Strain Monitoring of Concrete Using Carbon Black-Based Smart Coatings.

Given the challenges we face of an ageing infrastructure and insufficient maintenance, there is a critical shift towards preventive and predictive maintenance in construction. Self-sensing cement-based materials have drawn interest in this sector due to their high monitoring performance and durability compared to electronic sensors. While bulk applications have been well-discussed within this field, several challenges exist in their implementation for practical applications, such as poor workability and high manufacturing costs at larger volumes.

Microcapsule Triggering Mechanics in Cementitious Materials: A Modelling and Machine Learning Approach.

Self-healing cementitious materials containing microcapsules filled with healing agents can autonomously seal cracks and restore structural integrity. However, optimising the microcapsule mechanical properties to survive concrete mixing whilst still rupturing at the cracked interface to release the healing agent remains challenging. This study develops an integrated numerical modelling and machine learning approach for tailoring acrylate-based microcapsules for triggering within cementitious matrices.

Application of zeolites in permeable reactive barriers (PRBs) for in-situ groundwater remediation: A critical review.

Permeable reactive barrier (PRB) is one of the most promising in-situ groundwater remediation technologies due to its low costs and wide immobilization suitability for multiple contaminants. Reactive medium is a key component of PRBs and their selection needs to consider removal effectiveness as well as permeability. Zeolites have been extensively reported as reactive media owing to their high adsorption capacity, diverse pore structure and high stability.

Carbon Nanofibers Grown in CaO for Self-Sensing in Mortar.

Intelligent cementitious materials integrated with carbon nanofibers (CNFs) have the potential to be used as sensors in structural health monitoring (SHM). The difficulty in dispersing CNFs in cement-based matrices, however, limits the sensitivity to deformation (gauge factor) and strength. Here, we synthesise CNF by chemical vapour deposition on the surface of calcium oxide (CaO) and, for the first time, investigate this amphiphilic carbon nanomaterial for self-sensing in mortar.

Simultaneous removal of Pb and MTBE by mixed zeolites in fixed-bed column tests.

The co-contamination of metals and organic pollutants, such as Pb and methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), in groundwater, has become a common and major phenomenon in many contaminated sites. This study evaluated the feasibility of their simultaneous removal with permeable reactive barrier (PRB) packed with mixed zeolites (clinoptilolite and ZSM-5) using fixed-bed column tests and breakthrough curve modeling. The effect of grain size on the permeability of PRB and removal efficacy was also assessed by granular and power clinoptilolite.