Abrasion Resistance in Concrete Materials
Summary
Abrasion resistance in concrete refers to the ability of a concrete surface to withstand material loss under mechanical action such as friction, impact or slurry flow. This property is governed by the interrelation of cement paste hardness, aggregate toughness, water-to-cementitious material ratio and the presence of admixtures or fibres. Enhancing abrasion resistance is vital for infrastructure exposed to erosive environments, including hydraulic structures, pavements, tunnels and rail sleepers. Innovations in mixture design—such as the partial replacement of cement with supplementary cementitious materials—and the incorporation of discrete fibres have been shown to improve the integrity of the cement matrix, control microcrack propagation and shield against abrasive particles. Recent work has also explored the use of advanced microscopy and three-dimensional surface mapping to evaluate wear patterns and to inform predictive models for service-life estimation. Globally, optimised abrasion-resistant concretes contribute to reduced maintenance, extended durability and greater sustainability in demanding applications.
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Abrasion Resistance in Concrete Materials publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in abrasion resistance in concrete materials across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Abrasion resistance: The capacity of concrete to resist surface wear caused by friction, impact or slurry flow.
Supplementary cementitious materials: Industrial by-products, such as fly ash or silica fume, used to replace a portion of cement and enhance concrete properties.
Fibre-reinforced concrete: Concrete in which discrete fibres are dispersed to improve tensile strength, toughness and crack control.
Hydraulic structures: Engineered constructions designed to manage, contain or convey water under various flow regimes.
References
- Studying the abrasion damage of concrete for hydraulic structures under various flow conditions. Cement and Concrete Composites (2023).
- Effects of steel fibre type and dosage on abrasion resistance of concrete against debris flow. Cement and Concrete Composites (2022).
- Mechanisms and influential variables on the abrasion resistance hydraulic concrete. Nanotechnology Reviews (2022).
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