Modified arcan tests for concrete with multi-walled carbon nanotubes

Abstract

An experimental study consisting 70 tests have been conducted to study the influence of addition of reinforcing fibers on concrete specimens. The experimental program included concrete specimens that were tested with modified Arcan test machine with different notch lengths. The reinforcing effect of highly dispersed multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in concrete has been investigated. The results revealed that inclusion of CNTs in the design mix improve both the tensile fracture characteristics and compressive strength when not mixed with a surfactant compound. The improvement in the mechanical properties specimens with the addition of CNTs are observed more clearly with increasing curing age. The mixing process to achieve uniformly dispersed and properly mixed mortar however requires specialized equipment, such as ultrasonic mixers. The results also indicated some dependency on the size of the specimens, which is a well known phenomenon that is observed for brittle heterogenous materials such as concrete. © 2014 VBRI press.