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An investigation of the beneficial effects of adding carbon nanotubes to standard injection grout
Author(s) -
Restuccia L.,
Lopez A.,
Ferro G.A.,
Liberatore D.,
Tulliani J.M.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
fatigue and fracture of engineering materials and structures
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.887
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1460-2695
pISSN - 8756-758X
DOI - 10.1111/ffe.12663
Subject(s) - materials science , composite material , carbon nanotube , mortar , grout , flexural strength , scanning electron microscope , porosity , compressive strength , mercury intrusion porosimetry , nucleation , shrinkage , masonry , porous medium , structural engineering , chemistry , organic chemistry , engineering
Mortar grouting is often used in masonry constructions to mitigate structural decay and repair damage by filling cracks and voids, resulting in an improvement in mechanical properties. This paper presents an original experimental investigation on grout with added carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The samples were prepared with different percentages of CNTs, up to 1.2 wt% with respect to the binder, and underwent three‐point bending tests in crack mouth opening displacement mode and compressive tests. The results showed that very small additions (up to 0.12 wt% of CNTs) increased not only flexural and compressive strengths (+73% and 35%, respectively, in comparison with plain mortar) but also fracture energy (+80%). These results can be explained on the basis of a reduction in porosity, as evidenced by mercury intrusion porosimetry, as well as by a crack bridging mechanism and by the probable formation of nucleation sites for hydration products, as observed through scanning electron microscopy.