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Development and Evaluation of an Innovative Cementitious Composite Material Inspired by the Microstructure of Bones
Abstract
Biomimicry is the ideology of looking purposefully to nature for solutions for our current issues. For instance, the unique microstructure and physical and mechanical characteristics of bone have inspired researchers to achieve its efficiency and functionality. Engineers have been constantly looking for more efficient structural materials to be used in construction and infrastructure. Because concrete is the most used manufactured material in the world, adaptations of new technologies and new approaches are frequently employed to attain the growing demands for this material. In order to provide a more efficient alternative for the construction field, this study proposes an innovative cementitious composite material inspired by bone efficiency. Composite materials often combine the characteristics of two or more individual materials, resulting in a more efficient product.In this research, a comprehensive experimental study was conducted to evaluate the behavior of sandwich-type composite materials prepared with cellular concrete with different pore structures and UHPC with different dosages of fibers. Further, the behavior of bioinspired materials under different loading conditions is not fully investigated in the literature. Therefore, to better understand the performance of composite materials, the failure modes and fractural pattern under different static and dynamic loading conditions were analyzed. The experimental program included the ability of the composite material to be compressed, its behavior under flexural loads, and its energy absorption capacity. Further, the interface bonding between the two components of the composite material was studied. From the results obtained in this study, it was found that, compared to normal concrete, the developed composite material presented better performance under flexural load and higher energy absorption capability. In addition, the weight of the structure using the composite material can be reduced by almost a half. In conclusion, the innovative composite material has shown to be favorable for applications such as protective barriers and lightweight structural and infrastructural elements
Subject Area
Civil engineering|Sustainability|Biochemistry|Energy|Engineering
Recommended Citation
Mendonca, Flavia, "Development and Evaluation of an Innovative Cementitious Composite Material Inspired by the Microstructure of Bones" (2021). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI28712968.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI28712968