L’auto-cicatrisation des fissures des matériaux cimentaires présente un intérêt important pour améliorer leur durabilité (propriétés de transfert par exemple). L’impact du laitier de haut-fourneau sur ce phénomène a été peu étudié bien qu’il ait été observé sur des ouvrages du Génie Civil. Dans cette étude, la cinétique et l’amplitude de l’auto-cicatrisation ont été suivies par des essais non destructifs : la tomographie aux rayons X et la perméabilité à l’air, pour une fissuration créée à 7 jours et à 28 jours. Les résultats montrent que le laitier de haut-fourneau possède un potentiel d’auto-cicatrisation intéressant pouvant dépasser les résultats obtenus pour les formulations de référence sans laitier. Ce bon potentiel dépend des caractéristiques physicochimiques des matériaux brutes et du potentiel d’hydratation de la formulation au cours du temps. De plus pour suivre l’auto-cicatrisation, un nouvel essai a été mis en place afin de fissurer les éprouvettes de mortier par retrait gêné et d’étudier l’auto-cicatrisation d’une fissure naturelle. Cet essai s’est avéré efficace sur la formulation de référence. Une caractérisation des produits de cicatrisation par MEB-EDS témoigne de la formation de nouveaux produits dans les fissures et de l’impact important des conditions de stockage sur le type de produits formés: des C-S-H pour un stockage sous eau et des carbonates de calcium pour un stockage en chambre humide (CO2 + eau). Les résultats de migration aux chlorures de nano-indentation montrent que ces produits de cicatrisation possèdent de bonnes propriétés de durabilité et des propriétés mécaniques à l’échelle microscopique intéressantes (pour le carbonate de calcium). Enfin, une modélisation du phénomène d’auto-cicatrisation est proposée au moyen du code de calcul de géochimie PHREEQC. L’étude a révélé le potentiel intéressant de PHREEQC pour modéliser l’auto-cicatrisation et en faire un outil de prédiction du phénomène. / Self-healing of cementitious materials presents great interest to improve the durability of concrete structure (transfer properties for example). The impact of blast-furnace slag on this phenomenon is not yet clear even if the self-healing of concrete with blast-furnace slag was observed in building sites. To understand the blast-furnace slag influence, non-destructive methods were used to follow self-healing: X-ray tomography and gas permeability test. All specimens were cracked at 7 days and 28 days. The results show that the blast furnace slag has an interesting self-healing potential that can exceed the reference formulation results. This good potential depends on the physico-chemical characteristics of the raw materials and the hydration potential of the formulation over time. In addition to follow the self-healing, a new trial was set up to crack mortar specimens by restrained shrinkage and study the self-healing of a natural crack. In addition to follow the self-healing, a new trial was set up to crack mortar specimens by restrained shrinkage and study the self-healing of a natural crack. This test has proven effective over the reference formulation.The SEM with EDS analysis showed the formation of new products in the crack and the impact of storage conditions on these products : C-S-H for specimens stored in water and calcium carbonate for specimens stored in a damp chamber (CO2 + water). Migration chlorures and nano-indentation tests results showed that self-healing products had interesting durability properties and micro-mechanical properties (for calcium carbonate). Finally, self-healing modelling is proposed by means of geochemistry PHREEQC calculation code. The study revealed interesting potential PHREEQC to model self- healing phenomenon and make it a of predictive tool.

