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Application of ultrasonic P-wave reflection to measure development of early-age cement-paste properties

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Abstract

Ultrasonic wave reflection (UWR), well established for the study of stiffening and strength development of cement-based materials, normally uses shear waves (S-waves) because they are sensitive to microstructural development. This study demonstrates possible application of UWR with longitudinal waves (P-waves) using a low impedance buffer for investigating stiffening in hydrating cement paste. The P-wave reflection coefficient was seen to increase modestly as hydration progressed. Also, the P-wave reflection coefficient showed higher values for pastes with lower water to cement ratios, which are primarily attributed to the higher density of low w/c pastes, and similar effects with addition of fly ash and entrained air. Partial debonding between paste and buffer was observed in most pastes at a time that coincided with final set as measured using S-waves; and the debonding appears to be associated with the development of pore water under-pressure that occurs after solidification (due to chemical shrinkage).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Architectural Engineering, Pukyong National University, Busan, 608-739, Republic of Korea

    Chul-Woo Chung

  2. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA

    Chul-Woo Chung, Prannoy Suraneni, John S. Popovics & Leslie J. Struble

  3. Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geomatic Engineering, ETH Zürich, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland

    Prannoy Suraneni

  4. School of Civil Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA

    W. Jason Weiss

Authors
  1. Chul-Woo Chung
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  2. Prannoy Suraneni
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  3. John S. Popovics
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  4. Leslie J. Struble
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  5. W. Jason Weiss
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Leslie J. Struble.

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Chung, CW., Suraneni, P., Popovics, J.S. et al. Application of ultrasonic P-wave reflection to measure development of early-age cement-paste properties. Mater Struct 46, 987–997 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-012-9948-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-012-9948-5

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