The present study examines some durability aspects of ambient cured bottom ash geopolymer concrete (BA GPC) due to accelerated corrosion, sorptivity, and water absorption. The bottom ash geopolymer concrete was prepared with sodium based alkaline activators under ambient curing temperatures. The sodium hydroxide used concentration was 8M. The performance of BA GPC was compared with conventional concrete. The test results indicate that BA GPC developes a strong passive layer against chloride ion diffusion and provides better protection against corrosion. Both the initial and final rates of water absorption of BA GPC were about two times less than those of conventional concrete. The BA GPC significantly enhanced performance over equivalent grade conventional concrete (CC).

Kaolin-based geopolymers are alternatives for producing high-strength ceramics for construction materials. Creating high-performing kaolin ceramics utilizing the regular technique requires a high handling temperature (higher than 1200°C). Thus, the structure and properties such as pore size and distribution are affected at higher sintering temperatures. Along these lines, information with respect to the sintering system and related pore structure is essential for advancing the properties of the previously mentioned materials. This study investigated the microstructure and the density of a kaolin-based geopolymer at various sintering temperatures. The unsintered sample has the highest density of 1610 kg/cm3, while the samples sintered at 1100°C haves the lowest density of 1203 kg/cm3. The result also shows that increasing the sintering temperature to 1100°C resulted in increasing the water absorption of the kaolin-based geopolymer ceramic.

Evaluation of moisture absorption in foodstuffs such as black chickpea is an important stage for skinning and cropping practices. Water uptake process of black chickpea was discussed through normal soaking in four temperature levels of 20, 35, 50 and 65 °C for 18 hours, and then the hydration kinetics was predicted by Peleg’s model and finite difference strategy. Model results showed that with increasing soaking temperature from 20 to 65 °C, Peleg’s rate and Peleg’s capacity constant reduced from 13.368×10-2 to 5.664×10-2 and 9.231×10-3 to 9.138×10-3, respectively. Based on key results, a rise in the medium temperature caused an increase in the diffusion coefficient from 5.24×10-10 m2/s to 4.36×10-9 m2/s, as well. Modelling of moisture absorption of black chickpea was also performed employing finite difference strategy. Comparing the experimental results with those obtained from the analytical solution of the theoretical models revealed a good agreement between predicted and experimental data. Peleg’s model and finite difference technique revealed their predictive function the best at the temperature of 65 °C.

The compressive strength and water absorption of cement mortars with different water-binder ratio (0.35, 0.45 and 0.55) and fly ash content (0, 10%, 20% and 30%) under water immersion were investigated, and the correlation between them was further analyzed. The internal microstructure and phase composition of mortar was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. The results show that the inside of mortar mixed with fly ash displayed the loose and porous microstructure. Therefore, the incorporation of fly ash reduced the compressive strength of mortar, especially the early strength, and the strength decreased with the increase of fly ash content, and the water absorption of mortar also increased. There was a linear correlation between the compressive strength and water absorption of mortar with the equation: f_c = -3.838β + 62.332, where f_c and β represented the compressive strength and water absorption, respectively. Therefore, when the water absorption of mortar immersed in water was measured, its corresponding compressive strength could be preliminarily inferred through this equation, which was of great significance for detecting and identifying the stability and safety of hydraulic structures.

