TY - JOUR
T1 - Assessment of the potential of superabsorbent polymers as internal curing agents in concrete by means of optical fiber sensors
AU - Filho, José Roberto Tenório
AU - Mannekens, Els
AU - Tittelboom, Kim Van
AU - Snoeck, Didier
AU - Belie, Nele De
PY - 2020/3
Y1 - 2020/3
N2 - Superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) have been widely explored in concrete technology for their promising application as internal curing agents. SAPs reduce shrinkage deformation and the risk of early-age cracking. In this paper, the efficiency of SAPs is assessed with mechanical strain gauges and long-gauge optical fiber sensors embedded inside the matrix. Two commercial and two in-house developed SAPs are used. The commercial SAPs and one of the in-house developed SAPs completely mitigated the autogenous shrinkage of concrete and all four reduced in 30% the total shrinkage. The optical fiber sensors performed better than the mechanical strain gauges and identified crack formation.
AB - Superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) have been widely explored in concrete technology for their promising application as internal curing agents. SAPs reduce shrinkage deformation and the risk of early-age cracking. In this paper, the efficiency of SAPs is assessed with mechanical strain gauges and long-gauge optical fiber sensors embedded inside the matrix. Two commercial and two in-house developed SAPs are used. The commercial SAPs and one of the in-house developed SAPs completely mitigated the autogenous shrinkage of concrete and all four reduced in 30% the total shrinkage. The optical fiber sensors performed better than the mechanical strain gauges and identified crack formation.
UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2019.117751
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85076023792&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2019.117751
DO - 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2019.117751
M3 - Article
VL - 238
JO - Construction and Building Materials
JF - Construction and Building Materials
SN - 0950-0618
M1 - 117751
ER -