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Synergistic improvement of UHPC mechanical properties through nano-engineering and thermal curing
Zhou, X. Zhang, W. Yang, W. Gao, Y. Luo, Y. Yu, F. Han, B.
Zhou, X.
Zhang, W.
Yang, W.
Gao, Y.
Luo, Y.
Yu, F.
Han, B.
Publication Date
2026-02-28
End of Embargo
Supervisor
Rights
© 2026 Elsevier. Reproduced in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
Peer-Reviewed
Yes
Open Access status
embargoedAccess
Accepted for publication
2026-01-28
Institution
Department
Awarded
Embargo end date
2028-02-03
Files
zhou_et_al_2026
Adobe PDF, 3.48 MB
- Embargoed until 2028-02-03
Additional title
Abstract
Advancing material performance is pivotal for improving resource efficiency and reducing environmental footprint. Despite its superior performance over conventional concrete, the development of ultra-high- performance concrete (UHPC) is fundamentally constrained by difficult-to-reduce porosity from imperfect particle packing, and the inherent mechanical limitations of the C-S-H gel phase. To address these challenges, this study proposes an innovative synergistic strategy that integrates thermal curing with the incorporation of nano- silica (NS), without the use of any special dispersion techniques. The investigation evaluates the mechanical performance and microstructural evolution of UHPC incorporating 1 %, 2 %, and 3 % NS dosages under three distinct curing regimes: standard curing, steam curing, and a high-temperature gradient curing regime that integrates controlled steam curing (90 ◦ C for 48 h) followed by gradient hot air curing (150 ◦ C–200 ◦ C for 48 h). Compared with standard curing and steam curing, the compressive strength of the resulting UHPC was increased from 144.1 MPa and 165.9 MPa to 255.0 MPa, while the flexural strength improved from 48.0 MPa and 51.9 MPa to 76.7 MPa, respectively. The porosity was decreased from 7.78 % to 4.27 %, and was further reduced to 3.01 % with NS incorporation. In addition, relative to the traditional methods, the strength-normalized carbon emissions and cost of UHPC prepared using this synergistic strategy were reduced by 27.87 %-38.18 % and 26.00 %- 39.25 %, respectively. The study found that the capillary pore range of 5–70 nm was filled as a result of the thermal activation effect, by consuming free water within these pores and promoting the formation of a large amount of highly polymerized C-S-H, which was further transformed into high hardness and modulus crosslinked tobermorite and xonotlite. This is the key to improving the nano-scale heterogeneity and the steel fiber-matrix bonding. These findings suggest that the integration of combined curing with the nano-engineering method outperforms their individual effects, significantly optimizing its microstructural evolution, improving the mechanical properties of UHPC, and achieving high strength-to-density ratios, while also offering environmental and economic benefits.
Version
Accepted manuscript
Citation
Zhou X, Zhang W, Yang W etal (2026) Synergistic improvement of UHPC mechanical properties through nano-engineering and thermal curing. Construction and Building Materials. 513: 145458.
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Link to published version
Link to Version of Record
Type
Article
Qualification name
Notes
The full-text of this article will be released for public view at the end of the publisher embargo on 3 Feb 2028.