Dr. Nima Farzadnia will present, “Internal Curing of Ultra-high Performance Concrete Using Superabsorbent Polymers”, October 9th at 4:00pm via Zoom.

Ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) is a composite material with superior mechanical properties and excellent durability. UHPC has great application prospect in the repair and construction of infrastructures, such as precast concrete piles, seismic retrofit of substandard bridge substructures, thin-bonded overlays on deteriorated bridge decks as well as security and blast mitigation applications.

However, UHPC is susceptible to undergo severe autogenous shrinkage and cracking risk at an early age due to its high content of cementitious materials, very low water-to-binder ratio, and extensive use of micro (fine) aggregate. Providing internal curing using superabsorbent polymers (SAP) is an effective method to inhibit the shrinkage cracking, distribute the moisture evenly throughout the matrix, and refine the microstructure of UHPC. This seminar presents an overview of the effects of SAPs on internal relative humidity, self-desiccation and evaporation rates/mechanisms, pore structure, interfacial transition zone (ITZ), and the mechanical and viscoelastic properties of UHPC.