New Concepts for Next Generation of High Performance Concretes

AbstractWith the development of high-speed railway, long span bridges and high-rise buildings, new concretes need to increase strength and toughness. Adding fibers to concrete matrix has been long recognized as a way to enhance the energy absorption capacity and crack resistance of the plain concrete. In recent years, particular attention has been paid to the distribution of fibers: very small and well dispersed fibers may control the microcracks in the matrix from the very beginning of their opening and particularly high deformability of the composite may be obtained [3–5]. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) used as reinforcing fibers has been also explored [6–8], the functional effect of their addition in a concrete equals to the one obtained with the addition of fibers. CNTs also provide a better ductility and an increase of the fracture energy. However, agglomeration and the relative high price seem to limit their application in cement based composite materials [14]. In this work, the potential beneficial effects of carbon micro/nanoparticles addition to cement pastes for improving the mechanical properties of the resulting composites has been investigated [15]. Pyrolyzed polyethylene beads (CNBs) and coconuts shells (Cocos nucifera, CCNs) were produced at Politecnico di Torino and characterized by Raman spectroscopy, thermogravimetry and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). When added to cement paste, up to 0.08 wt%, both materials were effective in increasing the cement matrix compressive strength and toughness. From SEM observations it is evident that the presence of these small particles disturb the propagation of microcracks, which has to deviate from its trajectory and has to follow the carbon nano/micro-particles contour. This mechanism increases strongly the fracture surface during the test performed by imposing the monotonic increment of crack opening. Crack and crack pinning are the mechanisms which can explain the increase of toughness in the composite samples