Graphite-enabled Cementitious Composites: A Smart and Resilient Solution for Future Infrastructure
type: CreativeWork
description: Concrete, as the most widely used construction material on Earth, is one of Earth’s most versatile, strong, and affordable materials. However, concrete infrastructure tends to degrade with extended service life due to environmental and mechanical impacts. Carbon-based materials have been incorporated into a cement matrix as conductive fillers to develop an intrinsic self-sensing concrete to monitor structures without the need for embedded, attached, or remote sensors while maintaining or improving its mechanical properties and durability. Graphite is a particularly attractive filler to use in practical engineering due to its good conductivity and low cost. The aim of this study is consequently to develop, through material characterisation techniques, experimental testing and numerical modelling, self-sensing cementitious composites for resilient smart infrastructure by embedding graphite into cementitious materials. Material characterisation experiments were firstly systematically conducted to determine the optimal material proportion and investigate the dispersion, rheology, micro-structural, chemical, mechanical, electro-conductivity and piezoresistivity properties of the graphite-cement composites. Results showed an effective mixing with a uniform dispersion of the graphite with good hydration, adequate workability and enhanced strength of the composites with graphite concentrations up to 10%. A novel measurement technique has been successfully developed to accurately measure the composites with the time, loading, displacement, electrical properties and Digital Image Correlation data synchronised to one file controlled by Python codes. Through numerical simulation, an equation for the relationship between the measured electrical resistance and the sample geometry variables has been proposed for the first time to provide design guidance for the measurement techniques. Electro-mechanical tests were conducted to investigate the piezoresistivity and damage-sensing pe…
abstract: Concrete, as the most widely used construction material on Earth, is one of Earth’s most versatile, strong, and affordable materials. However, concrete infrastructure tends to degrade with extended service life due to environmental and mechanical impacts. Carbon-based materials have been incorporated into a cement matrix as conductive fillers to develop an intrinsic self-sensing concrete to monitor structures without the need for embedded, attached, or remote sensors while maintaining or improving its mechanical properties and durability. Graphite is a particularly attractive filler to use in practical engineering due to its good conductivity and low cost. The aim of this study is consequently to develop, through material characterisation techniques, experimental testing and numerical modelling, self-sensing cementitious composites for resilient smart infrastructure by embedding graphite into cementitious materials. Material characterisation experiments were firstly systematically conducted to determine the optimal material proportion and investigate the dispersion, rheology, micro-structural, chemical, mechanical, electro-conductivity and piezoresistivity properties of the graphite-cement composites. Results showed an effective mixing with a uniform dispersion of the graphite with good hydration, adequate workability and enhanced strength of the composites with graphite concentrations up to 10%. A novel measurement technique has been successfully developed to accurately measure the composites with the time, loading, displacement, electrical properties and Digital Image Correlation data synchronised to one file controlled by Python codes. Through numerical simulation, an equation for the relationship between the measured electrical resistance and the sample geometry variables has been proposed for the first time to provide design guidance for the measurement techniques. Electro-mechanical tests were conducted to investigate the piezoresistivity and damage-sensing pe…
author: Wang, Xueying
language: eng
keywords: Cementitious composites, Finite Element Modelling, Graphite, Self-sensing, Smart infrastructure, Structural health monitoring
license: https://apollo8-f-pro.lib.cam.ac.uk/bitstreams/db082a44-7499-4a57-b157-abcc70ce1a2c/download
license: https://www.rioxx.net/licenses/all-rights-reserved/
date published: 2024-03-13
date modified: 2026-07-22T22:24:32Z
provider: Cambridge University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Cambridge

PropertyValue
property ID: DOI
value: 10.17863/CAM.109210