Gabriel Falzone

Gabriel Falzone

Richmond, Virginia, United States
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About

Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from UCLA with demonstrated experience in…

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Experience

  • Sperra Graphic

    Sperra

    United States

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    United States

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    University of California, Los Angeles

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    University of California, Los Angeles

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Education

  • UCLA Graphic

    University of California, Los Angeles

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    - Furthered engineering education while gaining research experience
    - Developed Ph.D. thesis, “Design of Concrete Composites for Advanced Functionality and Sustainability.”

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    Activities and Societies: ASCE Concrete Canoe

    - Developed broad education in fundamentals of chemistry, mathematics, materials science, and civil engineering to support research objectives
    - Relevant coursework includes material characterization, fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, heat and mass transfer, and structural analysis.

Licenses & Certifications

Publications

  • Anion capture and exchange by functional coatings: New routes to mitigate steel corrosion in concrete infrastructure

    Cement and Concrete Research

    Chloride-induced corrosion is a major cause of degradation of reinforced concrete infrastructure. While the binding of chloride ions (Cl−) by cementitious phases is known to delay corrosion, this mechanism has not been systematically exploited as an approach to increase structural service life. Recently, Falzone et al. [Cement and Concrete Research 72, 54–68-(2015)] proposed calcium aluminate cement (CAC) formulations containing NO3-AFm to serve as anion exchange coatings that are capable of…

    Chloride-induced corrosion is a major cause of degradation of reinforced concrete infrastructure. While the binding of chloride ions (Cl−) by cementitious phases is known to delay corrosion, this mechanism has not been systematically exploited as an approach to increase structural service life. Recently, Falzone et al. [Cement and Concrete Research 72, 54–68-(2015)] proposed calcium aluminate cement (CAC) formulations containing NO3-AFm to serve as anion exchange coatings that are capable of binding large quantities of Cl− ions, while simultaneously releasing corrosion-inhibiting NO3− species. To examine the viability of this concept, Cl− binding isotherms and ion-diffusion coefficients of a series of hydrated CAC formulations containing admixed Ca(NO3)2 (CN) are quantified. This data is then input into a multi-species Nernst-Planck (NP) formulation, which is solved for a typical bridge-deck geometry using the finite element method (FEM). For exposure conditions corresponding to seawater, the results indicate that Cl− scavenging CAC coatings (i.e., top-layers) can significantly delay the time to corrosion (e.g., 5 ≤ df ≤ 10, where df is the steel corrosion initiation delay factor [unitless]) as compared to traditional OPC-based systems for the same cover thickness; as identified by thresholds of Cl−/OH− or Cl−/NO3− (molar) ratios in solution. The roles of hindered ionic diffusion, and the (re)passivation of the reinforcing steel rendered by NO3− are also discussed.

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  • The influences of soft and stiff inclusions on the mechanical properties of cementitious composites

    Cement and Concrete Composites

    The embedment of microencapsulated phase change materials (PCMs) is a promising means for improving the thermal inertia of concrete. However the addition of such soft microcapsules degrades the mechanical properties, i.e., the elastic moduli and compressive strength, of cement-based composites. This study experimentally quantifies the effects of stiff quartz inclusions and soft PCM microcapsules, individually, and when added together, on the mechanical properties of cementitious composites. In…

    The embedment of microencapsulated phase change materials (PCMs) is a promising means for improving the thermal inertia of concrete. However the addition of such soft microcapsules degrades the mechanical properties, i.e., the elastic moduli and compressive strength, of cement-based composites. This study experimentally quantifies the effects of stiff quartz inclusions and soft PCM microcapsules, individually, and when added together, on the mechanical properties of cementitious composites. In addition, a variety of effective medium approximations (EMAs) were evaluated for their ability to predict the experimentally measured composite effective moduli. The EMAs proposed by Hobbs and Garboczi and Berryman (G-B) reliably estimate experimental data. The experimental data and the EMAs were applied to develop a design rule for performance equivalence, such that the composite modulus of elasticity can be maintained equivalent to that of the cementitious paste matrix, in spite of the addition of soft PCM microcapsules.

