PSI - Issue 81

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ScienceDirect

Procedia Structural Integrity 81 (2026) 205–209

VIII International Conference “In - service Damage of Materials: Diagnostics and Prediction“ (DMDP 2025) Evaluation of physical and mechanical properties of concrete modified with

epoxy resin Mykhailo Hud* Ternopil Ivan Puluj National Technical University, Ternopil, 46001, Ukraine

© 2026 The Authors. Copy from the contract: Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under responsibility of DMDP 2025 organizers Keywords: epoxy modifiers; polymer-modified concrete; physico-mechanical properties; compressive strength; water absorption; composite materials. 1. Introduction The enhancement of the properties of concrete composites is considered to be one of the most significant contemporary research directions in the field of structural construction materials. Of particular note are polymer modifiers, epoxy resins in particular, which have been demonstrated to influence the parameters of cement stone formation, thus ensuring enhanced operational reliability of construction materials. Despite the substantial extant research, further elucidation is required on the influence of epoxy additives on the complex of physical and mechanical characteristics of concrete, due to the diversity of formulations, concentrations, and curing conditions. The present study constitutes an assessment of the primary physical and mechanical properties of concrete modified with epoxy components. The purpose of this assessment is twofold: firstly, to deepen the understanding of their mechanisms of action, and secondly, to outline prospects for the application of such materials in civil engineering. Abstract The present paper sets forth the findings of an experimental study that was conducted for the purpose of investigating the influence of epoxy modifiers on the physico-mechanical properties of concrete. The present study focuses on how varying the epoxy resin content affects mechanical characteristics of cement-based composites. Three series of concrete specimens were produced with varying ratios of water to epoxy resin ED20. The reference series comprised exclusively water, whereas in the modified series, water was partially or completely substituted by epoxy resin. Following a 28-day curing period, the specimens were subjected to testing to ascertain their mass, water absorption, and compressive strength. The highest compressive strength, equivalent to 30.7 MPa, was observed in the reference series devoid of epoxy resin. The modified concretes exhibited lower average compressive strengths of 17.4 MPa and 16.6 MPa, respectively, indicating a reduction in the load-bearing capacity of the cement matrix. This hypothesis was confirmed by the observed failure patterns during compression testing. Conversely, the outcomes of water absorption tests exhibited an antithetical tendency. The lowest water absorption was recorded for the series with the highest epoxy resin content (7.8 – 7.81 kg), which indicates the formation of a denser and less permeable pore structure. Concrete specimens with lower or zero epoxy content demonstrated significantly higher water absorption levels.

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +3-098-061-97-16. E-mail address: mishagud77@gmail.com

2452-3216 © 2026 The Authors. Copy from the contract: Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under responsibility of DMDP 2025 organizers 10.1016/j.prostr.2026.03.035