Recommendations for Quality Control of Nanomaterials and Field Construction of PCC Pavements when Nanomaterials are Incorporated

Abstract

Concrete is the most widely used material on the planet, after water. According to the Cement Association of Canada, nine billion cubic meters of concrete were used in the world in 2007. The importance of concrete in the construction industry is demonstrated by the continual focus to improve concrete performance and durability.Nanotechnology in cement based materials is an emerging field and presents significant potential. However, practical applications have been limited mostly due to the fact that nanoconcrete is still a new technology and thus lacks field experience, and is not taken account for in specific standards, technical specifications, and constructions procedures. In order to control the quality of nanomaterials and improve the construction quality of Portland Cement Concrete (PCC) pavements that contain them, this paper presents several recommendations for practitioners that are involved in design and field construction. The recommendations have been extrapolated from extensive lab research (developed in Canada, Chile and the United States), literature research, and also from the authors’ field experiences.