Perhaps it just comes from urban living but among a certain crowd there is a fascination with concrete. That fascination and all the possibilities that come with it may be set to expand exponentially. University of Michigan researchers have announced a new development in the form of flexible concrete.
It is claimed to be 500 times more flexible and 40 times lighter than regular concrete. With the rigidity of typical concrete it might seem that any new development could make it 500 times more flexible but the video is more than impressive. It has been in development for about a decade and similar concrete has been used in a few places (Japan, Korea, Switzerland, and Australia). The university is pleased at the recent advances as it promises take things to a new level. The flexibility is achieved by adding specially coated fibers to make up about 2% of the concrete mixture. This new formula is claimed stronger and more flexible than in the past.
The possibilities are pretty endless. With the advent of truly flexible concrete many things that had to be painstakingly "footed and poured" may have easier solutions. It will also alleviate the need for things like expansion gaps in long spans of concrete. It is set to be used in Michigan this year. As a bonus it is also boasting very respectable numbers in relation to environmental issues.
"While long-term studies are still needed, comparison studies by the School of Natural Resources and Environment’s Center for Sustainable Systems, in conjunction with Li’s group, show that over 60 years of service on a bridge deck, the ECC is 37 percent less expensive, consumes 40 percent less energy, and produces 39 percent less carbon dioxide (a major cause of global warming) than regular concrete. The study notes that the findings are based on the assumption that ECC lasts twice as long as regular concrete, a reasonable assumption given the known information, but it must be confirmed through further study."
For more see the U of M news service release.
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