Abstract
The durability of building materials is related to the presence of cracks as they provide a fast pathway for the transport of liquid and gases through the structure. Restoration and preservation of historic buildings are the potential applications of this novel technique which uses nano-silica and silica fume particles for consolidation. The small particle size range and the high reactivity of nanoparticles allow them to interact with calcium sources naturally present in cement and concrete, forming binding and strengthening compounds such as calcium silicate hydrate. Nanoparticles act as a crack-filling agent, reducing the porosity and increasing the durability of existing materials. In this study we describe the injection of nano-silica, under low water pressure, into hydrated cement paste. This novel technique can tailor the mechanical and hydraulic properties of existing building materials using a simple and non-destructive procedure.
Highlights
Most of the built environment uses cement or concrete in some way, and many iconic buildings constructed in 1920s and later suffer from crack formation, water penetration and damage mecha-⇑ Corresponding author.nisms such as alkali-silica reaction
Mass measurements showed that after 14 days of nano-silica injection, the mass increase is directly proportional to the concentration of the silica suspension used (Fig. 3)
In this work we present a novel concrete and cement surface treatment
Summary
Most of the built environment uses cement or concrete in some way, and many iconic buildings constructed in 1920s and later suffer from crack formation, water penetration and damage mecha-⇑ Corresponding author.nisms such as alkali-silica reaction. Most of the built environment uses cement or concrete in some way, and many iconic buildings constructed in 1920s and later suffer from crack formation, water penetration and damage mecha-. Cracking in concrete and mortar is an inevitable phenomenon of ageing and erosion. Material characteristics such as porosity, permeability and strength are altered during ageing. Hardened concrete and cement contain two important mineral phases: calcium hydroxide (portlandite) and calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H), the former has a defined crystalline structure, the latter is semi-crystalline [14].
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