Copyright (c) 2025 Synergía
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
The impacts of climate change on construction are especially severe in tropical climates, such as Panama's, where high temperatures, sustained humidity, and heavy rainfall facilitate building degradation mechanisms. This article presents a recent systematic review on the incorporation of nanotechnology in geo-polymers as a sustainable option for climate-resilient infrastructure in the Panama Canal, road networks, ports, and urban environments. The behavior of some representative nanomaterials is described: nano-silica, nano-alumina, nanoTiO?, nanoZnO, nano-clays, and nanotubes. Their mechanisms of action are also described: microstructure enhancement, porosity reduction, matrix densification, and formation of N-A-S-H/C-A-S-H gels. The evidence compiled translates into marked increases in compressive and flexural strength, elastic modulus, and thermal stability; improved durability against chlorides, sulfates, and acid attack; and functions such as self-cleaning photocatalytic properties. In environmental terms, the use of byproducts (fly ash, slag, construction waste) enables a CO? reduction of up to 80% compared to Portland cement and supports circular economy strategies. Comparative property tables are generated, and mention is made of the potential of machine learning models that predict performance and optimize mixes based on local conditions. Prioritized applications for Panama include elements exposed to marine environments and wet-dry cycles, pavements subject to heat islands, and vulnerable urban systems.
