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A Mix-Design Method for the Specific Surface Area of Eco-Concrete Based on Statistical Analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Guofa Dong

    (College of Smart Water Conservancy Engineering, Xinjiang Institute of Technology, Akesu 843100, China)

  • Jiale Zhang

    (Institute of Port, Coastal, and Offshore Engineering, Ocean College, Zhejiang University, Zhoushan 316021, China)

  • Abdolhossein Naghizadeh

    (Department of Engineering Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa)

  • Chuangzhou Wu

    (Institute of Port, Coastal, and Offshore Engineering, Ocean College, Zhejiang University, Zhoushan 316021, China)

  • Zhen Zhang

    (College of Smart Water Conservancy Engineering, Xinjiang Institute of Technology, Akesu 843100, China)

  • Xinyu Zhan

    (College of Smart Water Conservancy Engineering, Xinjiang Institute of Technology, Akesu 843100, China)

Abstract

Ecological concrete designed by empirical method does not consider the mesoscopic influence of aggregates, resulting in problems such as low strength, excessive porosity, and poor stability with different gradations, which severely restricts the development and application of ecological concrete. To achieve the refined design of ecological concrete, a mesoscopic specific surface area design method based on statistical analysis is proposed. First, the meso-aggregate model with sub-millimeter precision was established using a high-precision 3D scanner, and CloudCompare was used to calculate the specific surface area of the mesoscopic aggregate model, laying the foundation for the statistical analysis of specific surface area. Second, statistical analysis methods verified that the mean specific surface area of 20 aggregates from a single random sampling reliably estimates the mean of the overall aggregate population. Third, the optimal water–cement ratio was calculated considering the water absorption characteristics and the mortar-wrapping capacity of aggregates; standard cubic specimens were prepared using this optimal water–cement ratio, with aggregates evenly coated with mortar and no obvious mortar settlement. Fourth, the cubic compressive strength of specimens naturally cured for 7 days was tested; experimental results showed that the cubic compressive strength of specimens formed by this project’s design method increased by more than 30% compared to the empirical design method. The results indicate that using the average volume-specific surface area of 20 aggregates to assess the overall average volume-specific surface area of aggregates is both reliable and relatively efficient. Based on the reliable estimation of the overall average volume-specific surface area of aggregates derived from this method, measurements were taken of the thickness of water films adsorbed on dry aggregates and the thickness of mortar coatings on surface-dry aggregates. Further, the optimal water–cement ratio for eco-concrete was deduced, and a comprehensive set of feasible refined methods for eco-concrete mix proportion design was proposed. In contrast to the empirical method, concrete designed via the subject’s methodology exhibits a marked enhancement in compressive strength while retaining favorable pore characteristics—rendering it well-suited for deployment in the slope protection of reservoirs and ponds and thereby facilitating the realization of ecological slope protection functionality.

Suggested Citation

  • Guofa Dong & Jiale Zhang & Abdolhossein Naghizadeh & Chuangzhou Wu & Zhen Zhang & Xinyu Zhan, 2025. "A Mix-Design Method for the Specific Surface Area of Eco-Concrete Based on Statistical Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(17), pages 1-21, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:17:p:7932-:d:1741334
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. J. P. Royston, 1982. "An Extension of Shapiro and Wilk's W Test for Normality to Large Samples," Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series C, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 31(2), pages 115-124, June.
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