Mechanical and permeability properties on self-healing of cementitious composites effect of nano silica cure

Abstract

The self-healing behavior of concrete elements with high risk of crack formation under various conditions from the moment of production has become a very important issue. In this study, the effectiveness of nano silica (NS) curing solutions in terms of self-healing behavior in engineered cementitious composites (ECC) was investigated. For this purpose, precuring was applied to the cementitious composite mixture prepared with four different contents for 7, 28, and 90 days and then half of the specimens were exposed to damage to certain extents of the mechanical strength loads. Half of the specimens were left in a 2% solution of NS for a further period of 7, 30, 60, and 90 days, and another portion was left in curing only in water (W). The mechanical properties of the sound and preloaded specimens were investigated with compressive and flexural tests, and the improvements in permeability were investigated with the help of water absorption and sorptivity tests. As a result of the experimental studies, it was observed that the nano silica solution applied to the specimens during the curing phase caused a more effective and rapid healing in the mechanical and permeability properties of the composites when compared with the water curing.