Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are inherently multifunctional; they can serve as a structural reinforcement, and as a platform for sensing and healing due to their novel mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties.

To a great extent, the mechanical behavior and durability of infrastructure materials depend on structural elements and phenomena that are effective on a micro- and nano-scale.

The basic concept behind nano-modification of materials is that of “bottom-up” engineering, starting with engineered modifications to the molecular structure aimed to affect the bulk properties of the material. This has the potential to open up new uses and classes of infrastructure materials with multifunctional properties.

The equipment purchased under this grant will enable preliminary investigation addressing fundamental behavior and functional performance of nanotube-modified asphalt material. It is hoped the work will catalyze future research.