Nanomaterials can be defined as materials possessing, at minimum, one external dimension measuring 1-100nm. Nanomaterials can occur naturally, be created as the by-products of combustion reactions, or be produced purposefully through engineering to perform a specialized function. These materials can have different physical and chemical properties to their bulkform counterparts. Considering these particle sizes, a new approach is proposed to use the nanoparticles in the geotechnical engineering to understand the nature of soil as nanoparticles will interact with soil particles more efficiently due to the advantage of their size i.e. 1nm to 100nm. As the new construction sites has been significantly increased in the area of poorquality ground several new approaches of stabilizing the soil underneath are introduced and one of these techniques are using the nanoparticles to improve the index properties of soil as well as strength of soil so that desired stability can be achieved. Different types of nanomaterials which can be used for the purpose of stabilization of soil are SiO¬2, TiO2, Al2O3. This paper also addresses the use of nanomaterials in housing construction, comparing their influence at the technical-structural level. Materials such as titanium dioxide, carbon nanotubes, nano silica, nanocellulose, nano alumina, and nano clays were analyzed. It was obtained that these nanomaterials can improve the structural, thermal, and functional properties of construction materials. In addition, they are related to increased durability, increased mechanical strength (>20 %), reduced thermal conductivity, and self-cleaning capability. Therefore, the use of nanomaterials promises to improve the sustainability and efficiency of housing construction
Read full abstract