Experimental Investigation and Numerical Analysis of the Effect of Magnesium Oxide Nanoparticles on the Mechanical Properties of Roadway Concrete

Nanoparticles can play a significant role in enhancing the properties and performance of concrete used in roadway construction. Nanoparticles can help improve the durability of concrete by reducing permeability and enhancing resistance to various deleterious processes, such as freeze-thaw cycles, chemical attack from road salts, and alkali-silica reaction. This research explores the potential of magnesium oxide nanoparticles as partial substitutes for cement to serve as dense barriers against liquid penetration into concrete. Unidirectional compression and splitting tensile tests were conducted to evaluate the compressive and tensile strengths of concrete specimens incorporating 0%, 0.1%, 0.5%, 1.0%, and 1.5% magnesium oxide nanoparticles at ages of 7 and 28 days. Additionally, the permeability and water absorption rate of the concrete were assessed. Scanning electron microscopy images are utilized to visually demonstrate the uniform dispersion of nanoparticles within the cement paste. Findings reveal that even a small quantity of nanoparticles leads to a significant enhancement in the mechanical properties of concrete and a reduction in water permeability. Additionally, behavioural models employing genetic algorithm programming are developed to characterize the time-dependent properties of nanoparticle-blended concrete specimens under varying compressive and tensile stress conditions at different ages.

Experimental Investigation and Numerical Analysis of the Effect of Magnesium Oxide Nanoparticles on the Mechanical Properties of Roadway Concrete Keywords:

Nanoparticle-blended concrete , Durability , Water permeability , Genetic Algorithm (GA) programming , Compressive strength