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A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Construction and Building Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 December 2022) | Viewed by 9792

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Jung Heum Yeon

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Guest Editor

Civil Engineering Program, Ingram School of Engineering, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX 78666, USA
Interests: smart & multi-functional materials for resilient construction

Dr. Geuntae Hong

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Guest Editor

Department of Civil Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Korea
Interests: nanotechnology in concrete; smart materials and structures; rheology of cementitious composites

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Many in-service civil infrastructure assets are reaching their service lives, requiring extensive condition assessment, repair, and rehabilitation to keep them safe and functional. Accordingly, recent technology advances and outcomes in the field of smart and multifunctional cementitious composites are attracting significant attention as they offer various innovative functionalities in concrete infrastructure, such as self-sensing, self-healing, self-sealing, self-adjusting, self-shaping, self-heating, and energy-storing capabilities.

Significant academic and practical research works have been underway to further develop and advance the technical robustness and practicality of smart and multi-functional cement-based materials. This Special Issue welcomes contributions from all researchers interested in advanced concrete technology, encompassing diverse topics ranging from their fundamental definition to practical applications, as well as from an experimental to computational works. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following: smart concrete, piezoresistive cementitious composites, self-healing cementitious composites, electrically conductive cementitious composites, climate-adaptive concrete, energy-storing cementitious composites, 3D printable concrete technology, smart actuators, multiscale characterization and modeling, numerical simulation, and resilient infrastructure.

Contributions on the design of sustainable and resilient infrastructure are also welcome.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Jung Heum Yeon
Dr. Geuntae Hong
Guest Editors

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Keywords

smart concrete
piezoresistive cementitious composites
self-healing cementitious composites
electrically conductive cementitious composites
climate-adaptive concrete
energy-storing cementitious composites
3D printable concrete technology
smart actuator
multiscale characterization and modeling
numerical simulation
resilient infrastructure

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 10742 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Study on the Healing Performance of Mortar with Microcapsules Using Silicate-Based Inorganic Materials

by Cheol-Gyu Kim, Yun-Wang Choi, Sung Choi and Sung-Rok Oh

Materials 2022, 15(24), 8907; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15248907 - 13 Dec 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1169

Abstract

Advancements in material science have led to the development of various self-healing concrete technologies. Among these is the use of microcapsule-based self-healing materials. This study evaluated the effects of self-healing microcapsules on the quality and healing properties of mortar. A silicate-based inorganic material mixture was used as the healing material tested with ordinary Portland cement. Accordingly, the effects of microcapsules (MCs) on the rheological, mechanical, and healing properties of mortar were determined. The mixing of MCs reduced the plastic viscosity and yield stress of the cement composite material owing to the particle properties of the MCs. The reduction was in proportion to the mixing ratio. The evaluation results show that the unit water permeability decreased owing to the healing reaction immediately after crack initiation. The healing rate was more than 95% at 7 days of healing age when more than 3% of MCs was mixed. This study provides a reference for the optimal mixing rate of MCs to achieve an ideal concrete healing rate. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Concrete Technology – Smart and Multifunctional Cementitious Composites)

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12 pages, 2027 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Experimental Study on the Healing Performance of Complex Capsules Using Multiphase Inorganic Materials for Crack Self-Healing of Cement Mortars

by Yun-Wang Choi, Cheol-Gyu Kim, Eun-Joon Nam and Sung-Rok Oh

Materials 2022, 15(24), 8819; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15248819 - 9 Dec 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 894

Abstract

Recently, a self-healing technique capable of repairing cracks in structures has emerged. Among various self-healing technologies, self-healing capsules can be largely classified into two types, depending on the phase of the core material: solid capsules, in which the core material is a powder; and microcapsules, in which the core material is a liquid. Solid capsules and microcapsules have different mechanisms, and their capsule sizes are also distinctly different. This suggests that each has advantages and disadvantages. Most of the studies known to date have utilized single capsules. However, if one uses a mixture of the two types of capsules, it is possible to highlight the strengths of each capsule and compensate for the weaknesses. Therefore, in this study, the first research on complex capsules that mixed solid capsules and microcapsules was attempted. As a result of the experiment, the complex capsule slightly reduced the fluidity of the mortar, but the effect was not significant. Moreover, the complex capsule tended to reduce the compressive strength of the mortar. In particular, it was found that the effect of solid capsules on the reduction in compressive strength among complex capsules was greater than that of microcapsules. Conversely, the healing performance increased when the ratio of solid capsules in the complex capsules was large. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Concrete Technology – Smart and Multifunctional Cementitious Composites)

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19 pages, 9414 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Electrical Resistivity and Joule Heating Characteristics of Cementitious Composites Incorporating Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes and Carbon Fibers

by Muhammad Usama Salim, Farzana Mustari Nishat, Taekgeun Oh, Doo-Yeol Yoo, Yooseob Song, Togay Ozbakkaloglu and Jung Heum Yeon

Materials 2022, 15(22), 8055; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15228055 - 15 Nov 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1893

