Concrete is formed by providing a wet layer of a first concrete 4, applying a second wet layer 6 of concrete on the first layer 4 of wet concrete and setting the layers 4 and 6 to provide a composite concrete structure, wherein at least one of the layers comprises, AACM (Alkali-Activated Cementitious Material). An ionic bond 2 is formed between the two layers. The AACM layer may comprise a reinforcement structure and cathodic protection.

The present invention primarily relates to the use of a mixture capable of biocementation as a means of preventing or reducing plant growth, preferably weed growth. The invention also relates to a method for preventing or reducing plant growth, preferably weed growth, on/in a substrate.

Asphalt binder compositions and methods for making such compositions with pure sterol:crude sterol blends. The sterol blends improve various rheological properties.

Multifunctional composite building materials, which are obtained by mixing nano silicon dioxide, nano titanium dioxide, nano aluminum oxide and nano zinc oxide with nano nickel-cobalt ferrite or nano nickel-zinc ferrite; surface active agent; air entrained agent such as diethanolamine lauryl sulphonate, protein extracts, pulp waste liquid, diatomite; kumgang medical stone; viscosifier such as hydroxyl ethyl cellulose and foam elimination agent such as tributylphosphoric acid ester or butanol in a certain ratio.

A composition of a cement additive material to improve durability of cementitious structures, was disclosed. The cement additive composition includes an admixture of one or more of divalent magnesium metal silicates with capacity to act as a latent hydraulic binder in said composition activated by a hydration process under aqueous conditions, and in particular the divalent metal silicate is magnesium-dominated silicate, preferably comprising mineral groups of olivines, orthopyroxenes, amphiboles, talc and serpentines or mixtures thereof. The composition also includes chloride ions or brine. Applications of the compositions are also disclosed, in particular to utilize a property of hydration as a major trigger for the latent hydraulic reaction of magnesium silicates, particularly for said olivines, when exposed to water and brines, in order to obtain a cementitious material becoming self healing.

Concrete compositions containing cement, a fine aggregate such as sand, a coarse aggregate such as crushed limestone, an industrial waste material such as electric arc furnace dust, cement kiln dust, oil ash, or limestone powder. High performance concretes made therefrom and methods of producing such concretes are also specified. The addition of industrial waste materials and nano silica provides enhanced mechanical strength (e.g. compressive strength, flexural strength) and improved durability (e.g. resistance to penetration of chloride ions) to the high performance concretes.

A lightweight structural concrete formulation comprises a wet mix of about 460 kg/m.sup.3 of cementitious material such as ordinary Portland cement of which about 50 percent has been replaced by ground granulated basic furnace slag (GGBFS) and 7 percent by silica fume (SF) in other words the mix introduces between about 178 and 228 kg/m.sup.3 therefore the combination is good to produce secondary reaction products when the cement hydrates which produces secondary calcium silicate hydrate (CSH) which makes the structure dense and thereby increases its mechanical durability characteristics of the concrete product. Possible ratios of GGBFS and SF are 30-70 percent and 5-10 percent, respectively. By making the structures dense increases the mechanical and durability characteristics of the concrete product. Other ratios have been made including GGBFS of 30-70 percent and silica fume 5-10 percent, respectively. It can be noted that the silica fume was added to the mixture as a supplementary cementitious material (SCM) not as an aggregate. It should also be noted that the particle sizes of GGBFS ranges between about 20-40 mm and that of silica fume is less than 20 mm.

The invention relates to an unsaturated polyester resin comprising fumaric acid and optional end-capping with an ethylenically unsaturated moiety, which is useful for the preparation of engineered stone. The unsaturated polyester resin can be further processed to obtain a formable composition which can be cured to finally yield engineered stone as composite material. The thus obtained engineered stone shows a high resistance to UV- and sunlight as well as to weathering. The invention also relates to a method for the preparation of engineered stone as well as to the use of the unsaturated polyester resin for the preparation of engineered stone.

A concrete element with improved fire resistance having a textile reinforcement, such as carbon fibers. The concrete covers the textile reinforcement around 10 to 25 mm, the concrete being made from binding agents based on geopolymers or calcium-aluminate cements or Portland cement or blast furnace cement combined with an increased concentration of more than 2 kg/m.sup.3 polypropylene fibres and high temperature resistant aggregates. The textile reinforcement with fibers/filaments are impregnated with an impregnation mass/resin, ensuring, even at very high temperatures, a transmission of force between the fibres and the impregnation mass and protecting against the entry of oxygen. It also contains an organic faction of, for example, a maximum of 20 wt. %, wherein the impregnation masses being used, have a filler which is stable at high temperatures in an added amount of, for example, at least 12.5% in the form of particles.

An object of the present invention is to provide a matted object capable of achieving both a lower range of glossiness and an antifouling property. A matted object includes a substrate, and a glassy layer provided on the surface of the substrate. The surface of the glassy layer has a 60-glossiness of 20 or less, a skewness Rsk of 0.5 or more, and a maximum height roughness Rz more than 2.5 m and less than 5.7 m, the skewness Rsk and the maximum height roughness Rz being specified in JIS B0601 (2001).