• Advances in concrete construction
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• 제8권3호
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• pp.207-215
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• 2019

Application of nanotechnology can be used to tailor made cementitious composites owing to small dimension and physical behaviour of resulting hydration products. Because of high aspect ratio and extremely high strength, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are perfect reinforcing materials. Hence, there is a great prospect to use CNTs in developing new generation cementitious materials. In the present paper, a parametric study has been conducted on cementitious composites reinforced by two types of multi walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) designated as Type I CNT (10-20 nm outer dia.) and Type II CNT (30-50 nm outer dia.) with various concentrations ranging from 0.1% to 0.5% by weight of cement. To evaluate important properties such as flexural strength, strain to failure, elastic modulus and modulus of toughness of the CNT admixed specimens at different curing periods, flexural bending tests were performed. Results show that composites with Type II CNTs gave more strength as compared to Type I CNTs. The highest increase in strength (flexural and compressive) is of the order of 22% and 33%, respectively, compared to control samples. Modulus of toughness at 28 days showed highest improvement of 265% for Type II 0.3% CNT composites. It is obvious that an optimum percentage of CNT could exists for composites to achieve suitable reinforcement behaviour and desired strength properties. Based on the parametric study, a tentative optimum CNT concentration (0.3% by weight of cement) has been proposed. Scanning electron microscope image shows perfect crack bridging mechanism; several of the CNTs were shown to act as crack arrestors across fine cracks along with some CNTs breakage.

• International Journal of Concrete Structures and Materials
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• 제7권3호
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• pp.225-238
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• 2013

In this study, a two-layer feed-forward neural network was constructed and applied to determine a mapping associating mix design and testing factors of cement-nano silica (NS)-rice husk ash ternary blended concrete samples with their performance in conductance to the water absorption properties. To generate data for the neural network model (NNM), a total of 174 field cores from 58 different mixes at three ages were tested in the laboratory for each of percentage, velocity and coefficient of water absorption and mix volumetric properties. The significant factors (six items) that affect the permeability properties of ternary blended concrete were identified by experimental studies which were: (1) percentage of cement; (2) content of rice husk ash; (3) percentage of 15 nm of $SiO_2$ particles; (4) content of NS particles with average size of 80 nm; (5) effect of curing medium and (6) curing time. The mentioned significant factors were then used to define the domain of a neural network which was trained based on the Levenberg-Marquardt back propagation algorithm using Matlab software. Excellent agreement was observed between simulation and laboratory data. It is believed that the novel developed NNM with three outputs will be a useful tool in the study of the permeability properties of ternary blended concrete and its maintenance.

• Computers and Concrete
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• 제26권3호
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• pp.257-273
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• 2020

Concrete bond strength with steel re-bars depends on multiple factors including concrete-steel interface and mechanical properties of concrete. However, the hydration development of cementitious paste, and in turn the mechanical properties of concrete, are negatively affected by cold weather. This study aimed at exploring the concrete-steel bonding behavior in concrete cast and cured under freezing temperatures. Three concrete mixtures were cast and cured at -10 and -20℃. The mixtures were protected using conventional insulation blankets and a hybrid system consisting of insulation blankets and phase change materials. The mixtures comprised General Use cement, fly ash (20%), nano-silica (6%) and calcium nitrate-nitrite as a cold weather admixture system. The mixtures were tested in terms of internal temperature, compressive, tensile strengths, and modulus of elasticity. In addition, the bond strength between concrete and steel re-bars were evaluated by a pull-out test, while the quality of the interface between concrete and steel was assessed by thermal and microscopy studies. In addition, the internal heat evolution and force-slip relationship were modeled based on energy conservation and stress-strain relationships, respectively using three-dimensional (3D) finite-element software. The results showed the reliability of the proposed models to accurately predict concrete heat evolution as well as bond strength relative to experimental data. The hybrid protection system and nano-modified concrete mixtures produced good quality concrete-steel interface with adequate bond strength, without need for heating operations before casting and during curing under freezing temperatures down to -20℃.

