Uso potencial de ceniza de lodo de depuradora como sustitución de árido fino en bloques de hormigón prefabricados

El presente artículo se centra en la valorización de las cenizas de lodo de depuradora adicionadas en bloques de hormigón prefabricados, por tanto, en una matriz a base de cemento Portland con características particulares (consistencia seca). Se realiza una experiencia piloto mediante la fabricación de bloques en una planta industrial local, utilizando mezclas con porcentajes de sustitución de árido fino del 5, 10 y 15% por cenizas de lodo de depuradora, cuyos resultados se compararán con bloques de referencia (sin adición). Los ensayos aplicados son los preceptivos para su comercialización según normativa europea (marcado CE), lo que permitirá igualmente comprobar las características físicas y mecánicas de los hormigones. Los resultados obtenidos son prometedores: la utilización de este residuo permitiría su comercialización, mejora características de los bloques como la resistencia a compresión, y permitiría reducir un gran volumen de material utilizado habitualmente como materia prima y consumir un residuo destinado a vertedero.

Valorización de cenizas de lodo de depuradora como componente de hormigones para prefabricados

Se plantea la combinación binaria y ternaria de cenizas de lodo de depuradora (CLD) con ceniza volante, polvo de mármol y ceniza de cáscara de arroz, como sustitución parcial o como adición respecto al cemento Portland en hormigones, con una dosificación similar a la utilizada en la prefabricación de bloques (consistencia muy seca). Se llevaron a cabo ensayos físico-mecánicos sobre probetas de mortero y hormigón con edades de curado de 28 y 90 días: densidad, absorción y resistencia a compresión. Se comprueba que la sustitución de cemento por CLD supone una disminución de la densidad y de la resistencia respecto a la muestra patrón, sin embargo, las combinaciones con otros residuos mejoran notablemente las características de los materiales cementantes. La adición de CLD proporcionó densidades y resistencias similares a la muestra de control y reduce significativamente la absorción de agua.

Enhancing performance through the introduction of customer orientation into the building components industry

Purpose: This paper aims to describe an investigation into how company performance can be improved by integrating internal and external customers and technology. The approach was developed, implemented and evaluated in the operations of the building components industry. The research was carried out in the precast concrete division of a Singapore company. Design/methodology/ approach: For the purpose of undertaking the investigation an exploratory case study approach was used. This was divided into conceptual and action research stages. The action research was also used to implement the changes in the company. Questionnaire surveys were carried out among company employees and external customers to assess the effect of these changes. Results of the investigation were derived using content and statistical analysis. Triangulation between three sources was used for validating the data. Findings: The exploratory case study strategy resulted in rich research data, which provided evidence of the changes taking place and integration happening, leading to improved performance. The action research approach proved a powerful tool where the uncertainty of outcomes makes it near impossible to make accurate forecasts. Another output of the research was the development of an "integrated customer orientation" (ICO) model. Research limitations/implications: The research in this paper used a single site action research investigation so should be interpreted within the specific company and industry context. There are implications for theory and practice in a number of areas of production and marketing as well as contributions to understanding about productivity improvement and organisational development. The investigation also fulfils the dual objectives of action research by contributing to both knowledge and practice. Originality/value: The paper describes a unique approach towards improving productivity, quality and service through the use of action research to implement changes, as well as providing the research evidence to evaluate both the process of implementation and results achieved. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Estudo da previsão da carga de ruptura de estacas pré-moldadas de concreto

The piles are one of the most important types of solution adopted for the foundation of buildings. They are responsible for transmitting to the soil in deepe r and resistant layers loads from structures. The interaction of the foundation element with the soil is a very important variable, making indispensable your domain in order to determine the strength of the assembly and establish design criteria for each c ase of application of the pile. In this research analyzes were performed f rom experiments load tests for precast concrete piles and inve stigations of soil of type SPT, a study was performed for obtaining the ultimate load capacity of the foundation through methods extrapolation of load - settlement curve , semi - empirical and theoretic . After that, were realized comparisons between the different methods used for two types of soil a granular behavior and other cohesive. For obtaining soil paramet ers to be used i n the methods were established empirical correlations with the standard penetration number (NSPT). The charge - settlement curves of the piles are also analyzed. In the face of established comparisons was indicated the most reliable semiempirical method Déco urt - Quaresma as the most reliable for estimating the tensile strength for granular and cohesive soils. Meanwhile, among the methods studied extrapolation is recommended method of Van der Veen as the most appropriate for predicting the tensile strength.

