Innovations in Concrete Technology
14th November 2024 Concrete has become one of the most widely used materials within the construction industry, making it a core staple for any construction project. This is because it is a durable and strong material that can be relied upon for heavy load-bearing and foot traffic. With its usage and the ever-growing demand for the material, we have started to push the boundaries of the material.
Despite being one of the strongest materials in construction, even concrete has limitations, one of them being that it is susceptible to cracking. So, over the years, technology has started to find ways around these limitations with innovations.
At the LGW Group, we are proud to be the only construction group in the region to be able to deliver every aspect of your concreting project, from concrete pumping to liquid screed, ready-mix concrete and concrete blocks or precast concrete. In this blog, we take a look at some of the innovations we are seeing in concrete technology.
Self-healing concrete
As the name suggests, self-healing concrete is a type of concrete that can self-seal cracks.
Concrete can be septuple to crack under external loading or exposure to aggressive environments, such as chemical products, acid rainwater and carbon dioxide in the air.
Traditional concrete will need these cracks filled manually, and even then, they can often impact the structural integrity of the material.
However, self-healing concrete can re-seal cracks that might appear. This extends the lifespan of the material, making it more cost-effective and environmentally friendly.
There are two types of healing: autogenous and autonomous healing.
The first one relies on a constant hydration reaction to repair the damage. Meanwhile, autonomous self-healing concrete has repair agents or capsules within it, which, when broken, deliver healing agents to the crack and fix it.
Smart concrete
Another new concrete that we are seeing is smart concrete.
This concrete has the ability to adapt to its environment. It has additional functional fibres in the mixture, such as carbon fibres, steel fibres, carbon nanotubes, or nickel powder. Depending on the fibres or additional materials put into the mixture, the ways it will adapt will change.
Typically, these fibres will detect factors such as stress, temperature change, strain, and even humidity. This allows for real-time monitoring of the structure's health and can alert engineers to issues before they become serious problems.
The real-time data offers enhanced safety, maintenance efficiency and overall structural longevity.
It is worth noting that this concrete is still in testing and not yet available on the market.
Other groundbreaking innovations in concrete technology
Of course, there are further innovations and developments happening all the time in the world of concrete.
These include:
- Green and sustainable concrete - using recycled materials or carbon-capturing technologies.
- Ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) - creating concrete that is incredibly strong and durable for specialised projects.
- 3D printed concrete - 3D printers are allowing more complex structures to be built faster and with less waste.
- Carbon-negative concrete - another technology to reduce the impact of the industry on the environment.
Why do these matter for the future of construction?
These innovations are important to the future of construction because they offer significant benefits.
Longevity, sustainability, safety and efficiency are all core values within the construction industry, and these innovations could improve all of them.
If the construction industry were able to start using these types of concrete, the structures could last longer, require less maintenance and provide early warnings of potential issues, which translate to cost savings and enhanced safety.
But these are very much in the future for the time being as they are tested further and adapted.
Comprehensive Services from LGW Group
While these innovations continue to be developed and improved, LGW Group is able to help you with all your concrete needs.
Whether you need concrete blocks to create walls, liquid screed for a concrete floor, or concrete T-beam flooring, you can trust us.
We are the most experienced construction specialists in the South of England and Wales.
Get in touch with us today to discover more about each of our services. Call our experts on 0117 958 2090 or complete our online contact form to request a callback.