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Concrete Association of Estonia awarded student prizes 2017 that are set up for promoting and making studies addressing concrete and concrete construction more productive. The recipients of the prizes of the Concrete Association are selected from among dissertations associated with concrete submitted at Estonian higher education institutions.
The management board of the Concrete Association selected the winners from among dissertations associated with concrete submitted at four Estonian higher education institutions (Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tallinn University of Applied Sciences, Tallinn University of Technology, University of Tartu).
Student prizes 2017 of the Concrete Association of Estonia were awarded to:
Taavi Ilu Master’s dissertation in the Tallinn University of Technology programme Economy and Management in Construction
“Suitability of AS Eesti Energia’s Enefit-280 fly ash for the partial preplacement of Portland cement in concrete”
Supervisor: Eneli Liisma, assistant of Tallinn University of Technology
Co-supervisor: Aare Lessuk, quality manager of AS E-Betoonelement
Raido Enn Bachelor’s dissertation in the University of Tartu programme Material Science “X-ray analysis of the hydration of Portland cement”
Supervisor: Senior research fellow at University of Tartu Institute of Physics Hugo Mändar, PhD
“Both dissertations that were awarded the prizes study the ingredients of concrete, being remarkable in terms of the high-tech development of Estonian cement and concrete industry,” said Tiit Roots, the chairman of the management board of the Concrete Association of Estonia. “Participation of the concrete industry in the recovery process of oil shale ash as a secondary raw material that is so important for Estonian national economy is also important,” Roots added.
Taavi Ilu`s Masters thesis "The suitability of AS Eesti Energia Enefit-280 fly ash in the concrete replacement of portland cement", co-supervisor Aare Lessuk, AS E-Betoonelement quality manager comments:
"From an environmental point of view, the important part is the decreasing amount of CO2 emitted into air in the production of concrete and the transfer of residues from the combustion of oil shale into recycling.
The fact that the fly ash used for experimental purposes in the final thesis is the result of newer technology-based combustion processes (fluid-bed-based technology) makes the topic even more relevant, which is why its features are different from the fly ash used in the construction industry (dust-fired technology). The properties and usability of such fly ash have not been studied extensively so far, so opening up the graduation work to new possibilities in the concrete industry, eventually reducing the cost of manufacturing concrete.
The main conclusion of the thesis is that the partial replacement of Portland cement with a fluid bed boiler ash is possible. The optimum result is the 10% replacement of cement with a fluid bed boiler ash, in which the compressive strength of the concrete remains at the same level as the Portland cement concrete. Research needs to be continued to be introduced into production. "
Jaak Kikas, Director of the Institute of Physics at the University of Tartu, professor: "The X-ray Analysis of Portland Cement Hydration" by Raido Enn, Bachelor's Thesis "Portland Cement Hydration X-Ray Analysis":
"In-situ XRD (X-ray diffraction analysis) method is one of the most important methods for investigating the hardening of cement and, as we know, there was no corresponding capacity and experience in Estonia. Therefore, it was decided to start the development and research of this method in the UT FI Cell Technology Laboratory.
As part of Raido Ennu's thesis, the design, construction and testing of the stonewall chamber was also part of.
The Estonian Concrete Association grants student awards starting in 2007.
The Estonian Concrete Association (founded in 2004) is an association promoting the use of concrete as a building material for domestic use, which includes 57 enterprises, organizations and private individuals.
Source: Press release from Estonian Concrete Association, In Nomine OÜ
