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Appraising the potential of calcium sulfoaluminate cement-based grouts in simulated permafrost environments

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Abstract

The aim of this study is to appraise the potential of calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) cement-based grouts in simulated permafrost environments. The hydration and performance of CSA cement-based grouts cured in cold environments (10, 0, and −10 °C) are investigated using a combination of tests, including temperature recording, X-ray diffraction (XRD) tests, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and unconfined compressive strength (UCS) tests. The recorded temperature shows a rapid increase in temperature at the early stage in all the samples. Meanwhile, results of the TGA and XRD tests show the generation of a significant quantity of hydration products, which indicates the rapid hydration of CSA cement-based grouts at the early stage at low temperatures. Consequently, the CSA cement-based grouts exhibit remarkably high early strength. The UCS values of the samples cured for 2 h at −10, 0, and 10 °C are 6.5, 12.0, and 12.3 MPa, respectively. The UCS of the grouts cured at −10, 0, and 10 °C increases continuously with age and ultimately reached 14.9, 19.0, and 30.6 MPa at 28 d, respectively. The findings show that the strength of grouts fabricated using CSA cement can develop rapidly in cold environments, thus rendering them promising for permafrost applications.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by a research project (RES0049413) at the University of Alberta. The first author is grateful for the scholarship provided by the China Scholarship Council.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, T6G 1H9, Canada

    Jian Zhao, Guangping Huang & Wei Victor Liu

  2. College of Mining Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan, 030024, China

    Lin Liao

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  1. Jian Zhao
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  2. Guangping Huang
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  3. Lin Liao
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  4. Wei Victor Liu
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Correspondence to Lin Liao or Wei Victor Liu.

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Zhao, J., Huang, G., Liao, L. et al. Appraising the potential of calcium sulfoaluminate cement-based grouts in simulated permafrost environments. Front. Struct. Civ. Eng. 17, 722–731 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11709-023-0950-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11709-023-0950-5

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