GRAPHENE OXIDE AS ADDITIVE FOR INCREASING THE STRENGTH AND DURABILITY PERFORMANCE OF EXISTING CONCRETE STRUCTURES

Graphene and graphene-based nanosheets (GNS) have valid mechanical, thermal and electrical properties, enabling interesting applications for improving structural strength and durability. If combined with the Ordinary Portland Concrete (OPC), they can enhance its mechanical behaviour, an analogous improvement in terms of strength can also be seen in Ultra-High-Performance Concrete (UHPC). These features appear very useful in case of the restoration of existing concrete structures, thanks to the durability properties due to the GNS. Providing a wide state of the art about the use of GNS in concrete structures, this paper shows the strength improvements achievable in term of strength and durability. The benefits are finally discussed in relation to the restoration of existent concrete buildings.