Improvement of Mechanical and Durability Behaviors of Textile Concrete: Effect of Polymineral Composite Binders and Superabsorbent Polymers

Abstract

Textile concrete was modified to create eco-friendly, low-shrinkage material with higher density, compressive and tensile strength, and freeze–thaw resistance characteristics. Shrinkage characteristics of the cement paste and textile concrete based on it were established in the early stages of curing using a specially assembled device, and the pozzolanic activity of mineral additives was carried out by the absorption of lime from a solution. In addition, the microstructural, morphological, and thermal properties of such concrete at 28 and 72 days of curing were determined. When analyzing the microstructure of the composite binder specimens, there was a significant decrease in the number of microcracks formed and their sizes compared with the ordinary cement paste. Developed polymineral composite binders demonstrate a tendency to reduce the aggressive influence, which is also confirmed by microscopic examination of the surface of fiberglass located in the cement paste of composite binders for 72 days. The nature of the influence of various types and dispersion of superabsorbent polymers on plastic shrinkage in cement paste has been established, which consists of reducing the negative capillary pressure through the loss of superabsorbent polymers, which helps to reduce shrinkage deformations of a fresh system and, as a result, reduce the number of destructive processes at the initial stage of structure formation.