In this investigation, the confinement effects of micro synthetic fibers on lightweight foamed concrete (LFC) were examined. The parameters evaluated were porosity, water absorption, shrinkage, compressive strength, flexural strength and tensile strength. Three densities were cast which were 600 kg/m3, 1100 kg/m3, and 1600 kg/m3. Besides, the number of layers (1 to 3 layers) of micro synthetic fibers was also being examined. Based on the result obtained, the porosity improved by 8.0% to 16.3%, 13.8% to 25.6%, and 9.3% to 24.5% for the LFC with densities of 600 kg/m3, 1100 kg/m3, and 1600 kg/m3 confined with 1 layer, 2 layers, and 3 layers of micro synthetic fibers, respectively. Besides, for the water absorption test, the enhancements were 6.9% to 15.6%, 20.0 to 27.1%, and 12.2 to 29.6% for the respective densities and number of layers of micro synthetic fibers employed, while the drying shrinkage improved by 48.5% to 76.8%, 57.4% to 72.1%, and 43.2 % to 68.2% for the respective densities and number of layers of micro synthetic fibers employed. For the strength properties, a confinement with 3 layers of micro synthetic fibers showed significant results, where enhancements of 153% (600 kg/m3), 97% (1100 kg/m3), and 102% (1600 kg/m3) were obtained for the compression strength; 372% (600 kg/m3), 258% (1100 kg/m3), and 332% (1600 kg/m3) for the bending strength; and 507% (600 kg/m3), 343% (1100 kg/m3), and 332% (1600 kg/m3) for the splitting tensile strength, respectively, compared to the control LFC.

The subject of the research was the Middle Miocene red algal limestone from the Włochy deposit, which is currently the only place of exploitation of the Pińczów Limestone representing a local type of the Leitha Limestone. The collected samples of this rock belong to the organodetric facies of diverse grain size and sorting of clastic material. Considering the proportions of characteristic skeleton remains, the composition of the coarse-grained organodetric facies is red algal-foraminiferalbryozoic, while of the fine-grained facies is foraminiferal-red algal. The cement of these rocks is predominantly sparite compared to micrite-clay matrix. A complement to petrographic studies was the chemical analysis and identification of mineral phases with X-ray diffraction. Moreover, physical and mechanical properties of samples were analyzed. Porosity of the rock was assessed in the polarizing and scanning microscope (SEM-EDS) observations, as well as with a porosimetric tests. The coarse-detrital limestone with a dominant binder in the form of intergranular cement is characterized by the apparent density sometimes exceeded 1.90 Mg/m3, while fine-grained limestone has the highest water absorbability (above 20%) and total porosity (about 40%). The above properties influenced high water absorption by capillarity, limiting the possibility of using limestone in places exposed to moisture. The observed relationship between the ultrasonic waves velocity and the uniaxial compressive strength gives the possibility of predicting the value of the latter parameter in the future. The limestones from Włochy deposit do not differ in quality from the previously used Pińczów Limestones, and their technical parameters predestine them for use as cladding material with insulating properties.

Bamboo Ash is a safer and more sustainable building material. It is possible to use bamboo ash as a partial cement replacement as an alternative to cement application and also to reduce pollution. For this study, the main purpose is to determine the compressive strength and water absorption of cement sand brick containing bamboo ash. Laboratory tests such as compression tests and water absorption tests on cement sand brick with bamboo ash as a partial replacement for cement have been conducted. The mixes with various ratios using bamboo ash are 5%, 7%, and 10%. The specimen size for cement sand brick is 215 mm long, 102.5 mm wide, and 65 mm deep according to BS3921:1985. The results from the specimens containing Bamboo Ash have been compared to the control specimens. The water absorption test results increase as the percentage of Bamboo Ash increases due to particle size and air void, but the compressive strength decreases at 28 days.

The article presents the results of experimental studies of the influence of granite dust on the properties and durability of concrete. The use of industrial waste – granite dust, in the processing of granite into crushed stone, at the same time allows the rational use of natural resources and solve environmental problems. The possibility of improving the construction and technical properties of concrete filled with granite dust is considered. Experimental-statistical models of technological and physical-mechanical properties of concretes are presented and analyzed, ways of their improvement are shown. The complex of strength properties, water absorption, frost resistance, and durability of such concrete have been studied. The studied concrete are characterized by a more intensive set of strength and obtaining mixtures of “sticky” consistency. Due to the partial replacement of sand by granite dust, the microstructure of the cement matrix is compacted, which is the main reason for reducing porosity and increasing the durability of structures based on the proposed concrete.