Mechanical and durability properties of concrete structures, including concrete pavements, have been a focus of attention. In this regard, the potential of nanomaterials needs to be discussed more. Water permeability, abrasion, and compressive strength are assessed in this study. So far, the incorporation of diverse types of nanomaterials with different methods has caused the enhancement of some mechanical and durability properties of concrete. In the present study, five types of nanoparticles as nanoSiO2, nanoTiO2, nanoAl2O3, nanoFe2O3, and nanoFe3O4 in different amounts were uniformly dispersed and added to the concrete. To reduce the cost and decrease the required nanomaterials, specimens were made in two layers. The surface layer of specimens was made from self-compacting concrete containing nanoparticles with 1 cm depth, which was placed over the bottom layer from conventional concrete with different depths depending on the tests. The test results indicated that the properties of concrete pavements containing nanoparticles are improved comparing to the control specimen. For instance, in specimens containing nanoTiO2 as much as 3% by the weight of cement, the water permeability improved by 84. 6%. Furthermore, the abrasion resistance of specimens containing nanoSiO2 at an amount of 1% was enhanced by 88. 1%, and the addition of 3% of nanoSiO2 raised compressive strength by 88%.

Lead-free (Ba0. 85Ca0. 15)(Ti0. 9Zr0. 1)O3 piezoceramics with nano SiO2 additive were prepared by conventional solid oxide sintering method. The samples were fabricated by means of cold isostatic pressing and sintering was performed at 1350 ° C for 4 h in the air. The phase structure and microstructure were studied via X-ray diffraction technique and field emission scanning electron microscopy. The room-temperature dielectric properties and the variations in the temperature ranging from 23 to 160 ° C were measured using a high-precision LCR meter. The mechanical properties such as Vickers hardness and compressive strength were investigated. The obtained results showed that nano SiO2 addition produced dense and uniform microstructures with larger grains than pure BCZT. The Curie temperature of undoped BCZT increased to about 25 ° C through the incorporation of 0. 75 mol% SiO2 and then, the mechanical properties considerably improved. Accordingly, BCZT piezoceramic with nano SiO2 additive enjoys viable properties, which makes it widely applicable.