Les matériaux cimentaires sont les plus utilisés dans les ouvrages du génie civil. Que ce soit dans les domaines de l'habitation, des transports ou bien encore de l'énergie, ils sont utilisés massivement et doivent faire face à un environnement varié et parfois agressif. Le béton, particulièrement lorsqu'il est armé, est un matériau qui de part son fonctionnement est amené à fissurer. Outre l'aspect visuel qui peut attirer l'attention des utilisateurs, la fissuration impacte, en premier lieu la résistance mécanique mais aussi la durabilité de l'ouvrage. Une meilleure caractérisation de cette fissuration (quantité, trajet, tortuosité) est donc un enjeu majeur. Pour répondre à cette problématique, il est nécessaire de prédire le comportement à long terme des ouvrages. Néanmoins, cette tâche reste ardue. La grande hétérogénéité du matériau combinée aux sollicitations multiples (thermique, chimique, hydrique, mécanique) rend l'œuvre complexe. Si on s'intéresse plus spécifiquement aux sollicitations hydriques, on constate que toute structure tend à s'équilibrer avec son milieu ambiant entraînant un phénomène de dessiccation. L'objectif de ce travail de thèse est de prendre en compte les effets de cette dessiccation dans la détermination des propriétés mécaniques et du comportement macroscopique des ouvrages en béton (à l'échelle de l'échantillon de laboratoire) afin de mettre en place un cadre de modélisation éléments finis prédictif prenant en compte la dessiccation et les phénomènes associés. Conventionnellement, lorsque les propriétés mécaniques du béton sont caractérisées, les contraintes internes ne sont pas considérées et les phénomènes de dessiccation ne sont pas pris en compte. Néanmoins, le gradient hydrique entre la surface et le cœur d'une structure en béton peut mener à un état de contrainte hétérogène et engendrer une micro-fissuration conséquente. Dans certains cas (durabilité, étanchéité), ce phénomène peut-être d'une importance majeure. Bien qu'il semble remarquable, l'impact du séchage et de la micro-fissuration sur les propriétés mécaniques n'est que peu étudié. De plus, les résultats obtenus sont parfois contradictoires ce qui ne permet pas de dégager de consensus. Il est notable que dans la description du phénomène, trois facteurs prépondérants peuvent être dégagés. L'un d'eux, la pression capillaire, améliore la résistance du matériau et les deux autres, le gradient hydrique ainsi que l'incompatibilité de déformation entre la pâte et les granulats, vont diminuer les caractéristiques mécaniques à long terme. Peu d'études comparent l'influence de la dessiccation sur les propriétés mécaniques en mettant en regard les résultats obtenus suivant les différentes méthodes de caractérisations standards. Ce travail de thèse développe, des campagnes expérimentales investiguant les effets de la dessiccation sous humidité relative, température et temps de dessiccation variés. Il se poursuit par la mise en place du cadre de simulation numérique s'appuyant sur les expériences réalisées. Ces dernières sont modélisées mécaniquement en tenant compte du processus de dessiccation. La prise en compte du retrait de dessiccation, du développement du fluage propre et de dessiccation ainsi que l'apport de la pression capillaire permet de retrouver les résultats expérimentaux mécaniques. De ces simulations mécaniques, des faciès et des ouvertures de fissure sont extraits du modèle continu en se basant sur la théorie de la bande de fissuration. Enfin, des outils d'identification sont développés dans ce cadre afin de déterminer les propriétés des différents modèles numériques. / Cementitious materials are the most used material in civil engineering fields. Whether in the areas of housing, transport or energy, they are used heavily and have to face a varied and sometimes aggressive environment. Concrete, especially when it is reinforced, is a material which by its operation is caused to crack. In addition to the visual aspect that can attract the attention of users, cracking impacts, primarily the mechanical strength but also the durability of the structure. A better characterization of this cracking (quantity, path, tortuosity) is therefore a major issue.To answer this problem, it is necessary to predict the long-term behavior of structures. Nevertheless, this task remains arduous. The great heterogeneity of the material combined with multiple stresses (thermal, chemical, hydric, mechanical) makes the work complex. If one is interested more specifically in the hydric solicitations, one finds that any structure tends to equilibrate with its environment causing a phenomenon of drying.The aim of this thesis is to take into account the effects of drying on the mechanical properties and the macroscopic behavior of concrete structures (at the laboratory sample scale) in order to set up a predictive finite element modelling framework taking into account drying and associated phenomena. Conventionally, when the mechanical properties of concrete are characterized, internal stresses are not considered and drying phenomena are not taken into account. Nevertheless, the hydric gradient between the surface and the core of a concrete structure can lead to a state of heterogeneous stress and generate a consequent micro-cracking. In some cases (durability, tightness), this phenomenon may be of major importance.Although it seems remarkable, the impact of drying and micro-cracking on mechanical properties is poorly studied. In addition, the results obtained are sometimes contradictory which does not allow to reach consensus. It is notable that in the description of the phenomenon, three overriding factors can be identified. One of them, the capillary pressure, improves the resistance of the material and the two others, the water gradient as well as the incompatibility of deformation between the paste and the aggregates, will decrease the mechanical characteristics in the long term.Few studies compare the influence of desiccation on mechanical properties by comparing the results obtained using different standard characterization methods. This thesis work develops experimental campaigns investigating the effects of drying under relative humidity, temperature and drying time varied. It continues with the implementation of the numerical simulation framework based on the experiments carried out.These are modelled mechanically taking into account the drying process. Taking into account the withdrawal of desiccation, the development of clean creep and desiccation as well as the contribution of the capillary pressure makes it possible to recover the experimental mechanical results. These mechanical simulations, facies and crack openings are extracted from the continuous model based on the crack band theory. Finally, identification tools are developed in this context to determine the properties of different numerical models.