• Advances in nano research
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• 제16권1호
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• pp.53-69
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• 2024

Advancements in the technology of building materials has led to diverse applications of nanomaterials with the aim to monitor concrete structures. While there are myriad instances of the use of nanoparticles in building materials, the production of smart nano cement-composites is often expensive. Thereupon, this research aims to discover a sustainable nanomaterial from tyre waste using the pyrolysis process as part of the green manufacturing circle. Here, Nano Structure Tyre-Char (NSTC) is introduced as a zero-dimension carbon-based nanoparticle. The NSTC particles were characterized using various standard characterization techniques. Several salient results for the NSTC particles were obtained using microscopic and spectroscopic techniques. The size of the particles as well as that of the agglomerates were reduced significantly using the milling process and the results were validated through a scanning electron microscope. The crystallite size and crystallinity were found to be ~35nm and 10.42%, respectively. The direct bandgap value of 5.93eV and good optical conductivity at 786 nm were obtained from the ultra violet visible spectroscopy measurements. The thermal analysis reveals the presence of a substantial amount of carbon, the rate of maximum weight loss, and the two stages of phase transformation. The FT-Raman confirms the presence of carboxyl groups and a ID/IG ratio of 0.83. Water contact angle around 140° on the surface implies the highly hydrophobic nature of the material and its low surface energy. This characteristic process assists to obtain a sustainable nanomaterial from waste tyres, contributing to the development of a smart building material.

• 한국건축시공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국건축시공학회 2023년도 봄 학술논문 발표대회
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• pp.43-44
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• 2023

This study evaluated the mechanical and electrical properties of low-cement mortar using a large amount of industrial by-products to reduce carbon emissions from the cement industry. As types of industrial by-products, blast furnace slag and fly ash, which are representative materials, were used, and ultra-high fly ash was mixed and evaluated to solve the problem of initial strength loss. In addition, in order to evaluate the electrical properties, 1% of MWCNT was incorporated relative to the powder mass. As experimental items, the compressive strength was measured on the 1st, 3rd, 7th and 28th days of age, and the rate of change in electrical resistance was measured on the 28th day of age. As a result of the experiment, the initial strength of the test specimen mixed with blast furnace slag and fly ash was significantly lower than that of 100% cement, and the specimen mixed with blast furnace slag showed strength equal to that of cement at 28 days of age. As an electrical characteristic, the electrical resistance was reduced when the load was loaded, and this reason is judged to be the effect of improving the conductivity as the connection between CNTs is narrowed by the compressive load.

• 한국구조물진단유지관리공학회 논문집
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• 제28권2호
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• pp.69-76
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• 2024

굳지 않은 콘크리트의 유변특성은 콘크리트의 제조 및 성능에 중요한 영향을 미치지만, 새롭게 개발되는 배합과 제조 공법의 다양화로 인하여 기존의 경험적 방법으로는 유변특성의 정확한 예측에 어려움이 있다. 본 연구에서는 시멘트 입자와 같은 나노 수준에서의 입자간 상호작용부터 잔골재와 같은 마이크로 수준에서의 유변학적 성질을 정량적으로 예측하기 위하여 멀티스케일 기법을 적용한 유변특성 예측 모델을 제안하였으며, 시멘트 페이스트의 항복응력, 모르타르의 항복응력 및 소성점도를 예측하기 위하여 YODEL(Yield stress mODEL), Chateau-Ovarlez-Trung 방정식 및 Krieger-Dougherty 방정식을 적용하였다. 일차적으로 시멘트 페이스트의 물-시멘트비(W/C)를 기준으로 하여 페이스트 스케일의 유변특성을 예측하였으며, 예측 결과를 토대로 동일한 W/C에 시멘트-잔골재 부피비(C/S)를 추가한 모르타르 스케일의 유변특성의 예측을 진행하였다. 시멘트 모르타르에 대한 유변특성 실험을 통하여 예측 결과와 실험 결과의 비교를 진행함으로써 예측 모델의 적용 가능성을 평가하였다.

