Abstracts Book - IMRC 2018

• SF5-P062
WATER AND CHLORIDE PERMEABILITY OF DEHYDRATED CACTI
ADDITIONS TO INCREASE THE DURABILITY OF CEMENT-BASED
MORTARS
Andres Antonio Torres Acosta 1,2 , Lilia Alejandra Díaz Cruz 3
1 Instituto Mexicano del Transporte, CIVIE, Mexico. 2 Universidad Marista de Queretaro,
Construction Materials Laboratory, Mexico. 3 Element 5, CITEC Laboratory, Mexico.
This investigation presents experimental results on water and chloride
permeability of cement-based mortar specimens fabricated with botanical
(green) dehydrated additions such as Opuntia Ficus Indica (OFI) and Aloe Vera
(AV) to increase the durability of such materials. Mortar without such additions
served as controls. The natural dehydrated additions, OFI and AV, were mixed
with CPO (ordinary Portland cement) at different percent replacements (0%, 1%,
2%, 4%, and 8%). To characterize water and chloride ion transport in such
mortars, two test samples were fabricated: 5x5x5 cm cubes for water
absorption-desorption, ultrasound pulse velocity, and electrical resistivity tests;
and 5x5x10 cm prisms for the chloride transport test. Results observed, up to
date, show some improvements within the dehydrated OFI replacement
mixtures regarding the decrease of both water absorption-desorption and
chloride transport into the mortar if OFI replacement is less than 2%. AV
additions did not improve the same parameters, water absorption-desorption
and chloride transport into the mortar.
Keywords: Opuntia Ficus Indica, Aloe Vera, Durability
Presenting authors email: andres.torres@umq.maristas.edu.mx