Probabilistic model for flexural strength of cementitious materials containing CNTs

Abstract

The bond between carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and cementitious materials is the key characteristic for predicting the flexural strength. However, the dispersion quality dominantly changes bond mechanisms. A probabilistic approach can benefit a robust model development to capture various relations. This study proposes a probabilistic model based on the deterministic Kelly-Tyson theory to predict the flexural strength of CNT reinforced cementitious materials. The proposed model considers the influences of multiple experimental variables and their interactions on CNT dispersion quality and the flexural strength. A Bayesian methodology is adopted to calibrate the unknown model parameters and their statistical uncertainty using extensive experimental test results from the literature including the authors’ work. The proposed model can be reliably used to predict the flexural strength with reasonable accuracy.