Concrete accessories could work with a newly-developed "smart" material from across the Atlantic.
Michelle Pelletier, a graduate student at the University of Rhode Island, which is spread across four campuses, claims to have come up with a self-healing concrete that could end up being a cost-effective alternative to traditional counterparts.
During her work at the US institution she embedded a type of healing agent into a concrete matrix which then ruptures if stress cracks appear. Via this rupture, the healing agent fills in the gaps and therefore extends the life and reliability of the material, it has been explained.
"Self-healing concrete is a big research field right now," Ms Pelletier said. "But many of the approaches being taken by other researchers have not ended up being economically feasible for commercial production."
In the long-term, the success of such a project could help reduce carbon dioxide emissions, she added, because less concrete will need producing.
Posted by Andrew Miles
