NanoEngineered Concrete Internal Conditioning for Targeted Suppression of Alkali-Silica Reaction

碱-硅反应（ASR）是混凝土材料在使用过程中发生膨胀、开裂和破坏的主要劣化机制。受免疫和靶向治疗在癌症治疗中的启发，靶向抑制ASR是本研究的重点。现有的缓解方法主要针对单一的ASR先决条件，效率有限，对混凝土性能有潜在的负面影响。该项目的主要目标是揭示ASR的无副作用缓解，然后利用所获得的见解来指导设计具有前所未有性能的高度耐用和可持续的基础设施材料。一种最先进的方法将被用于弥合纳米工程和水泥化学之间的差距，以改变ASR凝胶的纳米结构，以防止体积膨胀和开裂。这将产生弹性和耐用的混凝土，从而延长基础设施的使用寿命，降低维修和维护成本。总的来说，从这项研究中获得的知识将通过为新的和现有的混凝土结构的退化预防和使用寿命延长提供见解，减少基础设施恶化的经济和社会影响。该大学的STEM项目将被利用来吸引K-12年级的学生和本科生。基于热力学模型和实验相结合的方法，研究多功能粘土纳米颗粒引发混凝土材料的纳米工程内部调节。对纳米工程内部调节在水泥水化中抑制ASR形成的作用的基本理解将被研究。研究将集中在四个研究重点：1。粘土级：功能化粘土纳米颗粒，以提高其分散性、反应性和内部调节的可调功能；2. 水泥水平：调整水化行为，孔隙网络，固体和液体成分；3. ASR水平：抑制ASR的形成，防止体积膨胀和开裂；和4。混凝土水平：提高耐久性相关的机械和物理性能，以及对多种老化机制的抵抗力，目标是设计真正可持续，有弹性和耐用的混凝土材料。该项目的成功将有助于通过纳米工程和热力学手段推进基于弹性和面向问题的混凝土材料设计，从而对未来基础设施的质量要求和性能期望进行分层。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Alkali-silica reaction (ASR) is a major deterioration mechanism causing significant expansion, cracking and damage to concrete material in service. Inspired by immunization and targeted therapy in cancer treatment, targeted suppression of ASR is the focus of this research. The existing mitigation methods are primarily targeted at single ASR prerequisites with limited efficiency and potential negative impacts on concrete performance. The primary objective of this project is to uncover the side-effect free mitigation of ASR, and then use the insights gained to guide the design of highly durable and sustainable infrastructure materials with unprecedented properties. A state-of-the-art methodology will be used by bridging the gaps between nanoengineering and cement chemistry to convert nanostructure of ASR gels to prevent volume expansion and cracking. This will lead to resilient and durable concrete thereby extending the lifetime of infrastructure and reducing the repair and maintenance costs. Overall, the acquired knowledge from this research effort will reduce the economic and societal impact of infrastructure deteriorations by providing insights for degradation preventions and service-life extension of new and existing concrete structures. The university's STEM program will be exploited to involve students in K-12 level as well as students at the undergraduate level.Nanoengineered internal conditioning of concrete material triggered by multifunctional clay nanoparticles will be exploited based on a combined thermodynamic modeling and experimental approach. A fundamental understanding of the role of the nanoengineered internal conditioning in cement hydration that can suppress formation of ASR will be investigated. The research will focus on four research thrusts at: 1. Clay level: to functionalize clay nanoparticles to improve their dispersion, reactivity and tunable functions for internal conditioning; 2. Cement level: to tailor hydration behavior, pore network, and both solid and liquid compositions; 3. ASR level: to suppress ASR formation which prevents volume expansion and cracking; and 4. Concrete level: to improve durability-related mechanical and physical properties, and resistance to multiple aging mechanisms with a goal to design truly sustainable, resilient, and durable concrete material. The success of this project would be instrumental in advancing resilience-based and problem-oriented concrete material design through nanoengineering and thermodynamic means to stratify the quality requirement and performance expectation of future infrastructure.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.