Permeability is one of the fundamental properties of concrete structures as it is strictly related to durability. Mitigation of the degradation processes induced by aggressive solutions can be achieved by controlling water penetration through the pore network. In this study, we test the potential use of nanocomposites as waterproofing agents in concrete. Macroscopic measurements show that the addition of a small amount of nanoparticles effectively reduces the extent of the water permeation front. A combination of experiments, based on X‐ray tomography, mercury intrusion porosimetry, and BET nitrogen adsorption, and of numerical simulations, are used to interpret the macroscopic observations. These investigations show that C–S–H precipitation away from cement surfaces, induced by the presence of nanoparticles, leads to a refinement of the pore network. Such a microstructural change in the cement matrix results in a net reduction in the overall concrete permeability.

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纳米复合材料作为降低渗透性的混合物的用途

渗透性是混凝土结构的基本特性之一，因为它与耐久性严格相关。可以通过控制水通过孔网络的渗透来减轻侵蚀性溶液引起的降解过程。在这项研究中，我们测试了纳米复合材料作为混凝土防水剂的潜在用途。宏观测量表明，少量纳米颗粒的添加有效地减少了水渗透前沿的程度。基于X射线断层扫描，压汞法和BET氮吸附的实验以及数值模拟的组合被用来解释宏观观测。这些研究表明，由于存在纳米颗粒，导致C–H–H脱离水泥表面沉淀，导致细孔网络的细化。水泥基体中的这种微观结构变化导致总混凝土渗透性的净降低。