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The same attributes that
make concrete ubiquitous in application (i.e. low cost, ease of use, and
wide availability of raw materials) have also kept it from being fully
researched and its full potential developed and exploited. In the past,
it has simply been easier to overdesign a mixture rather than try to
understand and define the interrelationship and effects of the different
components. As a result, the engineering properties of cement-based
materials have also been limited.
The novel approach to
concrete mix design taken by CXI is based on materials science rather
than empirical trial and error testing (as is the time consuming and
costly result of using the guidelines of ACI 211). Our approach offers
the opportunity to microstructurally engineering the desired quality
characteristics and performance properties of not only concrete - but
any cementitious material.
The following advantages are
achieved when adopting the CXI approach to mix design:
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Predictably produce
uniform cementitious compositions and products
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Meet predetermined
quality characteristics
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Meet predetermined
performance characteristics
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Minimize the need for
overdesign for strength or volume and thereby minimize the cost of
manufacture
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Meet the desired
requirements for slump, strength and durability
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Provide a process for
designing concrete such that trial and error is eliminated
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Mix design for a certain
concrete having a variety of components and admixtures will be known
to be the optimal and at the same time the most cost effective
The concrete and concrete
product manufacturing businesses are characterized by large production
rates. At the same time, the sector operates with small profit margins
in a highly competitive market. A technical improvement in the product
or its production can shift market shares. Similarly, an economical
optimization of the production can increase profits or improve
competitiveness.
Using our cutting edge
knowledge of particle packing, rheology, and microstructure analysis CXI
tailor products of superior performance and low production cost. The key
tools/steps in the tailoring process is:
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Particle packing
software enabling estimation of minimum void space between aggregate
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Computerized equipment
simulating any zero slump concrete production
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Computerized equipment
determining rheological parameters of paste and mortar
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Documentation of
microstructure using fluorescence thin section microscopy and
scanning electron microscopy
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Cost-benefit analysis
based on performance criteria and materials cost
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