Effect of Freeze-Thaw Cycle and Moisture Content on Compressive and Energy Properties of Alkali Slag Ceramsite Concrete

Freeze-thaw cycle and moisture content are important factors for structural strength degradation in cold areas. Using coal gangue and slag to prepare alkali slag ceramsite concrete (ASCC) can implement the reuse of solid waste of coal gangue and slag. To study the influence of ceramsite content and moisture content on compressive strength and energy characteristics under freeze-thaw cycles (FTCs), uniaxial compression tests were conducted for ASCC with different moisture contents (dry, 4%, 5%, and 6%) and ceramsite contents (0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%) after 20 FTCs. The results show that the stress-strain curves of ASCC with different moisture contents and ceramsite contents all undergo four stages under FTCs, namely initial compaction, elastic deformation, crack development, and post-peak failure. The addition of coal gangue ceramsite makes concrete failure show certain ductility characteristics. Both compressive strength and ultrasonic pulse velocity decrease with the moisture content, and elastic energy utilization rate of wet ASCC is better than that of dry ASCC. The compressive strength, ultrasonic pulse velocity, and energy characteristics all decrease with the increase of ceramsite content.