Progettazione e verifica sperimentale di un composito cementizio intelligente a base di materiali bidimensionali

In recent decades, the construction sector has shown an increasing interest in finding solutions that enable a new level of performance in infrastructures and buildings. Many factors, including environmental requirements, have strongly influenced this evolution. This innovation process mainly involves construction materials, particularly cementitious composites, whose production is characterised by high CO2 emissions. For the decarbonisation of the cement sector, there are several adaptable strategies. Among them, there is the application of nanomaterials in cementitious composites. In addition to improving traditional properties, nano-additives can give the material unique features, resulting in so-called smart concrete. These composites can react to external stimuli by adapting their characteristics to the surrounding conditions. In this context, the first applications of graphene and graphene-related materials (GRM), i.e., carbon-based 2D materials, are reported in the literature. Among these, few-layer graphene (FLG) is distinguished by its properties (e.g., high mechanical strength and electrical conductivity), but its construction applications are still rare. The present paper constitutes one of the first cases of FLG application within cementitious composites. In this respect, the application of graphene addition resulted in improved electrical (i.e., 94% reduction in electrical resistance) and thermal properties (i.e., 55% increase in thermal conductivity). Finally, results are shown by applying a novel graphene dispersion method, which enables the production of conductive cementitious composites due to the high FLG content.