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.

Disclosed herein are compositions and methods for increasing the viscosity of a calcium-containing fluid by addition of a modifying agent. The resulting enhanced viscosity fluid may be used in a variety of applications including drilling, to create an enhanced-viscosity fluid, and demolition/mining to create an expansive putty for use in underwater and overhead applications.

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.

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wet mix of about 460 kg/m.sup.3 of cementitious material such as ordinary Portland cement of which about 50 percent has been replaced by ground granulated basic furnace slag (GGBFS) and 7 percent by silica fume (SF) in other words the mix introduces between about 178 and 228 kg/m.sup.3 therefore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.

A system and method for applying a construction material is provided. The method may include mixing blast furnace slag material, geopolymer material, alkali-based powder, and sand at a batching and mixing device to generate a non-Portland cement-based material. The method may also include transporting the non-Portland cement-based material from the mixing device, through a conduit to a nozzle and combining the transported non-Portland cement-based material with liquid at the nozzle to generate a partially liquefied non-Portland cement-based material. The method may further include pneumatically applying the partially liquefied non-Portland cement-based material to a surface.

A system and method for applying a construction material is provided. The system may include a batching and mixing device configured to mix blast furnace slag material, geopolymer material, alkali-based powder, and sand to generate a non-Portland cement-based material, the non-Portland cement-based material including 4% to 45% geopolymer material by weight; greater than 0% to 40% blast furnace slag material by weight, 10% to 45% alkali by weight, 20% to 90% sand by weight, less than 1% sulfate by weight, and/or no more than 5% calcium oxide by weight; a conduit configured to transport the non-Portland cement-based material from the batching and mixing device; and a nozzle configured to receive the non-Portland cement-based material and combine the transported non-Portland cement-based material with liquid to generate a partially liquefied non-Portland cement-based material, wherein the nozzle is further configured to pneumatically apply the partially liquefied non-Portland cement-based material to a surface.

A system and method for applying a construction material is provided. The method may include mixing one or more of 4%-45% volcanic rock by weight, greater than 0%-40% latent hydraulic material by weight, 10%-45% alkaline component by weight, and 20%-90% aggregate by weight to produce a dry binding agent mixture, using a dry mixer; and combining the dry binding agent mixture with water at a nozzle to produce a sprayable concrete compound.

A calcium aluminate cement protective coating is resistant to sulfuric acid and can be used as a lining to protect surfaces in sulfur storage vessels and sulfuric acid storage vessels. The protective coating can include calcium aluminate cement, calcium aluminate based synthetic aggregates, and water. The protective coating is resistant to sulfur and sulfuric acid attack, and thus can be used to protect surfaces inside sulfur storage pits, sulfur storage tanks, and sulfuric acid storage containers.

A system and method for storing molten sulfur includes a reinforced concrete vessel, the reinforced concrete vessel being subterranean. The vessel has a floor that is a raft footing formed of reinforced concrete and has a floor interior surface. The vessel also has a ceiling that is a slab of reinforced concrete and has a ceiling interior surface. Sidewalls of the vessel extend between the floor and the ceiling and are formed of reinforced concrete, each sidewall having a sidewall interior surface. A liner is bonded to the floor interior surface, the ceiling interior surface, and each sidewall interior surface. The liner formed of an epoxy vinyl ester resin, and a glass fiber sheet embedded in the epoxy vinyl ester resin.

A geosynthetic clay liner for containing low pH, acidic fluids including a dry blended mix 90%-99% by weight bentonite and 1%-10% by weight high molecular weight cellulose ether polymer, and a method and containment including the liner to protect an environment around a site having low pH, acidic fluids.