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  • Direct Carbonation of Ca(OH)2 Using Liquid and Supercritical CO2: Implications for Carbon-Neutral Cementation

    Industrial & Engineering Chemistry and Research

    By invoking analogies to lime mortars of times past, this study examines the carbonation of portlandite (Ca(OH)2) by carbon dioxide (CO2) in the liquid and supercritical states as a potential route toward CO2-neutral cementation. Portlandite carbonation is noted to be rapid; e.g., >80% carbonation of Ca(OH)2 is achieved in 2 h upon contact with liquid CO2 at ambient temperatures, and it is only slightly sensitive to the effects of temperature, pressure, and the state of CO2 over the range of…

    By invoking analogies to lime mortars of times past, this study examines the carbonation of portlandite (Ca(OH)2) by carbon dioxide (CO2) in the liquid and supercritical states as a potential route toward CO2-neutral cementation. Portlandite carbonation is noted to be rapid; e.g., >80% carbonation of Ca(OH)2 is achieved in 2 h upon contact with liquid CO2 at ambient temperatures, and it is only slightly sensitive to the effects of temperature, pressure, and the state of CO2 over the range of 6 MPa ≤ p ≤ 10 MPa and 8 °C ≤ T ≤ 42 °C. Additional studies suggest that the carbonation of anhydrous ordinary portland cement is slower and far less reliable than that of portlandite. Although cementation is not directly assessed, detailed scanning electron microscopy (SEM) examinations of carbonated microstructures indicate that the carbonation products formed encircle and embed sand grains similar to that observed in lime mortars. The outcomes suggest innovative directions for “carbon-neutral cementation.”

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  • Figure of merit for the thermal performance of cementitious composites containing phase change materials

    Cement and Concrete Composites

    This paper presents a novel method to quantitatively characterize the thermal performance of composite materials containing phase change materials (PCM) based on a figure of merit we termed the energy indicator. The method features (i) commonly used specimen geometry, (ii) straightforward experimental implementation, and (iii) sensitivity to relevant design parameters including PCM volume fraction, enthalpy of phase change, composite effective thermal conductivity, and specimen dimensions. The…

    This paper presents a novel method to quantitatively characterize the thermal performance of composite materials containing phase change materials (PCM) based on a figure of merit we termed the energy indicator. The method features (i) commonly used specimen geometry, (ii) straightforward experimental implementation, and (iii) sensitivity to relevant design parameters including PCM volume fraction, enthalpy of phase change, composite effective thermal conductivity, and specimen dimensions. The experimental method and the concept of energy indicator were demonstrated on PCM-mortar composites using various volume fractions of two commercial microencapsulated PCMs. This was supported by transient two-dimensional heat transfer simulations. The energy indicator was shown to increase linearly with increasing microencapsulated PCM volume fraction and latent heat of fusion and quadratically with the specimen radius. This figure of merit can be used to rapidly screen and select microencapsulated PCM composite materials for energy efficient building or crack-resistant concrete.

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  • X-AFm stabilization as a mechanism of bypassing conversion phenomena in calcium aluminate cements

    Cement and Concrete Research

    Phase conversion phenomena are often observed in calcium aluminate cements (CACs), when the water-rich hydrates (e.g., CAH10, C2AH8) formed at early ages, at temperatures ≤ 30 °C, expel water in time to form more compact, less water-rich structures (C3AH6). The phase conversions follow a path regulated by the thermodynamic stabilities (solubilities) of phases. Based on this premise, it is proposed that conversion phenomena in CACs can be bypassed by provoking the precipitation of phases more…

    Phase conversion phenomena are often observed in calcium aluminate cements (CACs), when the water-rich hydrates (e.g., CAH10, C2AH8) formed at early ages, at temperatures ≤ 30 °C, expel water in time to form more compact, less water-rich structures (C3AH6). The phase conversions follow a path regulated by the thermodynamic stabilities (solubilities) of phases. Based on this premise, it is proposed that conversion phenomena in CACs can be bypassed by provoking the precipitation of phases more preferred than those typically encountered along the conversion pathway. Therefore, X-AFm formation (where in this case, X = NO3−) triggered by the sequential addition of calcium nitrate (Ca(NO3)2 = CN) additives is identified as a new means of bypassing conversion. A multi-method approach comprising X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermal analytics, and evaluations of the compressive strength is applied to correlate phase balances and properties of CAC systems cured at 25 °C and 45 °C. The results highlight the absence of the C3AH6 phase across all systems and the curing conditions considered, with enhanced strengths being noted, when sufficient quantities of CN are added. The experimental outcomes are supported by insights gained from thermodynamic calculations which highlight thermodynamic selectivity as a means of regulating and controlling the evolutions of solid phase balances using inorganic salts in CACs, and more generally in cementing material systems.

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Projects

  • Concrete Canoe

    - Present

    An ASCE competition that involves creativeness, intelligence, and hard work. The canoe is judged on numerous things such as racing, weight, presentation, etc.

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Honors & Awards

  • Dean’s Honors List

    UCLA Samueli School of Engineering

    - Spring 2012
    - Fall 2013
    - Spring 2013
    - Spring 2014

Languages

  • English

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