Süper emici polimerler ile modifiye edilmiş çimento bulamacı emdirilmiş lifli betonun (SIFCON) mekanik ve büzülme özellikleri

The superior performance of high-performance concretes is directly related to their very dense and impermeable structure. This structure can be damaged due to many factors and cause performance losses in terms of both mechanical and durability. Shrinkage is one of the most important durability problems threatening high-performance concrete. Autogenous shrinkage can be reduced by a technique called internal curing. In this study, superabsorbent polymers (SAP) were selected as internal curing agents; the effect of SAP modification on the mechanical and shrinkage properties of slurry infiltrated fiber concrete (SIFCON) was investigated. In the scope of the study, two SAP with different particle sizes and two additional internal curing water ratios were selected for each SAP. In addition, to investigate the effectiveness of SAP in field conditions, water and relative humidity curing (50% RH, 20 °C) have been applied to all mixtures. The autogenous and drying shrinkage measurements were made from the beginning of setting time by non-contact laser method for up to 7 days. Also, ring test has been applied to investigate the cracking sensitivity of the mixtures under drying conditions. For both types of SAP, reductions in shrinkage were obtained as the additional internal curing water increased. However, the larger SAP was found to be more effective against shrinkage. In this pioneering study of SAP modification in SIFCON, it has been demonstrated that SAP can reduce the shrinkage problem of SIFCON without significant loss of mechanical properties.