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Effect of Elevated Temperatures on Mechanical Performance of Normal and Lightweight Concretes Reinforced with Carbon Nanotubes

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Abstract

An experimental program was developed to evaluate the effect of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) inclusion on elevated temperature properties of normal weight concrete (NWC) and lightweight concrete (LWC). The mechanical performance was assessed by conducting material property tests namely compressive strength (f’c,T), tensile strength (f’t,T), mass loss (MT), elastic modulus (ET), compressive toughness (Tc) and stress–strain response under unstressed and residual conditions in the range of 23°C to 800°C. The mechanical properties were measured by heating 100 × 200 mm cylindrical specimens to 200°C, 400°C, 600°C and 800°C at a heating rate of 5°C/min. Results show that the inclusion MWCNTs in cementitious matrices enhanced the fire endurance. The relative retention of mechanical strength and mass of concretes modified with MWCNTs was higher. The stress–strain response of specimens modified with MWCNTs was more ductile. Microstructural study of cyrofractured samples evidenced the homogenous dispersion of nano-reinforcements in host matrix. Furthermore, the data obtained from high temperature material property tests was utilized to develop mathematical relationships for expressing mechanical properties of modified mixes as a function of temperature.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. NUST Institute of Civil Engineering (NICE), School of Civil and Environmental Engineering (SCEE), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Sector H-12, Islamabad, 44000, Pakistan

    Waqas Latif Baloch, Rao Arsalan Khushnood & Wisal Ahmed

  2. Department of Civil Engineering, Nazarbayev University, Astana, Kazakhstan

    Shazim Ali Memon

  3. Department of Civil Engineering, Mirpur University of Science and Technology (MUST), Mirpur, 10250, AJK, Pakistan

    Sajjad Ahmad

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  1. Waqas Latif Baloch
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  2. Rao Arsalan Khushnood
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  3. Shazim Ali Memon
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  4. Wisal Ahmed
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  5. Sajjad Ahmad
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Correspondence to Waqas Latif Baloch or Rao Arsalan Khushnood.

Appendix

Appendix

See Figs. 16, 17, 18, 19 and Tables 6, 7, 8.

Figure 16
figure 16

Characterization of MWCNTs (a) Raman spectra. (b) XRD of MWCNTs

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Figure 17
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Test methods for elevated temperature mechanical testing

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Figure 18
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Thermal conductivity of concretes

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Figure 19
figure 19

Visual assessment of concrete samples exposed to 800°C: (a) Normal weight concrete. (b) Modified normal weight concrete. (c) Lightweight concrete. (d) Modified lightweight concrete

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Table 6 Physical and Chemical Properties of Acacia Gum (AG)
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Table 7 Detail on Number of Test Specimens, Temperature Levels and Test Conditions
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Table 8 Reduction Factors as a Function of Temperature for Modified Mixes
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Baloch, W.L., Khushnood, R.A., Memon, S.A. et al. Effect of Elevated Temperatures on Mechanical Performance of Normal and Lightweight Concretes Reinforced with Carbon Nanotubes. Fire Technol 54, 1331–1367 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10694-018-0733-z

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