Engineering researchers have developed flexible concrete for cold regions that is self-healing and produces heat as temperatures drop.
The civil engineering team at Michigan State University in the USA says the concrete product could prove to be an environmentally friendly option for roads, footpaths, and pavements in terms of snow and ice removal. Snow and ice are common in the highlands of south-east Australia including Tasmania, Victoria, NSW, and ACT.
Assistant Professor Bill (Qingxu) Jin said the concrete product could “revolutionise” the industry and infrastructure. Professor Jin developed the proprietary formula with graduate student Antonio (Xiaoqiang) Ni who tested the flexibility of the concrete for real-world applications including withstanding the weight and stress of heavy traffic.
“This concrete product can potentially be used as a protective layer over the pavement, which can reduce or even eliminate the need for deicing salt usage,” Prof. Jin said.
The self-healing concrete material stores more energy than conventional materials, according to the team. When the air temperature drops to near-freezing temperatures, the material releases the stored energy as heat, making it easier to clear ice and snow.
“Through our testing, we found that a layer of this concrete a couple of inches thick would be enough to protect the concrete underneath and still maintain its heating and self-healing properties,” said Antonio Ni said. Prof. Jin added that cracks as thin as a human hair can repair themselves.
About the author
Desi Corbett
Desi is the Editor of Concrete in Australia and at the helm of our magazine for 8 years. She was behind the Institute's weekly news bulletins from 2016-2021 and is now writing our focused news items. Desi has been an engineering news and features journalist/editor across all disciplines since 2013 - part of a 30-year career writing for a wide range of industries.