Abstract
The use of photocatalysts to enhance the performance of construction materials with large surfaces exposed to sunlight has become an increasingly common practice in recent decades. Although construction material durability is of crucial importance and is extensively studied when incorporating new additions, very few studies have specifically addressed the effects when adding photocatalysts. This paper discusses the effect of TiO2-based photocatalysts on pavement durability (porosity, time of transmission of ultrasonic pulses, freeze-thaw resistance and capillary water absorption) and safety (slip resistance and roughness) by comparison of commercial photocatalytic materials of different families and twin materials without the photocatalyst added. The analysis covers concrete tile pavements and porous asphalt treated with photocatalysts in the form of sprayed emulsions, slurry admixtures or built-in during casting. The findings show that changes in the properties of a construction material induced by photocatalytic functionality depend primarily on the porous structure of the matrix and the properties of the resulting photocatalytic surface.
Highlights
Photocatalytic oxidation has been proposed in the last few years as a possible solution to reduce the level of air pollution
The findings show that changes in the properties of a construction material induced by photocatalytic functionality depend primarily on the porous structure of the matrix and the properties of the resulting photocatalytic surface
Examples include studies of resistance to peeling and water under pressure in limestone coatings [26], leaching of the photocatalytic pavements [27], mechanical and chemical durability of photocatalysts on exposed aggregates [28], durability of self-cleaning TiO2 coatings on fired clay bricks exposed to UV radiation and wet/dry cycles [29], TiO2 coating abrasion and wear resistance and its effect on the environmental impact of the coatings [30,31,32], cyclic weathering in photocatalytic glass-reinforced concrete panels [33] bonding in a number of coatings [34], TiO2-cement mortar bonded to asphalt pavement with an epoxy resin [35] and durability of photocatalytic activity on different cement-based materials exposed to abrasion and freeze-thaw stress [36]
Summary
Photocatalytic oxidation has been proposed in the last few years as a possible solution to reduce the level of air pollution. This technique was first applied to energy generation in the 1970s by Fujishima and Honda [1] and Wrighton et al [2]. In light of the crucial importance of construction material durability, the use and effects of new components are usually extensively researched. 47 were identified when the word ‘photocatalytic’ was added While some of those deal with the advantages and drawbacks of nanotechnology applied to construction materials [23,24,25], most address the durability and performance of photocatalytic coatings. Examples include studies of resistance to peeling and water under pressure in limestone coatings [26], leaching of the photocatalytic pavements [27], mechanical and chemical durability of photocatalysts on exposed aggregates [28], durability of self-cleaning TiO2 coatings on fired clay bricks exposed to UV radiation and wet/dry cycles [29], TiO2 coating abrasion and wear resistance and its effect on the environmental impact of the coatings [30,31,32], cyclic weathering in photocatalytic glass-reinforced concrete panels [33] bonding in a number of coatings [34], TiO2-cement mortar bonded to asphalt pavement with an epoxy resin [35] and durability of photocatalytic activity on different cement-based materials exposed to abrasion and freeze-thaw stress [36]
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