The pioneer of intelligent and sustainable construction in tunnel shotcrete applications: a comprehensive experimental and numerical study on a self-sensing and self-heating green cement-based composite

Abstract

Abstract In this study, a self-sensing and self-heating natural fibre-reinforced cementitious composite for the shotcrete technique was developed using Kenaf fibres. For this purpose, a series of Kenaf fibre concentrations were subjected to initial chemical treatment, followed by integration into the cement-based composite containing hybrid carbon nanotubes (CNT) and graphene nanoplatelets (GNP). The investigation encompassed an examination of mechanical, microstructural, sensing, and joule heating performances of the environmentally friendly shotcrete mixture, with subsequent comparisons drawn against a counterpart blend featuring a conventionally synthesized polypropylene (PP) fibre. Following the experimental phase, a comprehensive 3D nonlinear finite difference (3D NLFD) model of an urban twin road tunnel, completed with all relevant components, was meticulously formulated using the FLAC3D (fast lagrangian analysis of continua in 3 dimensions) code. This model was subjected to rigorous validation procedures. The performances of this green shotcrete mixture as the lining of the inner shell of the tunnel were assessed comparatively using this 3D numerical model under static and dynamic loading. The twin tunnel was subjected to a harmonic seismic load as a dynamic load with a duration of 15 s. The laboratory findings showed a reduction in the composite sensing and heating potentials in both cases of Kenaf and PP fibre reinforcement. Incorporating a specific quantity of fibre yields a substantial enhancement in both the mechanical characteristics and microstructural attributes of the composite. An analysis of digital image correlation demonstrated that Kenaf fibres were highly effective in controlling cracks in cement-based composites. Furthermore, based on the static and dynamic 3DNLFD analysis, this green cement-based composite demonstrated its potential for shotcrete applications as the lining of the inner shell of the tunnel. This study opens an appropriate perspective on the extensive and competent contribution of natural fibres for multifunctional sustainable, reliable and affordable cement-based composite developments for today’s world.