ice molding, concrete, structural behaviour

This investigation is based on the novel technique of Ice Formwork where ice is used as moulding material for cementitious materials. Its assets are manifold; a stark decrease in manual labour at many stages of the process including creation of the ice mould and demoulding, no non-recylcable waste production. This research examines the effects of antifreeze, namely Calcium Chloride and Sodium Chloride, on the mechanical properties of mortar samples. In total, three experiments are conducted. Firstly, mortar samples with a solution of 0-3wt% of CaCl2 as antifreeze are cured at temperatures of -20°C, -2°C, and 23°C. Secondly, two Calcium Chloride and Sodium Chloride solutions are investigated with percentages of 9% and 6% and 15% and 5% respectively. These are used in mortar and cured at temperatures of -11°C and 23°C. Each of the aforementioned samples in the two first experiments are tested at three different ages; after 3, 7, and 14 days. The third experiment consists of exploring the hydration curve of mortar samples cured at subfreezing temperatures. This entails two different samples being cured at two different temperatures during 24 hours: a 3% CaCl2 sample at -2°C and a 15% CaCl2 and 5% NaCl samples at -11°C. The mechanical properties investigated are the bending and compression stresses at failure point. The tests are comprised of a 3-point bending and compression tests, in which the data being processed are the failure points.