• 콘크리트학회논문집
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• 제17권2호
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• pp.247-254
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• 2005

일반적으로 콘크리트는 다른 구조재료에 비해서 우수한 내화성능을 가지고 있기 때문에 내화구조 또는 방화구조 재료로 널리 사용되고 있으나, 화재시 가열에 의해 열응력과 열변형에 의한 손상뿐 아니라 폭렬현상과 같은 국부적인 파괴가 일어나게 된다. 따라서 이를 보완하기 위한 여러 연구가 진행되어지고 있다. 또한 최근, 첨단 나노기술은 일반적인 재료들과 다른 독특한 물리적, 화학적 특성을 갖도록 개발되고 있다. 나노 $SiO_2$가 혼입된 콘크리트의 내부온도, 중량손실률 및 압축강도 특성을 비교$\cdot$검토하여 높은 응력의 내화와 낮은 열적 거동의 증진을 연구하였다. 본 연구에서는 나노입자가 시멘트 중량의 0, 2, 4, $6\%$ 포함된 시편 (${\Phi}100{\times}200 mm$)과 화력 온도 $200^{\circ}C$, $500^{\circ}C$, $800^{\circ}C$에서 실험을 수행하였다. 그 결과 나노 입자 혼입률이 증가할수록 화력을 가한 후의 콘크리트 중량 손실률은 점차 감소하고, 압축, 강도는 효과적으로 증가하였다. 따라서 고온에서의 물리적 역학적 실험결과 강도 및 내부온도 증가면에서는 보통 콘크리트와 비교하여 충분히 건설용 구조재료로서의 사용이 가능할 것으로 판단된다.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• 제12권5호
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• pp.439-450
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• 2021

In recent years, nano-reinforcing materials are widely utilized in cement composites due to their unique multifunctional properties. This study incorporated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) into the cementitious composites at ratios of 0.1%, 0.3%, and 0.5%, and investigated their influence on the flowability, mechanical strength, and hydration heat properties. The addition of MWCNTs enhanced the compressive and split tensile strengths approximately by 18-51%. In the semi-adiabatic temperature rise test, the internal hydration heat of the composites reduced by 5%, 9%, and 12% with the increase of MWCNTs in 0.1%, 0.3%, and 0.5%. This study further performed hydration heat analysis and estimated the adiabatic temperature rise, thermal stress, and thermal crack index. The internal hydration heat of the concrete decreased by 5%, 10%, and 13% with the increase of MWCNTs. The thermal stress of the concrete decreased with increase in the addition of MWCNTs, and the obtained temperature crack index was effective in controlling the thermal cracks.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• 제15권2호
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• pp.75-84
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• 2023

Currently, polymer matrix nanocomposites (PMCs) are a prominent area of research due to their outstanding mechanical, thermal, and durability properties. The increase in recent studies justifies the possibility of using PMCs in structural retrofitting and reconstruction of damaged infrastructure and serving as new structural material. Using nanotechnology, nanocomposite panels in flooring combine concrete and steel, providing a very high level of performance. In sports flooring, high-performance concrete has become a challenge for reducing sports injuries and refinement in rehabilitation. As a composite material, this type of resistant concrete is one of the most durable and complex multi-phase materials. This article uses polyvinyl alcohol polymer (PVC) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes as concrete matrix fillers. Solution methods have been used for dispersing PVC and carbon nanotubes in concrete. The water-cement ratio, carbon nanotube weight ratio, and heat treatment parameters influenced the concrete nanocomposite's tensile and compressive strength. The dispersion of carbon nanotubes in cement paste and the observation of nano-microcracks in concrete was evaluated by scanning electron microscope (SEM).

• Computers and Concrete
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• 제18권6호
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• pp.1065-1082
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• 2016

The main aim of this study is to predict the compressive and flexural strengths of self-compacting mortar (SCM) containing $nano-SiO_2$, $nano-Fe_2O_3$ and nano-CuO using wavelet-based weighted least squares-support vector machines (WLS-SVM) approach which is called WWLS-SVM. The WWLS-SVM regression model is a relatively new metamodel has been successfully introduced as an excellent machine learning algorithm to engineering problems and has yielded encouraging results. In order to achieve the aim of this study, first, the WLS-SVM and WWLS-SVM models are developed based on a database. In the database, nine variables which consist of cement, sand, NS, NF, NC, superplasticizer dosage, slump flow diameter and V-funnel flow time are considered as the input parameters of the models. The compressive and flexural strengths of SCM are also chosen as the output parameters of the models. Finally, a statistical analysis is performed to demonstrate the generality performance of the models for predicting the compressive and flexural strengths. The numerical results show that both of these metamodels have good performance in the desirable accuracy and applicability. Furthermore, by adopting these predicting metamodels, the considerable cost and time-consuming laboratory tests can be eliminated.