Blast Furnace Slag Concrete with Expansive Additives

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional concrete compositions with low environmental impact struggle to achieve the same strength and fluidity as traditional concrete, often resulting in shrinkage and cracking due to high water content or limited applicability in architectural works.

Innovation Solution

A concrete composition incorporating blast furnace slag, an expansive additive, and a binder property inducing material, along with optimized water and aggregate content, to enhance strength, fluidity, and reduce shrinkage, while minimizing cement usage and environmental impact.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If low water content concrete composition is used to reduce environmental impact, then cement usage is reduced, but fluidity deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenvironmental impactVSAvoidfluidity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by introducing specific expansive additives (calcium oxide, calcium hydroxide, calcium carbonate) and adjusting their content ratios (CaO: 0.1-5 mass%, Ca(OH)2: 0.1-5 mass%, CaCO3: 0.1-5 mass%). This allows the concrete to achieve both low water content (100-150 kg/m³) and good fluidity through chemical composition optimization rather than relying on high water content.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a composite material system combining blast furnace slag (70-90 mass%), expansive additives, and minimal cement (10-30 mass%). This composite approach allows the blast furnace slag to provide the bulk structure while the expansive additives compensate for the lack of fluidity that would normally require high water content, thus reducing environmental impact while maintaining workability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Ease of operation

If high water content is used to improve fluidity, then fluidity is improved, but shrinkage and cracking increase

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovefluidityVSAvoidshrinkage and cracking resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent optimizes the water content parameter to a specific range (100-150 kg/m³) and combines it with controlled amounts of expansive additives (CaO, Ca(OH)2, CaCO3). This parameter optimization ensures sufficient fluidity for construction while the expansive additives counteract shrinkage forces, preventing cracking and improving reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent converts the potentially harmful effect of water (which causes shrinkage and cracking when evaporated) into a beneficial expansive force through the addition of expansive additives. These additives react with water to produce expansion that counteracts shrinkage, transforming the harmful shrinkage effect into a beneficial stress-relief mechanism that prevents cracking.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If cement content is reduced to lower environmental impact, then environmental impact is reduced, but strength may deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenvironmental impactVSAvoidcompressive strength
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a composite binder system where blast furnace slag (70-90 mass%) serves as the primary binding material, supplemented by expansive additives and minimal cement (10-30 mass%). The blast furnace slag provides the main structural strength while the expansive additives ensure proper setting and crack resistance, achieving both environmental sustainability and mechanical strength requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The patent optimizes the chemical composition parameters including the CaO content (0.1-5 mass%), Ca(OH)2 content (0.1-5 mass%), and CaCO3 content (0.1-5 mass%) within the blast furnace slag. These parameter optimizations ensure that the reduced-cement mixture still achieves adequate compressive strength through the controlled chemical reactions and microstructure development of the slag-based system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The composition achieves good fluidity and strength comparable to traditional concrete, while reducing shrinkage and environmental footprint, making it suitable for various architectural applications.

Implementation Method 1

contains expansive additive, and water... the concrete composition... reducing shrinkage

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectChemical reaction: Chemical Bonding

Data Source

PatentEP3647295B1Concrete composition and production method therefor
Publication Date: 2022.04.13 SUMITOMO MITSUI CONSTRUCTION CO LTD

AI summary

Provided is a concrete composition, including: blast furnace slag; at least any one of expansive additive and cement; and water, wherein a unit water content of the water is 130 kg/m3 or less; wherein a content of the cement is 22% by mass or less relative to the blast furnace slag, and wherein a slump flow value of the concrete composition is 40 cm or greater.