Development of Multifunctional Carbon Nanofiber Aggregate for Concrete Structural Health Monitoring

dc.contributor.advisorMo, Yi-Lung
dc.contributor.committeeMemberHsu, Thomas T. C.
dc.contributor.committeeMemberGencturk, Bora E.
dc.contributor.committeeMemberSong, Gangbing
dc.contributor.committeeMemberPei, Shin-Shem Steven
dc.creatorHowser, Rachel Nicole 1985-
dc.date.accessioned2018-11-26T22:46:53Z
dc.date.available2018-11-26T22:46:53Z
dc.date.createdAugust 2013
dc.date.issued2013-08
dc.date.submittedAugust 2013
dc.date.updated2018-11-26T22:46:53Z
dc.description.abstractFiber research in concrete construction is an ongoing field and the use of carbon nanofibers (CNFs) will be examined in this study. Short-fiber composites are a class of strain sensor based on the concept of short electrically conducting fiber pull-out that accompanies slight and reversible crack opening. For a fiber composite to have strain sensing ability, the fibers must be more conducting than the matrix in which they are embedded, of diameter smaller than the crack length, and well dispersed. Their orientations can be random, and they do not have to touch one another. The electrical conductivity of the fibers enables the DC electrical resistivity of the composites to change in response to strain damage, hydration level, or temperature, allowing sensing. Because of the high cost associated with CNFs, a CNF aggregate (CNFA) was developed. The CNFA is a 16.39 cm3 (1.00 in.3) cubic specimen of CNF mortar. The CNF mortar is self-sensing and can be used to determine the hydration level, damage, or temperature in the multifunctional CNFAs. The CNFAs can be embedded in reinforced or prestressed concrete structures and used to monitor early strength, determine the localized damage, or measure the temperature in a structure.
dc.description.departmentCivil and Environmental Engineering, Department of
dc.format.digitalOriginborn digital
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10657/3398
dc.language.isoeng
dc.rightsThe author of this work is the copyright owner. UH Libraries and the Texas Digital Library have their permission to store and provide access to this work. Further transmission, reproduction, or presentation of this work is prohibited except with permission of the author(s).
dc.subjectCarbon nanofibers
dc.subjectStructural health monitoring
dc.subjectConcrete composite
dc.subjectSensors
dc.titleDevelopment of Multifunctional Carbon Nanofiber Aggregate for Concrete Structural Health Monitoring
dc.type.dcmiText
dc.type.genreThesis
thesis.degree.collegeCullen College of Engineering
thesis.degree.departmentCivil and Environmental Engineering, Department of
thesis.degree.disciplineStructural Engineering
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Houston
thesis.degree.levelDoctoral
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Philosophy

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