Post-fire behaviour of concrete containing nano-materials as a cement replacement material

Abstract

Cement replacement materials have been the subject of increasing levels of research and development in recent years. These products are employed for many reasons, including to modify the properties of concrete, although the most urgent need for their use currently is to produce more sustainable concrete and reduce waste. Recently, nanomaterials such as nano-fly ash and nano-metakaolin have been studied as cement replacement materials as they tend to fill the pores present in the matrix, thereby increasing the density of the concrete resulting in an enhanced hydration process and greater mechanical performance. This paper is concerned with the post-fire mechanical and durability behaviour of concrete containing nanomaterials as a cement replacement material, for which there is no information available currently. The key information and results from an experimental investigation are presented and discussed. The experimental programme studied both nano-fly ash and nano-metakaolin with a cement replacement ratio of between 5% and 25%. The specimens were subjected to a standard fire and then cooled either slowly, in air, or quickly in water. Based on the test data, it is concluded that the presence of either of these nanomaterials in concrete reduces the pore volume and increases the pozzolanic activities in the mix, leading to enhanced mechanical and durability behaviour compared with traditional concrete. The optimization trials indicate that the best replacement ratios are 20% for the nano-fly ash and 15% for the nano-metakaolin. Overall, following elevated temperature exposure, the concretes containing nano-fly ash performed better than the concretes with nano-metakaolin but both out-performed traditional cement-based concrete.

Keywords

• Nanomaterials
• Concrete
• Durability
• Elevated temperature
• Post-fire