Marc Raes
Current Organizations / Institutes
The organizations/institutes from the scholar's latest article
Research Subjects
Research Interests
Marc Raes has a total of 6 co-authors. Here are the top co-authors by number of shared publications:
- Danny Van Hemelrijck
Department of Mechanics of Materials and Constructions, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
1 shared publication - Didier Snoeck
Universite Libre de Bruxelles
1 shared publication - Dimitrios G. Aggelis
Vrije Universiteit Brussel
1 shared publication - Gerlinde Lefever
Department of Mechanics of Materials and Constructions, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
1 shared publication - Nele De Belie
Ghent University
1 shared publication - Tom Hauffman
Research Group of Electrochemical and Surface Engineering, Department of Materials and Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
1 shared publication
Latest Publications
- Open Access
The Influence of Superabsorbent Polymers and Nanosilica on the Hydration Process and Microstructure of Cementitious Mixtures
Superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) are known to mitigate the development of autogenous shrinkage in cementitious mixtures with a low water-to-cement ratio. Moreover, the addition of SAPs promotes the self-healing ability of cracks. A drawback of using SAPs lies in the formation of macropores when the polymers release their absorbed water, leading to a reduction of the mechanical properties. Therefore, a supplementary material was introduced together with SAPs, being nanosilica, in order to obtain an identical compressive strength with respect to the reference material without additives. The exact cause of the similar compressive behaviour lies in the modification of the hydration process and subsequent microstructural development by both SAPs and nanosilica. Within the present study, the effect of SAPs and nanosilica on the hydration progress and the hardened properties is assessed. By means of isothermal calorimetry, the hydration kinetics were monitored. Subsequently, the quantity of hydration products formed was determined by thermogravimetric analysis and scanning electron microscopy, revealing an increased amount of hydrates for both SAP and nanosilica blends. An assessment of the pore size distribution was made using mercury intrusion porosimetry and demonstrated the increased porosity for SAP mixtures. A correlation between microstructure and the compressive strength displayed its influence on the mechanical behaviour.
Open AccessThe Influence of Superabsorbent Polymers and Nanosilica on the Hydration Process and Microstructure of Cementitious Mixtures
Superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) are known to mitigate the development of autogenous shrinkage in cementitious mixtures with a low water-to-cement ratio. Moreover, the addition of SAPs promotes the self-healing ability of cracks. A drawback of using SAPs lies in the formation of macropores when the polymers release their absorbed water, leading to a reduction of the mechanical properties. Therefore, a supplementary material was introduced together with SAPs, being nanosilica, in order to obtain an identical compressive strength with respect to the reference material without additives. The exact cause of the similar compressive behaviour lies in the modification of the hydration process and subsequent microstructural development by both SAPs and nanosilica. Within the present study, the effect of SAPs and nanosilica on the hydration progress and the hardened properties is assessed. By means of isothermal calorimetry, the hydration kinetics were monitored. Subsequently, the quantity of hydration products formed was determined by thermogravimetric analysis and scanning electron microscopy, revealing an increased amount of hydrates for both SAP and nanosilica blends. An assessment of the pore size distribution was made using mercury intrusion porosimetry and demonstrated the increased porosity for SAP mixtures. A correlation between microstructure and the compressive strength displayed its influence on the mechanical behaviour.