Smart high performance concrete composites for developing robust and resilient infrastructures

最近加拿大基础设施的恶化状况促使当局和研究人员寻求新的混凝土技术来增强材料性能。现代混凝土的前沿可以定义为“高耐久性、高延性和智能自愈/传感能力”。在过去的几十年中，高性能混凝土（HPC）技术取得了巨大的进步。其中一种新兴的高性能混凝土技术涉及纤维增强工程混凝土（EC）家族。EC具有固有的紧密裂缝宽度，高拉伸延展性和自愈潜力，在解决混凝土结构的耐久性问题以及在新建筑或作为修复材料中使用方面具有重要的潜力。尽管电子控制技术取得了进步，但迫切需要研究开发更环保、更智能的电子控制系统。******拟议的研究具有独特的定位，可以在革命性的EC技术方面取得突破性进展，解决可持续民用基础设施的挑战。本研究包括实验、理论和数值研究的综合研究。拟议研究的长期目标是开发新一代更智能、更环保的GP/GO- ec，包括零水泥基地聚合物（GPs）和新兴的氧化石墨烯（GO）基纳米碳材料，这些材料具有更高的强度、耐久性、微观结构和自修复/传感性能，可用于建筑/桥梁基础设施。短期目标是：(i)通过评估具有自修复/感知特性的GP/GO-ECs的新鲜状态/力学/耐久性特性，开展实验研究，开发不同类别的GP/GO-ECs； （ii）结合评估自修复/感知能力，研究基于GP/GO-ECs的建筑和桥梁构件在不同载荷下的结构性能；（iii）调查GP/ go -EC作为修复材料的使用情况，以及此类EC制造的结构元件在恶劣环境下的性能；（iv）制定用于生产的GP/ go -EC的设计规范，制定基于EC的结构元件的设计指南，并通过生命周期分析评估其可行性。******这项研究将使研究人员/工程师能够完善他们对GP/GO-ECs /拟议结构系统的了解，并评估新技术的潜力。这项研究与加拿大非常相关，在加拿大提出的GP/GO-EC技术可以在未来的建筑、改造和结构的自我健康监测中发挥重要作用。这项研究是一项高度可行的倡议，毫无疑问，智能GP/GO-EC技术将为21世纪带来强大的弹性可持续结构系统（具有增强的强度、延展性、耐久性、使用寿命和经济性）。通过支持这项研究，加拿大可以在这项新技术的发展和全球转让中发挥重要作用

The recent deteriorating condition of the infrastructure in Canada has motivated authorities and researchers to seek new concrete technology for enhancement of material properties. The modern day concrete frontiers can be defined by “high durability, high ductility and smart self-healing/sensing ability”. During the last decades, tremendous progress has been made on the high performance concrete (HPC) technology. One such emerging HPC technology involves the family of fibre reinforced engineered concrete (EC). With intrinsically tight crack width, high tensile ductility and self-healing potential, EC offers significant potential to resolve durability problems of concrete structures and to be used either in new construction or as repair material. Despite progress in EC technology, there is an urgent need to conduct research on developing much greener smarter ECs. ******The proposed research is uniquely positioned to make ground breaking advances in revolutionizing EC technology addressing challenges towards sustainable civil infrastructures. This research involves an integrated study consisting of experimental, theoretical and numerical investigations. The long-term objective of the proposed research is to develop new generation of smarter greener GP/GO-ECs incorporating zero-cement based geopolymers (GPs) and emerging graphene oxide (GO) based nano-carbon materials with improved strength, durability, micro-structural and self-healing/sensing properties for building/bridge infrastructures. The short-term objectives are to: (i) conduct experimental investigation to develop different classes of GP/GO-ECs through evaluating fresh state/mechanical/durability properties with self-healing/sensing characteristics, (ii) investigate structural performance of GP/GO-ECs based building and bridge elements under different loadings combined with evaluating self-healing/sensing abilities, (iii) investigate the use of GP/GO-ECs as repair material and performance of such EC-made structural elements subjected to aggressive environment and (iv) develop design specifications for proposed GP/GO-ECs for production, formulate design guidelines for EC based structural elements and asses their viability through life cycle analyses. ******This research will allow researchers/engineers to perfect their knowledge of GP/GO-ECs /proposed structural systems and evaluate the potential of the new technology. This research is very relevant to Canada where proposed GP/GO-EC technology can play a vital role in the future construction, renovation and self-health monitoring of structures. This research is a highly viable initiative and there is no doubt that smart GP/GO-EC technology will lead to the construction of robust resilient sustainable structural systems (with enhanced strength, ductility, durability, service life and economy) for the 21st century. By supporting this research, Canada can play a significant role in the development and worldwide transfer of this novel technology.**