No / The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of corrosion level on shear behavior of engineered cementitious composite (ECC) beams. Reinforced normal concrete (R-NC) specimens with compressive strength equal to the ECC specimens were also used for control purposes. Ten reinforced concrete beams (five ECC and five NC) with dimensions of 150 x 220 x 1400 mm (5.91 x 8.66 x 55.12 in.) were manufactured for the study. Using accelerated corrosion through the application of a constant current of 1 ampere, four levels of corrosion were established at 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% of mass loss of the reinforcing bars. To ensure the highest probability of shear failure mode, all beams were tested under a four-point loading system with a shear span-effective depth ratio of 2.5. General structural behavior, strength, stiffness, failure mode, and energy absorption capacities of ECC and R-NC beams subjected to different corrosion levels were evaluated and compared. Experimental results showed a high correlation between calculated mass loss and measured mass loss in reinforcing bars due to accelerated corrosion. Compared to NC, ECC beams exhibited significantly higher strength, stiffness, and energy absorption capacity, along with superior performance in terms of the restriction of damage caused due to corrosion. The increase in corrosion level negatively influenced the structural behavior of the ECC beams tested.

Yes / In view of high-performance, multifunctional and low-carbon development of infrastructures, there is a growing demand for smart engineering materials, making infrastructures intelligent. This paper reports a new-generation self-sensing cementitious composite (SSCC) incorporated with a hierarchically structured carbon fiber-carbon nanotube composite filler (CF-CNT), which is in-situ synthesized by directly growing CNT on CF. Various important factors including catalyst, temperature, and gas composition are considered to investigate their kinetic and thermodynamic influence on CF-CNT synthesis. The reciprocal architecture of CF-CNT not only alleviates the CNT aggregation, but also significantly improves the interfacial bonding between CF-CNTs and matrix. Due to the synergic and spatially morphological effects of CF-CNT, i.e., the formation of widely distributed multiscale reinforcement networks, SSCCs with CF-CNTs exhibit high mechanical properties and electrical conductivity as well as excellent self-sensing performances, particularly enhanced sensing repeatability. Moreover, the SSCCs with CF-CNTs are integrated into a full-scale maglev girder to devise a smart system for crack development monitoring. The system demonstrates high sensitivity and fidelity to capture the initiation of cracks/damage, as well as progressive and sudden damage events until complete failure of the maglev girder, indicating its considerable potential for structural health monitoring of infrastructures. / The work described in this paper is supported by grants from the National Science Foundation of China (51978127 and 51578110) and grants from the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2022M710973 and 2022M720648).

No / Incorporating nanomaterials brings great changes in tailoring the nano-/micro-/macroscale structures of bulk cement paste phase and interfacial transition zone in the cementitious composites through the nano-core effect, thus achieving stronger, more durable, and smart/multi-functional cementitious composites. Owing to the nano-modification of cement paste in combination with the supplement of nanoscale continuity for multiscale raw materials of cementitious composites, nanomaterials gradually show the potential to become the indispensable seventh component of cementitious composites besides cement, water, fine aggregates, coarse aggregates, chemical additives, and mineral additives. Therefore tailoring cementitious composites with nanomaterials provides a promising approach to develop the new generation of cementitious composites (e.g., ultra-high performance, smart/multi-functional, and resilient) and sustainable infrastructures. This chapter aims to provide a systematic overview of tailoring cementitious composites with various types of nanomaterials. It initially covers the principle of tailoring cementitious composites with nanomaterials and dispersion of nanomaterials in cementitious composites. It then presents the properties of cementitious composites with 0D, 1D, and 2D nanomaterials, namely, hydration, rheology, workability, durability, functional, and mechanical properties. It also highlights various applications of cementitious composites with nanomaterials, including structural health monitoring, traffic detection, and pollutant purification. This chapter concludes by presenting the future prospects of cementitious composites with nanomaterials.

No

Yes / Cementitious composites are generally brittle and develop considerable tension cracks, resulting in corrosion of steel reinforcement and compromising structural durability. With careful selection and treatment, some kinds of bacteria are able to precipitate calcium carbonate and ‘heal’ cracks in cementitious composites through their metabolism, namely bacterial activity. It is envisioned that the bacterial technology-enabled cementitious composites could have great potential for engineering applications such as surface treatment, crack repair and self-healing construction material. This paper presents the state-of-the-art development of bacterial technology-enabled cementitious composites from the following aspects: mechanisms of bacterial induced calcium carbonate precipitation; methods of applying bacteria into cementitious composites; mechanical properties, durability and their influencing factors; various applications; cost effective analysis and prospect. The paper concludes with an outline of some future opportunities and challenges in the application of bacterial technology-enabled cementitious composites in construction. / National Science Foundation of China (51578110) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities in China (DUT18GJ203).

