The dynamic mechanical behavior of SAP based porous cement-based materials suitable for EMAS

Superabsorbent polymers (SAP) voids have the potential to prepare cement-based materials (CBMs) that meet the engineered materials arresting system (EMAS) requirements due to their similarity to entrained air voids. This idea was validated using a crushing test and an immersion softening test in this paper. The pore structure and micromechanical properties of CBMs incorporating SAP were analyzed using an image analysis, a boiling method, a microhardness test, and a nanoindentation test. Moreover, the influence of SAP on the quasi-static and dynamic mechanical properties of CBMs was studied using a rigid press machine and an SHPB system. The results show that the crushing and immersion softening properties of CBMs can meet the EMAS requirements when SAP dosages are 10 % and 12 %. The optimal dosage of SAP is 10 %. Under quasi-static and dynamic compression, the compressive strength and elastic modulus decrease with increasing SAP dosage, due to the growth of the total porosity of samples and the decline in the micromechanical properties of the matrix. Increasing the SAP dosage can raise the total porosity, thereby enlarging the DIF-fc value and decreasing the DIF-E value. Raising the strain rate results will enlarge the DIF-fc and DIF-E values. This is due to the growth in the damage degree of the specimen and the change in the cracking behavior under dynamic compression. •Raising SAP dosage can improve the maximum crushing degree.•Adding SAP with extra water reduces the micromechanical properties of the matrix.•Dynamic compressive strength and elastic modulus reduce with the rise in SAP dosage.•Raising SAP dosage will enlarge the DIF-fc value and decrease the DIF-E value.•Damage degree of samples increases with the rise in SAP dosage.