Improving the Self-Healing Properties of Concrete Materials by Using Composite Action with Fiber Reinforced Polymers

This research study is motivated by the need to reduce the costs of maintenance and repair of the aging transportation infrastructure in the United States. The proposed approach is to use self-healing concrete. The objectives of this study were: (1) to evaluate the effects of preparation parameters (namely, temperature, agitation rate, and pH) on the shell thickness and size (diameter) of healing agent microcapsules used in self-healing concrete; (2) to evaluate the effects of these microcapsules’ shell thicknesses and size diameters on the concrete self-healing mechanism; and (3) to test the hypothesis that composite action due to fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) confinement of cylindrical concrete specimens can improve the self-repairing properties of self-healing concrete materials. Two healing agents were evaluated for the first two objectives of this study, i.e., dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) and sodium silicate. The use of sodium silicate was considered for the third objective of this study. Based on the results of the experimental program, the following conclusions were made: (1) as the pH was reduced, the shell thickness increased for DCPD microcapsules and decreased for sodium silicate microcapsules; (2) the more uniform and coherent microcapsules were produced at a temperature of 55°C for both DCPD and sodium silicate healing agents; (3) an increase in agitation rate resulted in a decrease in the average diameter of the microcapsules for DCPD, while it minimally affected the diameter of sodium silicate microcapsules; (4) sodium silicate microcapsules were effective in repairing the concrete after cracking for contents equal to or higher than 1% of cement weight, with the best performance obtained for 5% sodium silicate content; and (5) FRP-confinement generally improved the strength and stiffness of the specimens. Additional research is needed to investigate the effects of FRP-confinement on stiffness recovery.

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• Record URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/26088
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This document was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation, University Transportation Centers Program. Cover title: Improving the Self-Healing Properties of Concrete Materials by using Composite Actions with Fiber Reinforced Polymers.
• Corporate Authors:

  Gulf Coast Research Center for Evacuation and Transportation Resiliency

  Louisiana State University
  3221 P.F. Taylor Hall
  Baton Rouge, LA  United States  70803

  Research and Innovative Technology Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Barbato, Michele
  • Hassan, Marwa
• Publication Date: 2013-6

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 42p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Admixtures; Cracking; Encapsulation; Fiber reinforced polymers; Repairing; Sodium silicate
• Uncontrolled Terms: Dicyclopentadiene; Self-healing concrete
• Subject Areas: Highways; Materials; I32: Concrete;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01496765
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 12-01
• Files: UTC, NTL, TRIS, RITA, ATRI, USDOT
• Created Date: Oct 3 2013 11:30AM