Hygroscopic Cementitious Materials
A method is disclosed. The method includes providing a cementitious material, the cementitious material including an absorbing material. The method also includes absorbing a fluid into the absorbing material during hydration of the cementitious material. The method further includes retaining the fluid in the absorbing material after hydration of the cementitious material.
1 - 20 . (canceled)
21 . A cementitious composition comprising:
a concrete material; and
an absorbing material dispersed throughout the concrete material, the absorbing material comprising a plurality of hollow, tubular-shaped fibers that convey a fluid through an inside of the hollow, tubular-shaped fibers, such that a plurality of passageways extends through the concrete material.
22 . The cementitious composition of claim 21 , wherein the plurality of passageways makes up a passageway system that retains the fluid in the absorbing material after hydration of the concrete material.
23 . The cementitious composition of claim 21 , wherein the hollow, tubular-shaped fibers draw in the fluid from an outside surface of the cementitious composition through a wicking action.
24 . The cementitious composition of claim 21 , wherein the hollow, tubular-shaped fibers are natural fibers.
25 . The cementitious composition of claim 21 , wherein the fluid is water or a water vapor.
26 . The cementitious composition of claim 21 , wherein the fluid is a construction compound applied on the cementitious material.
27 . The cementitious composition of claim 21 , further comprising an aggregate material including sand or rock.
28 . The cementitious composition of claim 21 , further comprising at least one admixture selected of the group consisting of a plasticizer, an accelerating concrete admixture, a water-reducing admixture, a shrinkage-reducing admixture, a set-retarding admixture, and an air entrainment admixture.
29 . The cementitious composition of claim 21 , wherein the cementitious composition has a compressive strength of between 1,500 psi and 5,000 psi.
30 . The cementitious composition of claim 21 , wherein upon the absorbing material absorbing the fluid through an inside of the hollow, tubular-shaped fibers, the cementitious material has an increased weight to thereby mitigate deleterious effects caused by external forces created by running water, ocean tides, or rising water.
31 . A method comprising:
providing a cementitious composition comprising an absorbing material dispersed throughout the cementitious composition, the absorbing material comprising a plurality of hollow, tubular-shaped fibers that are adapted to convey a fluid therethrough, such that a plurality of passageways extends through the cementitious composition;
causing the fluid to contact the cementitious material;
wherein the fluid is absorbed by and retained in the absorbing material after the fluid has come in contact with the cementitious material.
32 . The method of claim 31 , wherein the cementitious composition is placed in a formwork to structure the cementitious composition into a desired shape.
33 . The method of claim 31 , wherein the cementitious composition is placed as a non-mixing cementitious composition.
34 . The method of claim 31 , wherein the cementitious composition is placed as a mix, wherein the mix is a wet or a dry mix.
35 . The method of claim 34 , wherein the cementitious composition is placed as a dry mix, the method further comprising hydrating the dry mix by causing the fluid to travel through the hollow, tubular-shaped fibers such that the cementitious composition is hydrated in a sequential manner to thereby reduce an amount of heat generated during hydration of the cementitious composition.
36 . The method of claim 31 , wherein the cementitious composition is provided at a levee, a dike, a channel, a gravity wall, a waterway, a soil density modifier, or a protective device.
37 . The method of claim 31 , wherein at least a portion of the cementitious composition is placed below a scour elevation.
38 . The method of claim 31 , wherein the cementitious composition has a compressive strength of between 1,500 psi and 5,000 psi.
39 . The method of claim 31 , wherein upon the absorbing material absorbing the fluid through an inside of the hollow, tubular-shaped fibers, the cementitious composition has an increased weight to thereby mitigate deleterious effects caused by external forces created by running water, ocean tides, rainwater, or rising water.