A structural barrier and energy absorbing device comprises a plurality of structural elements. The structural element alone or in a plurality may serve as a traversal impediment or energy absorbing device, such as a pedestrian barrier, vehicular barrier, anti-tank obstacle, ballistic barrier, or the like. The structural element may be a tetrapod such that it comprises an element body having four extension portions that extend outwardly from the interior center to a distal end, such that the structural element maintains an identical orientation and a low center of gravity in each of four resting positions. The structural element may be a solid-state structural element comprised of a particular material or a portable and collapsible structural element wherein the element body comprises an outer skin defining an interior void space, such that during set-up or installation the interior void space may be filled with a filler substance onsite.

A structural barrier and energy absorbing device comprises a plurality of structural elements. The structural element alone or in a plurality may serve as a traversal impediment or energy absorbing device, such as a pedestrian barrier, vehicular barrier, anti-tank obstacle, ballistic barrier, or the like. The structural element may be a tetrapod such that it comprises an element body having four extension portions that extend outwardly from the interior center to a distal end, such that the structural element maintains an identical orientation and a low center of gravity in each of four resting positions. The structural element may be a solid-state structural element comprised of a particular material or a portable and collapsible structural element wherein the element body comprises an outer skin defining an interior void space, such that during set-up or installation the interior void space may be filled with a filler substance onsite.

The method for producing a carbonate bonded, compacted article, which method comprises the steps of providing a particulate, carbonatable material; compacting the particulate material to form a compact; and carbonating said compact. The carbonation of the compact is started and subsequently continued for at least 1 hour with a low partial carbon dioxide pressure in the carbonation gas which is lower than 0.5 bars, after which carbonation of the compact is continued for at least 8 hours with a high partial carbon dioxide pressure in the carbonation gas which is higher than 0.5 bars. By carbonating in two phases with a low and a high partial carbon dioxide pressure, a higher compressive strength of the carbonated compacts can be achieved within a predetermined carbonation time, in particular within a carbonation time of about 24 hours so that every day new compacts can be carbonated.

The method for producing a carbonate bonded, compacted article, which method comprises the steps of providing a particulate, carbonatable material; compacting the particulate material to form a compact; and carbonating said compact. The carbonation of the compact is started and subsequently continued for at least 1 hour with a low partial carbon dioxide pressure in the carbonation gas which is lower than 0.5 bars, after which carbonation of the compact is continued for at least 8 hours with a high partial carbon dioxide pressure in the carbonation gas which is higher than 0.5 bars. By carbonating in two phases with a low and a high partial carbon dioxide pressure, a higher compressive strength of the carbonated compacts can be achieved within a predetermined carbonation time, in particular within a carbonation time of about 24 hours so that every day new compacts can be carbonated.

A concrete-based composite material including iron rich particles is characterized by an iron content greater than 17% by weight of the composite material, can include iron particles which are an iron by-product recovered from iron slag material, can include iron rich particles which have an iron content of at least 60% by weight of the iron rich particles, and/or can include iron particles having a particle size distribution in the range of about −⅜ inch to +60 mesh or in the range of about −20 mesh to about +60 mesh. The composite material can include ground granulated blast furnace slag as a portion of the cementitious component of the composite material. A method of forming a structural element from the composite material includes casting the structural element such that the structural element is characterized by a ballistic performance of Level 10 as defined by Underwriters Laboratories standard UL752.

A concrete-based composite material including iron rich particles is characterized by an iron content greater than 17% by weight of the composite material, can include iron particles which are an iron by-product recovered from iron slag material, can include iron rich particles which have an iron content of at least 60% by weight of the iron rich particles, and/or can include iron particles having a particle size distribution in the range of about −⅜ inch to +60 mesh or in the range of about −20 mesh to about +60 mesh. The composite material can include ground granulated blast furnace slag as a portion of the cementitious component of the composite material. A method of forming a structural element from the composite material includes casting the structural element such that the structural element is characterized by a ballistic performance of Level 10 as defined by Underwriters Laboratories standard UL752.

What is shown and described is a concrete element including a core concrete layer and a face concrete layer, the face concrete layer being obtained by compacting and hardening a mixture containing a latent hydraulic binder and/or a pozzolanic binder, water, a granular material and an alkaline hardener, with the granular material having, at a screen hole width of 2 mm, a through fraction from 35.5 wt. % to 99.5 wt. % and, at a screen hole width of 0.25 mm, a through fraction from 2.5 wt. % to 33.5 wt. %, each based on the total weight of the granular material.

What is shown and described is a concrete element including a core concrete layer and a face concrete layer, the face concrete layer being obtained by compacting and hardening a mixture containing a latent hydraulic binder and/or a pozzolanic binder, water, a granular material and an alkaline hardener, with the granular material having, at a screen hole width of 2 mm, a through fraction from 35.5 wt. % to 99.5 wt. % and, at a screen hole width of 0.25 mm, a through fraction from 2.5 wt. % to 33.5 wt. %, each based on the total weight of the granular material.

A method of manufacturing inorganic binder by reduction furnace slag includes a raw material preparation step, a stirring step, a maintaining step and a drying step. The raw material preparation step is to provide a powder mixture containing 30 wt % to 55 wt % of reduction furnace slag, and 45 wt % to 70 wt % of glass powder. The stirring step is to place the powder mixture in a mixing tank, and add an alkali activator to the mixing tank to stir and react to form mixed slurry. The alkali equivalent (AE) of the mixed slurry is 2% to 7%, and the water-binder ratio is 0.25 to 0.4. The maintaining step is to place the mixed slurry in a high-temperature and high pressure maintaining environment for a maintaining time to get a binder. The drying step is to dry the binder.

A method of manufacturing inorganic binder by reduction furnace slag includes a raw material preparation step, a stirring step, a maintaining step and a drying step. The raw material preparation step is to provide a powder mixture containing 30 wt % to 55 wt % of reduction furnace slag, and 45 wt % to 70 wt % of glass powder. The stirring step is to place the powder mixture in a mixing tank, and add an alkali activator to the mixing tank to stir and react to form mixed slurry. The alkali equivalent (AE) of the mixed slurry is 2% to 7%, and the water-binder ratio is 0.25 to 0.4. The maintaining step is to place the mixed slurry in a high-temperature and high pressure maintaining environment for a maintaining time to get a binder. The drying step is to dry the binder.