Arch bridges – unlocking their potential

Arch bridges are strong, durable, aesthetically pleasing and require little maintenance but very few have been built since the early 1900s. However, this trend has changed as more than 60 FlexiArch bridges have been installed since the system was launched in 2007. The FlexiArch uses precast concrete voussoirs, requires neither corrodible reinforcement, nor centring, can be installed in hours and is contractor friendly. Details of this innovative method of construction and installation of arch bridges are given and the enormous potential of the system for multi-span
viaducts is also highlighted.

PHC Production Management System Based on RFID

At present, in large precast concrete enterprises, the management over precast concrete component has been chaotic. Most enterprises take labor-intensive manual input method, which is time consuming and laborious, and error-prone. Some other slightly better enterprises choose to manage through bar-code or printing serial number manually. However, on one hand, this is also labor-intensive, on the other hand, this method is limited by external environment, making the serial number blur or even lost, and also causes a big problem on production traceability and quality accountability. Therefore, to realize the enterprise’s own rapid development and cater to the needs of the time, to achieve the automated production management has been a big problem for a modern enterprise. In order to solve the problem, inefficiency in production and traceability of the products, this thesis try to introduce RFID technology into the production of PHC tubular pile. By designing a production management system of precast concrete components, the enterprise will achieve the control of the entire production process, and realize the informatization of enterprise production management. RFID technology has been widely used in many fields like entrance control, charge management, logistics and so on. RFID technology will adopt passive RFID tag, which is waterproof, shockproof, anti-interference, so it’s suitable for the actual working environment. The tag will be bound to the precast component steel cage (the structure of the PHC tubular pile before the concrete placement), which means each PHC tubular pile will have a unique ID number. Then according to the production procedure, the precast component will be performed with a series of actions, put the steel cage into the mold, mold clamping, pouring concrete (feed), stretching, centrifugalizing, maintenance, mold removing, welding splice. In every session of the procedure, the information of the precast components can be read through a RFID reader. Using a portable smart device connected to the database, the user can check, inquire and management the production information conveniently. Also, the system can trace the production parameter and the person in charge, realize the traceability of the information. This system can overcome the disadvantages in precast components manufacturers, like inefficiency, error-prone, time consuming, labor intensity, low information relevance and so on. This system can help to improve the production management efficiency, and can produce a good economic and social benefits, so, this system has a certain practical value.

Effect of milling time on mechanical properties of fly ash incorporated cement mortars

Abstract. Currently, thermal energy generation through coal combustion produces ash particles which cause serious environmental problems and which are known as Fly Ash (FA). FA main components are oxides of silicon, aluminum, iron, calcium and magnesium in addition, toxic metals such as arsenic and cobalt. The use of fly ash as a cement replacement material increases long term strength and durability of concrete. In this work, samples were prepared by replacing cement by ground fly ash in 10, 20 and 30% by weight. The characterization of raw materials and microstructure was obtained by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The final results showed that the grinding process significantly improves the mechanical properties of all samples when compared replacing a mortar made with cement by ground fly ash and the reference samples without added fly ash. The beneficial effect of the ground fly ash can increase the use of this product in precast concrete industry

Sound absorption characteristics of a precast panel system made from environmentally sustainable concrete

This paper investigates the sound absorption characteristics of a precast panel system made from an environmentally sustainable concrete which can be used as an acoustical material. A current research project undertaken at the School of Architecture and Building, Deakin University, aims at utilising alternative materials and innovative approach to concrete precasting in the production of architecturally pleasing concrete panels. The normal incidence sound absorption coefficients of the assemblies were measured using an impedance tube. In general, the peak frequencies reduced with increasing thickness of concrete. The preliminary results indicate that the sound absorption of a three-layer variation of the panel meet design specifications related to acoustic performance. The major benefits of this investigated approach to concrete and concrete precasting are the ease of tunability to specific peak frequency, improved aesthetics and utilisation of industrial waste.

