Bendable Concrete Doesn’t Crack Under Pressure

Scientists in Singapore have developed a type of bendable concrete that is stronger than regular concrete.

AsianScientist (Aug. 24, 2016) – Scientists from Singapore have invented a new type of concrete that is both bendable and stronger than regular concrete.

Typical concrete is comprised of cement, water, gravel and sand. While this mixture makes concrete hard and strong, it does not promote flexibility. Thus, concrete is brittle and prone to cracks if too much weight is applied.

Designed by a team at the Nanyang Technological University-JTC Corporation Industrial Infrastructure Innovation Center (NTU-JTC I³C), ConFlexPave is specifically engineered to have certain types of hard materials mixed with polymer microfibers. The inclusion of these synthetic fibers, besides allowing the concrete to flex and bend under tension, also enhances skid resistance.

The key breakthrough was understanding how the components of the materials interact with one another mechanically on a microscopic level, said Assistant Professor Yang En-Hua, who led the research.

“With detailed understanding, we can then deliberately select ingredients and engineer the tailoring of components, so our final material can fulfill specific requirements needed for road and pavement applications,” Yang said.

According to Yang, the hard materials give a non-slip surface texture while the microfibers, which are thinner than the width of a human hair, distribute the load across the whole slab. This mix results in a concrete that is tough as metal and at least twice as strong as conventional concrete under bending.

ConFlexPave has been tested as tablet-sized slabs in the laboratory, and will be scaled up for further testing at suitable locations within JTC’s industrial estates and at NTU.


———

Source: Nanyang Technological University.
Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff.

Asian Scientist Magazine is an award-winning science and technology magazine that highlights R&D news stories from Asia to a global audience. The magazine is published by Singapore-headquartered Wildtype Media Group.

Related Stories from Asian Scientist