About the self-sensing behavior of smart concrete and its interaction with the carbon fiber percolation status, sand connectivity status and grain size distribution

Abstract

The addition of conductive fibers to ordinary cementitious matrix permits to reduce its electrical resistivity, and consequently create its self-sensing behavior. This guarantees to the smart concrete a multifunctional behavior, where it satisfies the structural and self-sensing expectations simultaneously.This study intends to provide a better understanding of the self-sensing behavior of smart concrete function of the connectivity of carbon fibers, sand particles structure and its grain size distribution. The results showed that for cement paste, over carbon fiber volume fraction range, sensibility presented two local peaks. For mortar, in presence of diluted sand and partially connected sand, local peaks persisted. In presence of 50 % of sand volume fraction, sensibility to external compression forces was significantly reduced.