Development and Characterization of Nano-Engineered Cement Based Composites for Sustainable Construction

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The durability during service of cementitious materials plays an important role in their operation as construction materials. The parameters that determine performance are related intimately to the air-void network, stability of hydration products and the interfacial bond between various phases in the cement-based system. In addition, the production of a wide variety of specialized concretes requires tailoring their fresh and mature properties including, the rheology, permeability and crack growth resistance. Notwithstanding the evolution of admixtures and reinforcing materials, attempts have largely focused at macro-engineering of properties. Given that the building block of cement-based systems is at the nanometric scale, the emergence of nanotechnology now warrants a concerted focus on tailoring the physical and chemical properties of the cementitious system to suit each application. However, while some efforts to utilize nanomaterials in cementitious systems exist, they remain largely restricted to merely incorporating them as admixtures. Further, these attempts have centred on mechanical enhancement only. Recent work by the applicants highlights a tremendous potential for the use of tunable nanomaterials to engineer the physical and chemical properties of cementitious systems and thereby suitably tailor their fresh properties as well as long-term durability. Therefore, this proposal will develop and characterize cement-based composites that are nano-engineered to achieve superior performance, specifically in the Canadian context. Cellulosic and other nanomaterials will be firstly designed to impart precise characteristics in a high pH environment and subsequently introduced into the cement-based system. Through a series of examination on fresh and hardened properties, this proposal will develop and characterize a new generation of sustainable materials and develop durable mixes for construction.