Concrete innovations on the rise

Building materials will not be as solid as we see it without the addition of concrete. 

However, structures made of concrete like buildings, bridges, sidewalks, land roads to name a few is subject to the elements affecting the lifespan of concrete which will entail additional expenses for rehabilitation or repair.

Cracks continued to put at risk concrete’s longevity and it lead to water seepage that can wear away concrete. If concrete is reinforced with rebar the rebar can corrode away and the concrete structure’s integrity can fall apart. With the new trends called bioconcrete and smog-eating concrete, we don’t need to worry about cracks in our concrete.

Bioconcrete is concrete made with special bacteria called Bacillus genus and bacteria-supportive nutrients and supplements.

“The bacteria then germinate, multiply and feed on the lactate and in doing so they combine the calcium with carbonate ions to form calcite, or limestone, which closes up the cracks.”

This innovation has been able to heal cracks up to a width of .5mm while smog-eating concrete, a special kind of concrete called photo catalytic concrete.

It contains special nano particles of titanium dioxide that ‘eat’ smog by removing the nitrogen oxide gasses from the surrounding air and expelling hydrogen dioxide in its place. This kind of concrete was first implemented in Chicago’s 2-mile long Cermak Road and Blue Island Avenue and later in Houston, Texas.

The places paved with the photo catalytic concrete found a 19 percent reduction in nitrogen oxide air pollution over the average day along the road. Ideally, reduction could reach 45 percent.

As science and technology move faster and steady innovation and iteration become the norm, concrete is another product due for innovation.

Concrete subjected to various elements