Abstract

This study investigates the electrical heating (also known as Joule heating) characteristics of cementitious composites containing multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNT) and carbon fibers (CF) as electrically conductive media in an attempt to develop an eco-friendly and sustainable solution to snow and ice removal on roadway pavements during the winter season. Various dosages of CNT and CF between 0 and 1.0% (by weight of cement) were tested to find the optimum mixture proportions that yield high-energy and efficient electrical-heating performance with superior mechanical properties. The electrical properties were characterized by measuring the electrical resistivity and temperature rise when attached to a power source. Furthermore, this study examined how the crack width affects the electrical resistivity of cementitious composites containing CNT and/or CF. Compressive and flexural strengths were also measured at different ages of 1, 3, 7, and 28 days to identify how the additions of CNT and CF affect the mechanical properties. Results have shown that adding CF in combination with CNT substantially reduces the electrical resistivity and, in turn, improves the heating performance, as CFs further densify the electrically conductive network in the hydrated matrix; adding either CNT or CF alone was not an effective option to enhance the electrical characteristics. The findings of this study are expected to provide essential information for the design and construction of an electrically heated concrete pavement system with promoted energy efficiency, which will offer a promising solution to enhance winter road maintenance, improve public safety, and provide substantial social cost savings. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Concrete Technology – Smart and Multifunctional Cementitious Composites)

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18 pages, 7073 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Properties and Durability of Cement Mortar Using Calcium Stearate and Natural Pozzolan for Concrete Surface Treatment

by Jang-Hyun Park and Chang-Bok Yoon

Materials 2022, 15(16), 5762; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15165762 - 20 Aug 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2236

Abstract

Applying a concrete surface treatment method (epoxy or primer) can prevent water from penetrating concrete through surface pores. However, if the concrete surface is damaged, the subsequent reconstruction can be expensive and time-consuming. Concrete that is resistant to internal and external water has been extensively developed and used to supplement the surface treatment method. Herein, we prepared specimens by mixing cement mortar with fatty-acid-salt-based calcium stearate attached to two natural pozzolanic materials—diatomite and yellow clay. The physical tests measured (1) the air content, (2) flow test, (3) compressive strength, and (4) activity Factor. Durability experiments were performed on (1) the contact angle, (2) chloride ion diffusion coefficient, and (3) water absorption test. The results revealed that the compressive strength of concrete decreased as the calcium stearate content increased. Furthermore, it was confirmed that the contact angle of the test piece using the pozzolanic substance and calcium stearate was twice as high. It was confirmed that the sand test specimen had the highest water absorption rate, and the DT3% had the lowest. (Sand%: 11.8 > OPC: 6.5 > DT3%: 2.4), the chloride diffusion coefficient also showed similar results. (Sand%: 12.5 > OPC: 8.4 > DT1%: 8.8)Due to its unique insolubility, calcium stearate retards hydrate formation when mixed alone and negates compressive strength loss when combined with pozzolanic mixtures rich in SiO₂ and Al₂O₃. Furthermore, the ideal method for producing water-resistant cement mortar is to evenly disperse calcium stearate in the porous powder of cement mortar. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Concrete Technology – Smart and Multifunctional Cementitious Composites)

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14 pages, 5996 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Preparation and Evaluation Mechanic Damping Properties of Fused Silica Powder@Polyurethane Urea/Cement Composites

by Hao Cheng, Peihui Yan, Fei Wan, Chao Feng, Yunfei Zhu, Ping Lv and Mingliang Ma

Materials 2022, 15(14), 4827; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15144827 - 11 Jul 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1224

Abstract

In this paper, cement based on fused silica powder @ polyurethane urea (FSP@PUU) with a micro constrained damping structure was studied. Firstly, FSP@PUU core-shell particles were prepared by heterogeneous stepwise addition polymerization method and added into cement paste as damping filler to form a micro-constrained damping structure inside cement paste. The mechanical property and damping performance of cement-based composites were characterized by compressive strength, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) test and modal vibration test. The results showed that the damping performance of FSP @ PUU cement-based composites was affected by temperature, and the loss tangent of cement with 6wt% FSP@PUU increased to about 0.057 at −35 °C to 35 °C, which was 1.5 times cement paste within the glass transition temperature. With 6 wt% FSP@PUU, the damping ratio of cement-based composites increased by 58% compared with cement paste in the frequency range of 175–300 Hz, while the compressive strength decreased by only 5%. The cement with suitable FSP@PUU possesses excellent damping performance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Concrete Technology – Smart and Multifunctional Cementitious Composites)

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20 pages, 8796 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of Eco-Friendly Inhibitors on the Corrosion Properties of Concrete Reinforcement in Harsh Environments

by Rui’E Guo, Qian Zhang, ZaiXing Wang, Morteza Tayebi and Bejan Hamawandi

Materials 2022, 15(14), 4746; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15144746 - 6 Jul 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1460

Abstract

In the present research, the synergistic effect of Arabic and guar gum inhibitors on the corrosion efficiency of concrete reinforcement was investigated. Thus, eight types of Arabic and guar gum combinations with 100, 250, 500, 750, and 1000 ppm were added to the steel reinforcement for 1, 7, 28, 48, and 72 days. The corrosion behavior of the samples was investigated by the electrochemical impedance (EIS) test. Water transmissibility, electrical resistivity, and compressive strength of concrete were also studied. The results showed that adding inhibitors generally increased the compressive strength of concrete. It was also found that water transmissibility was reduced by the addition of inhibitors. The electrical resistivity of the samples increased slightly with increasing time up to 72 days. EIS and Tafel results have demonstrated that Arabic and guar gums are effective inhibitors for reinforced concrete structures. Furthermore, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) utilized to analyze the samples indicated that inhibitor grain size was enhanced by enhancing the concentration of the inhibitor combination, showing that the guar and Arabic inhibitor combinations were properly absorbed on the reinforcement surface. Results showed that a sample with 250 ppm Arabic gum and 250 ppm guar gum having a properly distributed inhibitor combination on the reinforcement surface creates a desirable cathode current. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Concrete Technology – Smart and Multifunctional Cementitious Composites)

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