Yes / The development of ultra-high performance cementitious composite (UHPCC) represents a significant advancement in the field of concrete science and technology, but insufficient hydration and high autogenous shrinkage relatively increase the pores inside UHPCC, in turn, affecting the macro-performance of UHPCC. This paper, initially, optimized the pore structure of UHPCC using different types and dimensions of nanofillers. Subsequently, the pore structure characteristics of nano-modified UHPCC were investigated by the mercury intrusion porosimeter method and fractal theory. Finally, the fluid permeability of nano-modified UHPCC was estimated by applying the Katz-Thompson equation. Experimental results showed that all incorporated nanofillers can refine the pore structure of UHPCC, but nanofillers with different types and dimensions have various effects on the pore structure of UHPCC. Specifically, CNTs, especially the thin-short one, can significantly reduce the porosity of UHPCC, whereas nanoparticles, especially nano-SiO2, are more conducive to refine the pore size. Among all nanofillers, nano-SiO2 has the most obvious effect on pore structure, reducing the porosity, specific pore volume and most probable pore radius of UHPCC by 31.9%, 35.1% and 40.9%, respectively. Additionally, the pore size distribution of nano-modified UHPCC ranges from 10-1nm to 105nm, and the gel pores and fine capillary pores in the range of 3-50nm account for more than 70% of the total pore content, confirming nanofillers incorporation can effectively weaken pore connectivity and induce pore distribution to concentrate at nanoscale. Fractal results indicated the provision of nanofillers reduces the structural heterogeneity of gel pores and fine capillary pores, and induces homogenization and densification of UHPCC matrix, in turn, decreasing the UHPCC fluid permeability by 15.7%-79.2%. / The authors thank the funding supported from the National Science Foundation of China (51978127, 52178188 and 51908103), the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2022M720648 and 2022M710973) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (DUT21RC(3)039). / The full-text of this article will be released for public view at the end of the publisher embargo on 11 May 2024.

yes / In order to study the mechanical behaviors of engineered cementitious composites (ECC) reinforced with various types of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers and different fiber volume fractions after the freeze-thaw cycles, the rapid freeze-thaw method was used to test the mass loss ratios, longitudinal relative dynamic elastic modulus, compressive strength and flexural strength. The results showed that specimens incurred more serious damage with the increasing of freeze-thaw cycles; however their performance would be improved by fiber type and dosage. Mass loss rate of JPA (specimen with 2% volume content of JP fiber) was lower than JPB (specimen with 1% volume content of JP fiber). Furthermore, the mass loss rate of JPB was lower than that of CPB (specimen with 1% volume content of CP fiber). The longitudinal relative dynamic elastic modulus of JPA was higher than that of JPB while the longitudinal relative dynamic elastic modulus of JPB was higher than that of CPB. In addition, the compressive strength and flexural strength decreased with the increasing of freeze-thaw cycles. Mechanical behaviors of specimens with fiber exhibited better strength than specimens without fiber. Based on the SL 211-2006 code for the design of hydraulic structures against ice and freezing action, JPA and JPB specimens are adequate for use in severe cold regions, while specimen CPA and CPB can be used in cold regions, specimen JPC only can be used in warm regions.

Yes / Nickel coated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (NiMCNTs) are favorable reinforcing nanofillers for modifying cementitious composites due to their preeminent mechanical properties, electrical conductivity, thermal properties and dispersibility. This paper investigates the mechanical properties and compatibility of NiMCNTs filled cementitious composites, having two different types of cement, two water to cement ratios, and two dosages of five types of NiMCNTs. The results show that 0.06 vol.% NiMCNTs with small aspect ratios can significantly enhance the mechanical properties of cementitious composites, while NiMCNTs with large aspect ratios play a better strengthening effect at 0.03 vol.%. The flexural strength/toughness of cementitious composites containing 0.06 vol.% NiMCNTs with an aspect ratio of 200 can be increased by 19.65%/116.78%. Adding 0.03 vol.% NiMCNTs with an aspect ratio of 1000 enhances the compressive strength/toughness of composites by 18.61%/47.44%. Besides, NiMCNTs have preferable compatibility to cementitious composites prepared by P·O 42.5R cement with a water to cement ratio of 0.3. The enhancement mechanism is related to the denser microstructure and effective suppression of microcracks in the cementitious matrix by NiMCNTs with filling, bridging and pull-out effects, as well as the high interface bond strength between NiMCNTs and matrix. A strength prediction model for NiMCNTs reinforced cementitious composites is also established to estimate the mechanical strength of cementitious composites containing NiMCNTs with different aspect ratios/contents, showing a small relative error within ±6%/±13% for predicted flexural/compressive strength values in comparison with the experimental results. / Funding supported from the National Science Foundation of China (51908103 and 51978127), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (DUT21RC(3)039).