Aerated concrete is relatively homogeneous when compared to normal concrete, as it does not contain coarse aggregate phase, yet shows vast variation in its properties. The properties of aerated concrete depend on its microstructure (void–paste system) and composition, which are influenced by the type of binder used, methods of pore-formation and curing. Although aerated concrete was initially envisaged as a good insulation material, there has been renewed interest in its structural characteristics in view of its lighter weight, savings in material and potential for large scale utilisation of wastes like pulverised fuel ash. The focus of this paper is to classify the investigations on the properties of aerated concrete in terms of physical (microstructure, density), chemical, mechanical (compressive and tensile strengths, modulus of elasticity, drying shrinkage) and functional (thermal insulation, moisture transport, durability, fire resistance and acoustic insulation) characteristics.

http://www.ownerbuilderbook.com/forum/files/forums/19679-1.pdf

Structure and properties of aerated concrete: a review

A review on ultra high performance concrete: Part I. Raw materials and mixture design

http://www2.arnes.si/~surzjagl/sola/mast/PoroznostBetona-Kumar.pdf

Porosity, pore size distribution and in situ strength of concrete

Properties and applications of foamed concrete; a review

Influence of porosity on compressive and tensile strength of cement mortar

Investigations on the relationship between porosity, structure and strength of hydrated Portland cement pastes. II. Effect of pore structure and of degree of hydration

In a nanowire (NW) of a three-dimensional topological insulator (TI), the quantum confinement of topological surface states leads to a peculiar sub-band structure that is useful for generating Majorana bound states. Top-down fabrication of TINWs from a high-quality thin film would be a scalable technology with great design flexibility, but there has been no report on top-down-fabricated TINWs where the chemical potential can be tuned to the charge neutrality point (CNP). Here we present a top-down fabrication process for bulk-insulating TINWs etched from high-quality (Bi1-xSbx)2Te3 thin films without degradation. We show that the chemical potential can be gate-tuned to the CNP, and the resistance of the NW presents characteristic oscillations as functions of the gate voltage and the parallel magnetic field, manifesting the TI-sub-band physics. We further demonstrate the superconducting proximity effect in these TINWs, preparing the groundwork for future devices to investigate Majorana bound states.

M. Rößler

Papers

Investigations on the relationship between porosity, structure and strength of hydrated Portland cement pastes. II. Effect of pore structure and of degree of hydration

Top-Down Fabrication of Bulk-Insulating Topological Insulator Nanowires for Quantum Devices.