EXPERIMENTAL AND ANALYTICAL INVESTIGATIONS ON BEHAVIOUR OF REINFORCED CONCRETE ELEMENTS STRENGTHENED WITH CNTs

If I were to do research on application of CNTs in construction industry , this would be my title:

EXPERIMENTAL AND ANALYTICAL INVESTIGATIONS ON BEHAVIOUR OF REINFORCED CONCRETE ELEMENTS STRENGTHENED WITH CNTs.

Objective :

To investigate the behaviour of Reinforced concrete structural elements strengthened with CNTs (SWNT and MWNT) and thereby suggesting a better composite material to avoid disastrous failures. The unexplored potential use of CNTs as nano reinforcements may deplete crack at nano level therby improving tensile/flexural strength and fracture toughness of portland cement paste which is one of the largest commodities consumed world wide. The CNTs have a combination of desirable multifunctional properties such as high mechanical strength and stiffness, thermal conductivity that make them ideal candidate for use in concrete materials. The study may sort out the constitutive relationship of CNT - reinforced concrete considering the non linearity of the material, the mechanism of interfacial debonding and the phenomenon of crack propagation. CNTs will be added to the cement paste as reinforcements to act as bridges across micro cracks to form reinforcing mechanisms and arrest cracking in the cment matrix. Due to their very high surface area to volume ratio ,they can act as excellent reinforcements and also carry internal tensile stresses. They may significantly improve the flexural strength , tensile strength , fracture toughnesss and even the compressive strength of the cement matrix composites. Knowledge at the nanoscale of the structure and characteristics of materials (otherwise known as characterisation) will promote the development of new applications adn new products to repair or to improve the properties of construction materials. For example the structure of Calcium - Silicate - Hydrate (CSH) gel which is responsible for the mechanical and physical properties of cement pastes , including shrinkage, creep, porosity, permeability adn elasticity can be modified to obtain better durability.

The following characterization would be specifically focussed:

1) Autogeneous Shrinkage

2) Drying Shrinkage

3) Transport Properties of Cement Paste

4) Compressive Strength

5) Tensile Strength

6) Flexural Strength

7) Study and Optimization of CNT and nanofibre composites.

8)Developing and Optimizing Hybrid mixes containing CNTs

9) Experimental Investigation of R.C. Elements impregnated with CNTs ( SWNT and MWNT)

10) Analytical Investigations and numerical studies on R.C.Elements impregnated with CNTs.