ABSTRACT

Carbonaceous materials have a high thermal conductivity, a low coefficient of thermal expansion, and high resistance to corrosion, which makes them good candidates for thermal applications in multifunctional cementitious composites such as heating of buildings or pavement de-icing. A conductive cementitious material, by the addition of a carbon-based material, can be used as a resistor—the Joule effect—and, therefore, as a heating element. With respect to the heating of buildings and other structures, heating involves embedding heating elements in the materials used in the construction, such as concrete or gypsum. Several researchers have analyzed the feasibility of using conductive multifunctional concrete, with different additions, for pavement de-icing. The simplified model is an excellent tool to study the influence of the different parameters in the heating of specimens. Thermal engineering in concrete structures is normally applied through use of nonstructural materials or devices such as thermometers, objects of high thermal mass for heat retention, embedded resistance, or hot water pipes for heating.