CAREER: An Integrated Research and Education Program in Long-Term Durability of nano-structured cement-based materials during environmental weathering

Collaborators

Florence Sanchez, Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Funding

NSF CMS-0547024

Abstract

The goal of this CAREER is to develop a fundamental understanding of the controlling mechanisms of environmental weathering of nano/microfiber reinforced cement-based materials through integration of theory, experimental observation, and computational simulation focusing on how molecular level chemical phenomena at the fiber-cement interface and interfacial zone influence long-term bulk material performance.
State-of-the-art experimental chemical, mechanical, and physical characterization of weathering mechanisms across multiple length scales (nano to macro), multi-scale computational analysis, and traditional durability testing will be integrated to (i) further elucidate the failure modes of the fiber-cement interface, and (ii) quantify and relate mechanical and chemical changes of the fiber-cement interface and interfacial zone during decalcification, carbonation, and calcium substitution/transfer to observed macro-scale properties.