Performance of Self-Healed Alkali-Activated Slag Mortar at Elevated Temperature
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 35, Issue 7
Abstract
Microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) is a novel technology aimed at improving the strength and durability of concrete by using micro-organism species. This paper investigated the influence of the bacterial treatment on the strength parameters and microstructures of alkali-activated slag (AAS) mortars at elevated temperatures. Four AAS mortar mixtures containing varying concentrations of Bacillus pasteurii (, , and ) were investigated at target temperatures of 23°C, 200°C, 400°C, 600°C, and 800°C. After reaching the target temperature, mass loss, compressive strength, and flexural strength tests were carried out on the specimens. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) tests were conducted to compare the microstructure characteristics of bacteria-containing mortars and the control mortar. The results showed a substantial increase of compressive and flexural strength of AAS mortars at ambient and elevated temperatures. In addition, the microstructure analysis indicated that the bacterial specimens produced calcite, leading to crack healing and improvement of mechanical properties; this confirms the functionality and viability of incorporating Bacillus pasteurii in the alkaline environment of AAS mortars.
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Data Availability Statement
The data sets used and/or analyzed in this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
The authors thank Islamic Azad University of Najafabad for the research facilities.
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Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 35 • Issue 7 • July 2023
Copyright
© 2023 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Dec 4, 2021
Accepted: Nov 8, 2022
Published online: Apr 24, 2023
Published in print: Jul 1, 2023
Discussion open until: Sep 24, 2023
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