Self-healing properties of cement-based and alkali-activated slag-based fiber-reinforced composites

• Published in: Construction & building materials Vol. 165; pp. 801 - 811
• Main Authors: Nguyễn, Huy Hoàng, Choi, Jeong-Il, Song, Keum-Il, Song, Jin-Kyu, Huh, Jungwon, Lee, Bang Yeon
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 20.03.2018; Elsevier B.V
• Subjects: Analysis; Cement; Cements (Building materials); Composite; Crack width; Fiber; Fiber reinforced concrete; Properties; Self-healing; Slag; South Korea; Slag; Self-healing; Composite; Crack width; Cement; Fiber
• ISSN: 0950-0618; 1879-0526
• DOI: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2018.01.023

•The self-healing properties of cement-based and slag-based fiber-reinforced composites are investigated.•Slag-based composites have advantages in terms of a reduction of relative crack width.•Slag-based composites have low resonant frequency recovery.•Calcium carbonate is the dominant healing material for cement-based and slag-based composites. This paper presents an experimental study of the self-healing properties of cement-based and alkali-activated slag-based fiber-reinforced composites with controlled crack width. Two types of binder, i.e. cement and alkali-activated slag-based polyethylene fiber-reinforced composites with identical water-to-binder ratios, were designed. Compressive strength and uniaxial tension tests were performed to measure the mechanical properties of the composites, and the self-healing performance was investigated by observation of the crack width and by measuring resonance frequency. Scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy were also adopted to analyze the morphology and chemical composition of the healing materials. The test results showed that alkali-activated slag-based composites have advantages compared to cement-based composites in terms of a reduction of relative crack width; however, cement-based composites have a higher resonant frequency recovery than alkali-activated slag-based composites. It is also observed that calcium carbonate is the dominant healing material of cement-based and slag-based composites.