On the acoustic performance of a precast panel system made from environmentally sustainable concrete : application in sports hall buildings

The use of green building materials and products promotes conservation of non-renewable resources and help reduce associated environmental impacts. This article reports the acoustical performance of a precast panel system made largely from concrete waste material. Two major applications for such panels that are being investigated currently include walls and claddings to industrial and commercial buildings and sound barriers for urban freeways. In this study, the application of the concrete panels for optimizing reverberation time (RT) in sports halls is tested using numerical simulations. As an innovative approach, additional layers are added to the precast panels to improve their appearance. The absorption coefficients of the concrete panel improved significantly with the architectural finish. The material can be tuned according to the required peak frequency. The architectural finish helped reduce the RT for frequencies above 500 Hz. Its application to different types of ceilings revealed that the RT of curved ceiling reduced up to 40% compared to flat and hybrid ceiling. A comparison of wall and ceiling modifications in small, medium and large sports halls showed that medium-sized halls have better acoustical performance compared with small and large halls with ceiling as well as wall treatment.

Concrete Meccanos: Precast Constructions after the Second World War in the Netherlands

Estudio de soluciones prefabricadas de hormigón no estandarizadas en los Países Bajos tras la Segunda Guerra Mundial.

Precast Prestressed Concrete Panel Subdecks in Skewed Bridges, Interim Report, 1990

Precast prestressed concrete panels have been used in bridge deck construction in Iowa and many other states. To investigate the performance of these panels at abutment or pier diaphragm locations for bridges with various skew angles, a research program involving both analytical and experimental aspects, is being conducted. This interim report presents the status of the research with respect to four tasks. Task 1 which involves a literature review and two surveys is essentially complete. Task 2 which involved field investigations of three Iowa bridges containing precast panel subdecks has been completed. Based on the findings of these investigations, future inspections are recommended to evaluate potential panel deterioration due to possible corrosion of the prestressed strands. Task 3 is the experimental program which has been established to monitor the behavior of five configurations of full scale composite deck slabs. Three dimensional test and instrumentation frameworks have been constructed to load and monitor the slab specimens. The first slab configuration representing an interior panel condition is being tested and preliminary results are presented for one of these tests in this interim report. Task 4 involves the analytical investigation of the experimental specimens. Finite element methods are being applied to analytically predict the behavior of the test specimens. The first test configuration of the interior panel condition has been analyzed for the same loads used in the laboratory, and the results are presented herein. Very good correlation between the analytical and experimental results has occurred.

Observations and analysis of a 63-year-old reinforced concrete promenade railing exposed to the North Sea

Despite being exposed to the harsh sea-spray environment of the North Sea at Arbroath, Scotland, for over 63 years, many of the reinforced concrete precast beam elements of the 1.5 km long promenade railing are still in very good condition and show little evidence of reinforcement corrosion. In contrast, railing replacements constructed in about 1968 and in 1993 are almost all badly cracked as a result of extensive corrosion of the longitudinal reinforcement. This is despite the newer concrete appearing to be of better quality than the 1943 concrete. Statistics for maximum crack width for each of the three populations, based on measurements made in 2004 and in 2006, are presented. In situ and laboratory measurements show that the 1943 concrete appears to have high permeability but it also shows high electrical resistivity. Chloride penetration measurements show the 1943 and 1993 concretes to have similar chloride profiles and similar chloride concentrations at the reinforcement bars. This is inconsistent with the 1943 beams showing much less reinforcement corrosion than their later replacements and casts doubt on the conventional practice for durability design focusing on reducing concrete permeability through denser concretes or greater cover.