ABSTRACT The piezoresistive response of carbon nanotube-embedded cementitious composites (CNT-CC) can be used to evaluate the stress level and monitor traffic flow on transportation infrastructure. However, the effect of load characteristics on the piezoresistive response of CNT-CC is unclear. In this study, the influence of CNT content and load characteristics on the piezoresistive performance of CNT-CC is investigated by controlling the amplitude and rate of loading. Based on the principles associated with composite volume change, electron hopping and conductive networks, the fractional change in resistivity (FCR) of the composite was calculated theoretically and compared with experimental findings. The results show that the greatest electrical conductivity is achieved when the CNT content is 0.2%, and the addition of steel slag reduces the CNT content for achieving the optimal piezoresistive response but does not improve the piezoresistive performance. The load characteristics have an important influence on the piezoresistive response, FCR is mainly affected by the load amplitude and the increase in the loading rate will deteriorate the piezoresistive characteristics of CNT-CC. The calculated piezoresistive response is basically accurate and verifies the piezoresistive mechanism.
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