Concept of Ultra High Durability Concrete for improved durability in chemical environments: Preliminary results

The aim of this work is to analyze the enhanced durability performance of an Ultra High Durability Concrete (UHDC) exposed to chemical attack (XA exposure conditions), with reference to an intended application into infrastructures serving geothermal plants. This study is based on a reference Ultra High Performance Concrete (UHPC) with steel fibers and crystalline admixtures (reference mix) and other two mixes that modify in some aspect the reference one: addition of alumina nanofibers (ANF) and addition of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC). Accelerated and short-term tests, complemented with mineralogical and microstructural characterization, have been employed to measure critical durability indicators according to an XA environment. Based on the monitoring and damage evolution of the UHPC under the intended exposure conditions, a criterion for durability performance assessment is being defined in order to understand the differences due to the incorporation of nanoadditions.