coarse fractions in concrete recipes with w/c ratios of 0.42 and 0.48. Two pre-treatment methods, mechanical pre-processing (MPCCA) and accelerated carbonation (CO2CCA), are investigated for quality improvements in CCA. The resulting aggregates show an increased density, contributing to an increase in the concrete’s compressive strength. The novelty of this paper is the superposition of the effects of the composite parts of concrete, the aggregate and the cement mortar, and their contributions to concrete fracture. Investigations are directed toward the influence of fine aggregates on mortar samples and the influence of the combination of coarse and fine aggregates on concrete samples. The physical and mechanical properties of the aggregates are correlated with mortar and concrete fracture properties. The results show that CCA concrete achieves 70% of the fracture energy values of concrete containing natural aggregates, and this value increases to 80% for GGBS mixes. At lower w/c ratios, MPCCA and CO2CCA concretes show similar fracture energies. CO2CCA fine aggregates are the most effective at strengthening the mortar phase, showing ductile concrete behavior at a w/c ratio of 0.48. MPCCA aggregates contribute to higher compressive strengths for w/c ratios of 0.42 and 0.48. Thus, mechanical pre-processing can be improved to produce CCA, which contributes to more ductile concrete behavior.

Today, with the greater importance of the environmental performance of construction materials, a significant development of precast concrete sandwich elements (PCSEs) is ongoing. With the PCSEs improving and becoming more thermal and energy efficient, it is becoming more attractive for architectural design and for acquiring Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.The focus of this study was to conduct and analyze experiments related to the shear properties of fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) plate connectors in newly developed composite façade elements. The idea of using FRP plate connectors was based on research conducted by the European Commission funded FP7 project H-House, where new innovative materials are used to achieve a more thermally efficient sandwich element that would also be lightweight, energy-efficient and durable. The work was performed in cooperation with the Swedish Cement and Concrete Research Institute (CBI) in Borås, where the laboratory tests, with four different variations of FRP plate connectors, were conducted. To analyze the results, a method called double shear test was used for stabilization of the test specimens and minimize the eccentricity of the applied vertical load. The experimental results indicated that an improved shear bearing capacity was achieved, especially for one connector type, though the effect on the stiffness was depended on how well the specimens were cast. Furthermore, it turned out that the placement of the carbon fibre reinforcement (CFR) in the inner and outer panel played a major role regarding the FRP connectors’ contribution to the shear forces. A qualitative analysis of sustainability regarding the composite elements in construction was also done.In conclusion, the FRP plate connectors have been shown to be robust and stiff enough to develop composite behaviour of the precast concrete sandwich elements and being thermal resistance, e.g. a good alternative to using in thick façade elements and reducing thermal bridging.

Syftet med projektet var att utveckla och utvärdera vattenavvisande betongytor. Idén grundades på ett antagande om att nano-modifiering av betongytan i kombination med en hydrofob impregnering kan resultera i superhydrofob betong. Detta arbete genomfördes i sammarbete med CBI Betonginstitutet i Borås, där laboratorietester av ultrahögpresterande betong och effekterna av två olika hydrofoba medel, StoCryl HG200 och SILRES®BS1001, gällande vattenavstötning, undersöktes. För att framställa en textilmönstrad yta, har olika tekniker använts: att gjuta betong på textilytan och att framställa nya silikonformar med textilavtryck. Under tillverkningsprocessen valdes olika typer av textilier. Resultaten indikerade att olika textilier, med olika ytstruktur, kan påverka hydrofobicitet nivån hos betongytan. Silikonformen har visats sig vara mest effektiv i strukturen av betongytan och i kombination med impregnering, har flera superhydrofoba ytor uppnåtts. Silikon kan återanvändas och därmed bidrar till en hållbar och repeterbar teknik. De tester som använts för undersökning av hydrofobicitet var: roll-off och kontaktvinkeln. Hållbarheten på absorptionsförmågan av ytorna mot frost testades. Provningen följde ingen standardmetod men var anpassad till de vanliga klimatförhållanden som råder i Sverige.Användningen av ultrahögpresterande betong med superhydrofoba ytor kan skydda fasaden och isoleringen mot inträngning av fukt. Fasadskivans tjocklek på 10 mm kan med fördel ersätta ett tjockt fasadelement med stålarmering. Sammanfattningsvis är betongytan lättrengörande och på grund av dess långa livslängd, är det ekonomiskt fördelaktigt.

The focus of this study was to develop and evaluate hydrophobic surfaces of concrete. The idea was based on an assumption that nano-modification of concrete surface, in combination with a hydrophobic impregnation, can result in superhydrophobic concrete. The work was performed in cooperation with the CBI Betonginstitutet in Borås, where the laboratory tests of ultra-high performance concrete, and the effects of two different hydrophobic agents, StoCryl HG200 and SILRES®BS1001, on water repellency, were investigated. In order to produce a textured surface, different techniques were used: to cast concrete in the textile forms and to produce new forms of silicone with textile patterns. For the production process, different types of textile were selected. The results indicated that different textiles, of different surface structure, can influence the hydrophobicity level of the concrete surface. Silicone form has proven to be most efficient in the texturing of the concrete surface, and in combination with impregnation, several superhydrophobic surfaces were achieved. Silicone can be re-used, thus contributing to a sustainable and repeatable technique. The tests used for the examination of hydrophobicity were: roll-off and contact angle. The durability of the hydrophobicity level of the surfaces against freeze was tested. The test did not follow a standard method but was based to the regular climatic conditions that occur in Sweden,.The use of ultra-high performance concrete with super hydrophobic surfaces can protect the façade and the insulation against penetrating damp. The façade thickness of 10 mm could successfully exchange thick façade element with steel reinforcement. In conclusion, the concrete surface is easy to clean, and due to its long life spans, it is economically favorable.