Concrete and cement-based materials must operate in increasingly aggressive aqueous environments, which may be either natural or industrial. These materials may suffer degradation in which ion addition and/or ion exchange reactions occur, leading to a breakdown of the matrix microstructure and consequent weakening. Sometimes this degradation can be extremely rapid and serious such as in acidic environments, while in other cases degradation occurs over long periods. Consequences of material failure are usually severe – adversely affecting the health and well-being of human communities and disturbing ecological balances. There are also large direct costs of maintaining and replacing deteriorated infrastructure and indirect costs from loss of production during maintenance work, which place a great burden on society. The focus of this book is on addressing issues concerning performance of cement-based materials in aggressive aqueous environments , by way of this State-of-the-Art Report. The book represents the work of many well-known and respected authors who contributed chapters or parts of chapters. Four main themes were addressed: I. Nature and kinetics of degradation and deterioration mechanisms of cement-based materials in aggressive aqueous environments, II. Modelling of deterioration in such environments, III. Test methods to assess performance of cement-based materials in such environments, and which can be used to characterise and rate relative performance and inform long term predictions, IV. Engineering implications and consequences of deterioration in aggressive aqueous environments, and engineering approaches to the problem.

This book contains 25 papers taken from proceedings of the Thirtieth Annual Conference of Metallurgists, the first to be organized by the Corrosion Science Section of the Metallurgical Society of CIM. The keynote paper, Environmental Definition, presented by Dr. Roger Staehle, sets the tone for the volume with a focus on maintaining reliable performance by controlling corrosion. In the subsequent papers presented here, topics discussed include corrosion protection and histories, water mains, inhibitors, and expert systems and data handling.

Details the many conditions under which stress-corrosion cracking (SCC) can occur, the parameters which control SCC, and the methodologies for mitigating and testing for SCC, plus information on mechanisms of SCC with experimental data on a variety of materials. Contains information about environmen

Performance of Bio-based Building Materials provides guidance on the use of bio-based building materials (BBBM) with respect to their performance. The book focuses on BBBM currently present on the European market. The state-of-the-art is presented regarding material properties, recommended uses, performance expectancies, testing methodology, and related standards. Chapters cover both 'old and traditional' BBBM since quite a few of them are experiencing a comeback on the market. Promising developments that could become commercial in the near future are presented as well. The book will be a valuable reference resource for those working in the bio-based materials research community, architects and agencies dealing with sustainable construction, and graduate students in civil engineering. - Takes a unique approach to bio-based materials and presents a broad overview of the topics on relevant areas necessary for application and promotion in construction - Contains a general description, notable properties related to performance, and applications - Presents standards that are structured according to performance types

This book provides detailed and comprehensible information about Quality Control (QC) in the industry. Different viewpoints are explained in relation to food companies, packaging producers and technical experts, including regulatory aspects. One of the most important steps is the comprehension of QC failures in relation to the 'food product' (food/packaging). The book also presents a detailed selection of proposals about new testing methods. On the basis of regulatory obligations in the EU about the technological suitability of food packaging materials, a list of 'performance-oriented' guidelines is proposed. Food sectors are mentioned in relation to products, related packaging materials, known failures and existing quality control procedures. This volume serves as a practical guide on food packaging and QC methods and a quick reference to food operators, official safety inspectors, public health institutions, Certification bodies, students and researchers from the academia and the industry.