Self-Sensing Properties of Carbon Black or Graphite Modified Fly Ash Geopolymer under Flexure

Abstract

Alkaline activated materials and geopolymers are recently widely involved in studies concerning their potential for advanced composites with enhanced electrical properties. This paper reports self-sensing behaviour of fly ash mortar doped with carbon black or graphite conductive admixture subjected to loading in three-point flexural test. Development of self-sensing properties and deformations of all mortars was initially investigated under flexural loading cycles with constant amplitude, final stage of the experimental part consisted in loading till fracture. Both reference and modified geopolymers failed to achieve satisfactory self-sensing performance during the cyclic loading but certain differences in fractural properties were observed.