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Today, the desired intelligent civil engineering structures urge the development of high-performance smart structural materials. Self-sensing ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) emerged in 2014 based on the observation that the concrete structures rendered with randomly distributed conductive additives exhibit electromechanical effects under external loading, and the demand of UHPC from high-strength to sustainable, intelligent, and multifunctional. This smart structural material has since grown greatly and has been considered as one of the potential alternatives to ordinary self-sensing concrete. This paper presents a state-of-the-art review of self-sensing UHPC in terms of its raw materials, mixture design, manufacturing approaches, microstructural characteristics, mechanical properties, electrical resistivity, electromechanical properties, and applications, with a particular focus on stress-deformation/damage behaviour and changes in electrical conduction under external compression, tension, and bending. The novel uncertainties regarding electromechanical effects are thoroughly discussed from the perspective of the continuity of conductive network. Compared with ordinary self-sensing concrete, self-sensing UHPC exhibits significantly reduced porosity, exceptional strength, marginally lower stress/strain sensitivity, heightened damage sensitivity, insensitivity to humidity, and delayed cracking behaviour. In the end, this paper identifies research gaps, challenges, and recommendations in three aspects: (1) scale fabrication and cost control, (2) satisfactory and reliable properties, and (3) from smart structural materials to integrated components to civil engineering structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-sensing ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) features superior mechanical capacity, excellent erosion resistance, long life cycle, and broad range of stress sensing, and is expected to be a pathway towards next-generation smart cementitious composites. This study presents a novel strategy to achieve electrical percolation and elevate the piezoresistive sensing capability of UHPC through the incorporation of multiphase and multiscale functional additives including graphene (G) and carbon nanotube (CNT). The workability, compressive strength, microstructural characteristics, and alternating current (AC) impedance response are investigated. The effect of electrical percolation on the piezoresistive behaviour is studied and discussed using various ratios of G/CNT. Results indicate that as the G/CNT ratio decreases from 4:0 to 0:4, the compressive strength is reduced from 194.7 MPa to 166.3 MPa due to the certain increase in the plastic viscosity of fresh mixture and the proportion of harmful pores, although the basic requirement of 150 MPa is met. Moreover, the AC impedance response significantly moves left and the radius of high-frequency arc reduces from 72910 Ω to 1295 Ω, suggesting electrical percolation. Bounded by percolation threshold, the fractional change of resistance curves can be divided into a two-stage pattern (i.e., linear and nonlinear stages) and a three-stage mode (i.e., linear decrease, balance, and abrupt increase stages). An underlying mechanism is proposed to explain the tremendous change in piezoresistive behaviour of self-sensing UHPC, considering the tunneling-percolation theory and electromechanical coupling behaviour. Additionally, the gauge factors range from 11 to 28, which is higher than most of the existing reported values, demonstrating the great potential of using hybrid functional nano-additives in self-sensing UHPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving continuous in-situ monitoring of repaired concrete structures has always been a great challenge. Ultra-high performance fibre-reinforced concrete (UHPFRC), featuring superior mechanical capacity, excellent erosion resistance, and long-life cycle, is expected to realize durable, cost-effective, and aesthetically pleasing repairs and possesses tremendous potential for intrinsic self-sensing. This paper presents the multifunctionality of UHPFRC with integrated self-sensing and repair capabilities using multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT). An experimental evaluation on the bond performance and self-sensing properties, including the bond strength and failure patterns by the three-point bending, splitting tensile, and slant shear tests, electrical properties via alternating current impedance spectroscopy test, and electromechanical properties under three-point bending, was conducted through the designed composite layer between concrete substrate and UHPFRC. The microstructure of the interfacial zone was analysed to reveal the bonding mechanism. Results indicate that the addition of MWCNT improved the bond strength between concrete substrate and UHPFRC as MWCNT can enhance the adhesion and cohesion of the interfacial zone through inactive filling effect, as well as the frictional and mechanical interlocks through increased mechanical properties of repair UHPFRC. Moreover, the repair UHPFRC showed remarkable sensing capabilities for the initial cracking, deflection hardening or softening, and fibre pull-out and debonding processes of the composite layers. The optimal content of steel fibre and MWCNT in multifunctional UHPFRC should be 2 vol.% and 0.2 wt.%, respectively, considering the synergistic damage sensing and bonding properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]