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The application of superabsorbent polymer (SAP) as an internal curing agent for cement based composites results in benefits such as reduced autogenous shrinkage and cracking. However, a reduction in compressive and flexural strength usually occurs due to the empty voids remained in the matrix after deswelling of SAP particles. Nanoparticles are good candidates for improving the mechanical performance of cementitious materials, due to their multiple mechanisms of action, not the least their high pozzolanic activity.In the present work, the capability of amorphous nano-SiO2 (NS) as the most widely used nanoparticle in cementitious materials, for retrieving mechanical properties of...