One of the most important constituent of concrete is the cement paste. In order to make a stronger concrete, researchers and engineers are often looking for the best materials to use to make this possible. Now, a team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) thinks that bones, deep sea sponges and the inner shell layer of mollusks are the solution to their research.
Stronger concrete (Source: Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
The team was led by a professor of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering of MIT, Oral Buyukozturk. He said, “These materials are assembled in a fascinating fashion, with simple constituents arranging in complex geometric configurations that are beautiful to observe. We want to see what kinds of micromechanisms exist within them that provide such superior properties, and how we can adopt a similar building-block-based approach for concrete.”
Stronger concrete (Source: Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
These materials have been studied to have exceptional strength and durability. The team wants to have a deeper understanding of the features at the nano-, micro- and macro scales that can be used for application in cement.
Stronger concrete (Source: LafargeHolcim)
Buyukozturk adds, “If we can replace cement, partially or totally, with some other materials that may be readily and amply available in nature, we can meet our objectives for sustainability. Hopefully this will lead us to some sort of recipe for more sustainable concrete. Typically, buildings and bridges are given a certain design life. Can we extend that design life maybe twice or three times? That’s what we aim for. Our framework puts it all on paper, in a very concrete way, for engineers to use.”
