Concrete is one of the main materials that is used to construct buildings. This is due to the durability and rigidness of the material, that allows it to be used to build tall buildings. However, the problem also lies with its rigidity, where during events like earthquakes, the fact that these structures are too stiff could result in severe damage.
However, over at the Swinburne University of Technology, researchers have managed to develop a new type of concrete that’s more bendable and flexible, thus making it better for buildings, especially in countries that are prone to natural disasters. This new concrete is made by using ash, while using synthetic fibers and incorporating it into their mix.
There are a couple of benefits to this. One of which, like we said, can result in more flexible and bendable concrete, while the other is that it will also be more environmentally-friendly. This is because the process used to make this concrete does not require the heating of limestone, and because it uses ashes that is a byproduct of burning coal, it will be able to utilize that waste as well.
That being said, it should be noted that bendable concrete isn’t an entirely new concept. It was first developed in the 1990s by Dr. Victor Li, however the problem was that the material created back then was simply too expensive to be mass produced.
Filed in . Read more about Science. Source: swinburne.edu.au