Mechanical and self-sensing properties of concrete reinforced with carbon nanofibres

Concrete is extensively used in the construction industry, but the formation and development of cracks undermines the integrity of concrete structures. Improving the mechanical properties of concrete and developing efficient health monitoring of structures are thus essential tasks to be tackled. The research described in this paper was concerned with the effect of nanofibres on the mechanical properties of concrete as the use of nanofibres such as carbon nanofibres (CNFs) within cementitious materials has been found to be effective in enhancing the mechanical properties of concrete as well as its sensing ability. Most previous works have focused on evaluating the microstructure and mechanical behaviour of nano-reinforced mortar. Only a few studies have attempted to evaluate the mechanical and sensing properties of nano-reinforced concrete made with coarse aggregates. The objective of this work was to fill this gap in the literature by evaluating the mechanical and self-sensing properties of CNF-reinforced concrete (CNFRC). Material tests were conducted on CNFRC cylinders and beams in order to determine the full compressive, tensile and flexural constitutive behaviour, including the post-peak response, as well evaluating the self-sensing capability. The results obtained are valuable for analysis and design of large critical infrastructures employing CNFRC.