Raul Fangueiro

Premature failure and degradation of layers are the main problems for transportation infrastructure. Addressing these issues necessitates implementing structural health monitoring (SHM) for pavement construction layers. To this end, this research investigated the stress/strain and damage detection capabilities of a self-sensing cementitious composite developed for potential utilization in the construction of an intelligent subgrade layer. The prepared self-sensing cementitious composite consisted of 10% cement and hybrid conductive fillers, including multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) in sand. Initial findings reveal that the electrical resistivity of the composite is significantly affected by the concentration of MWCNTs/GNPs, with a minimum concentration of more than 0.5% needed to achieve a responsive cementitious composite. Moreover, the piezoresistive analysis indicates that an increase in the concentration of MWCNTs/GNPs and stress levels leads to an improvement in the stress/strain-sensing performance. When the self-sensing cementitious composite is subjected to equivalent stress levels, variations in the fractional changes in resistivity (FCR) exhibit an increasing trend with decreasing resilient modulus, stemming from a decrease in stiffness due to the increased concentration of MWCNTs/GNPs. Additionally, the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analysis demonstrates a contraction for the Nyquist plots under compressive ramp loading prior to failure, followed by the expansion of these curves post-failure. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images visually showcase the bridging effects of MWCNTs and the filling effects of GNPs within the composite structure.

Water security and industrial wastewater treatment are significant global concerns. One of the main issues with environmental contamination has been the discharge of dye wastewater from the textile and dye industries, contributing to an ever-growing problem with water pollution, poisoning water supplies, and harming the ecosystem. The traditional approach to wastewater treatment has been found to be inefficient, and biosorption techniques and mechanisms have been proven to be a successful replacement for conventional methods. Recent developments have led to the recognition of fibrous materials as an environmentally friendly option with broad application in several industries, including wastewater treatment. This review explores the potential of fibrous materials produced by the electrospinning technique as adsorbents for wastewater treatment, while at the same time, for the removal of adsorbates such as oil, dyes, heavy metals, and other substances, as reported in the literature. Textile wastewater filtering structures, produced by electrospinning, are summarized and the use of synthetic and natural polymers for this purpose is discussed. The limitations of electrospun textile wastewater filtering structures are also mentioned. Electrospun nanofibrous membranes appear to be a very promising route to filter textile wastewater and therefore contribute to water reuse and to reducing the contamination of water courses.