A method of preparing a concrete composition for downhole injection includes utilizing a controller to control a process including circulating process water in a process water supply loop for a predetermined period while monitoring and controlling the temperature and flow rate of the process water, circulating aqueous-based air entrainment solution in an aqueous-based air entrainment solution supply loop for the predetermined period and controlling the flow rate of the aqueous-based air entrainment solution and after the predetermined period of time in which the flow of process water and aqueous-based air entrainment solution have stabilized, simultaneously actuating valves to divert and mix the process water, the aqueous-based air entrainment solution and compressed air to produce an air-entrained foam and mixing the foam with a concrete composition to be deployed downhole.

Some aspects of what is described here relate to analyzing a well cement slurry. In some aspects, a well cement slurry is mixed in a mixer under a plurality of conditions. The plurality of conditions correspond to a plurality of distinct Reynolds number values for the well cement slurry in the mixer. Power number values associated with mixing the well cement slurry in the mixer under the plurality of conditions are identified. Each power number value is based on an amount of energy used to mix the well cement slurry under a respective one of the plurality of conditions. Values for parameters of a functional relationship between power number and Reynolds number are identified based on the power number values and the Reynolds number values for the plurality of conditions.

The invention provides methods and compositions for treating wash water from concrete production with carbon dioxide. The treated wash water can be reused as mix water in fresh batches of concrete.

The invention provides methods and compositions for treating wash water from concrete production with carbon dioxide. The treated wash water can be reused as mix water in fresh batches of concrete.

A liquid additive mixing apparatus is provided that has a plurality of chambers containing additives, as well as a system for mixing the additives. One or more additives are mixed with water to form a mixing fluid. The mixing fluid is placed in a first tank that is fluidly connected to a cement mixing unit. A cementing operation is executed during which the mixing fluid from the first tank is mixed with a cement to form a slurry. A capillary electrophoresis (CE) instrument is employed to monitor at least one additive parameter and detect deviations from a predetermined tolerance for the at least one additive parameter.

Techniques for additive construction of structures and production of additive construction materials are described, including a 3D printing assembly including a container configured to store a material, a mixer configured to mix the material to provide an extrudable mix including cementitious material, and a dispenser configured to receive the flowable mix from the mixer and to provide the flowable mix under one or more controlled parameters to form a structure, and a controller configured to receive a value associated with a material property parameter of the material, to generate a mixture by inputting the value into a machine learning algorithm, the mixture being generated using, by the controller, another value associated with a control parameter configured to control operation of the 3D printing assembly, and using the 3D printing assembly to print a structure using the mixture.

Techniques for additive construction of structures and production of additive construction materials are described, including a 3D printing assembly including a container configured to store a material, a mixer configured to mix the material to provide an extrudable mix including cementitious material, and a dispenser configured to receive the flowable mix from the mixer and to provide the flowable mix under one or more controlled parameters to form a structure, and a controller configured to receive a value associated with a material property parameter of the material, to generate a mixture by inputting the value into a machine learning algorithm, the mixture being generated using, by the controller, another value associated with a control parameter configured to control operation of the 3D printing assembly, and using the 3D printing assembly to print a structure using the mixture.

Device for metering color pigments as an additive for cement or alternative cement for the production of colored concrete products, comprising at least three containers (2) for receiving respectively different color pigments, a control unit (10) for setting the discharge quantities from the containers (2), and a sensor system (11) coupled to the control unit (10) in order to meter a color pigment composition taking into account the discharge quantities detected by the sensor system (11), wherein at least one brightness value L* value for the inherent color of the cement or alternative cement of the concrete product to be colored in each case is stored or storable in the control unit (10), and the control unit (10) is configured to apply a color triangle as a function of the at least one L* value for controlling the output of predetermined quantities of the color pigments from the at least three containers (2) based on a set of three standard color values X, Y, Z.

Globally our environment comprises structures built to perform a meet different requirements including residential, commercial, retail, recreational and service infrastructure. Whilst, millions of tons of construction materials are deployed annually the quality control procedures in many instances have not changed to reflect today's demands. Accordingly, it would be beneficial to provide construction companies, engineering companies, infrastructure owners, regulators, etc. with means to automated testing/characterization of construction materials during at least one of its manufacture, deployment in construction and subsequent infrastructure life. It would be further beneficial for such automated methods to exploit self-contained data acquisition/logging modules allowing them to be employed with ease at the different points in the life cycle of a construction material and/or construction project.

Globally our environment comprises structures built to perform a meet different requirements including residential, commercial, retail, recreational and service infrastructure. Whilst, millions of tons of construction materials are deployed annually the quality control procedures in many instances have not changed to reflect today's demands. Accordingly, it would be beneficial to provide construction companies, engineering companies, infrastructure owners, regulators, etc. with means to automated testing/characterization of construction materials during at least one of its manufacture, deployment in construction and subsequent infrastructure life. It would be further beneficial for such automated methods to exploit self-contained data acquisition/logging modules allowing them to be employed with ease at the different points in the life cycle of a construction material and/or construction project.