Ugwu, O O; Arop, J B; Nwoji, C U and Osadebe, N N (2013) Nanotechnology as a preventive engineering solution to highway infrastructure failures. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 139(8), pp. 987-993. ISSN 0733-9364
Abstract
This paper reports the results of research on the application of nanomaterials to improve the quality and durability of road infrastructure. The research investigated road transportation infrastructure failures and the feasibility of preventive engineering solutions using nanotechnology. Laboratory experiments were conducted on different treated and untreated Nigerian soil samples (laterite, clay, and black soils) to study the changes in their fundamental geotechnical properties. Common engineering standards were used for the experiments and results analysis. Laboratory tests showed that treated laterite and clay soils had improved the liquid limit, plastic limit, and shrinkage index, including hydrophobic properties. The California bearing ratio (CBR) improved by as much as 87-125%. However, the black soil sample only passed the hydrophobicity test. The black soil did not exhibit any bearing strength in the CBR test, even after treatment with the nanomaterial. The paper contributes to understanding how nanomaterials can be used to engineer construction materials (laterite and clay soils), used in road pavements, and alter their normal geotechnical properties. This construction innovation results in improved performance characteristics. The paper also makes a pedagogical contribution by discussing the basic science and reaction chemistry that underpin material transformation processes and performance enhancement. This contributes to construction engineering practice and durable, economic, and sustainable highway infrastructure. The paper discusses the empirical results and gives recommendations on further work.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | construction innovation; materials; nanotechnology; road pavement; sustainable transportation |
| Index terms: | highway infrastructure, engineer, construction material, science, laboratory, clay soils, plastic, transformation, laterite, construction engineering, construction innovation, transportation infrastructure, durability, experiment |
| Subjects: | materials science, geotechnical engineering, specialized education, data collection methods, civil engineering, business, building construction, research management, building materials, profession, infrastructure and transport systems, engineering methods, material degradation and durability |
| Topics: | Construction Materials, Education, Business Strategy, Research Practice, Engineering Principles, Roles and Professions |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCE |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here