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The global construction industry is undergoing a generational transformation. With growing talks around climate change and decarbonization, more and more construction-related firms are prioritizing innovation in their business processes. This has led to a growing investment in the smart construction materials space over the last few years and the trend is projected to further continue going forward.
Not just big names in the construction market, but even researchers are seeking to develop innovative and smart construction materials that can be customized for varied purposes. For instance,
In collaboration with researchers from Johns Hopkins University, New Mexico State University, the Georgia Institute of Technology, and the Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, the researchers expanded upon prior studies to advance self-aware metamaterials and explore their potential applications, including intelligent implants. Drawing from the concept of metamaterial design introduced in their previous work, the researchers extended its application to concrete, enabling the customization of this widely used material for its intended purpose.
According to the researchers, the material's electricity generation capacity is insufficient for supplying power to the electrical grid. However, it produces a significant signal that can effectively power electronics like roadside sensors.
Furthermore, the self-generated electrical signals from the metamaterial concrete, activated by mechanical stimulation, serve the purpose of monitoring internal structural damage or detecting earthquakes while mitigating their impact on buildings.
The smart concrete material can also provide power to chips that are embedded inside the roads for navigational assistance. This can be relatively helpful in case the GPS signals inside the self-driving cars are weak or the LIDAR is not working as it is supposed to. Notably, the ability to customize the material for various applications makes it beneficial for next-generation construction projects.
The researchers from the University of Pittsburgh have collaborated with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to develop innovative concrete for road construction projects in Pennsylvania.
In the United States, several stakeholders are participating in the smart construction material space. The United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), for instance, announced a project that aims to develop solutions for self-repairing cracks in government-owned infrastructures. The project, announced in April 2023, aims to integrate self-repairing capabilities, similar to those found in living organisms, into various construction materials, including concrete. The objective of this initiative is to prolong the lifespan of defense structures, including airfields and missile silos.
These innovative projects are projected to support the growth of the construction materials market, not just in the United States, but in the global market from the short to medium-term perspective. Going forward, ConsTrack360 expects big giants in the construction industry to increase their investment in the smart materials space, as the demand for sustainable and environmental-friendly solutions continues to maintain an upward growth trajectory worldwide.
