Brief
Uncover the future of civil engineering with innovative metamaterial concrete, offering enhanced strength, flexibility, and integrated energy harvesting capabilities for smart infrastructure systems. Learn how this breakthrough is transforming the construction industry.
Insight
Engineers at the University of Pittsburgh’s Swanson School of Engineering are revolutionising concrete design for the 21st century by introducing metamaterial concrete for the development of smart civil infrastructure systems. The new research paper,
“Multifunctional Nanogenerator-Integrated Metamaterial Concrete Systems for Smart Civil Infrastructure,” presents an innovative concept for lightweight, mechanically tunable concrete systems with integrated energy harvesting and sensing capabilities.Amir Alavi, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at Pitt, highlights the importance of developing a new generation of concrete materials that are economically and environmentally sustainable while offering advanced functionalities.
The team’s previous work on self-aware metamaterials has led to the exploration of their use in applications such as smart implants. The new study introduces metamaterials in concrete creation, enabling the customisation of attributes like load-bearing capability, flexibility, and shapeability.
This project presents the first composite metamaterial concrete with super compressibility and energy harvesting capability. These lightweight and mechanically tunable concrete systems can be used in various applications, such as shock-absorbing engineered materials at airports or seismic isolation systems.
The material is also capable of generating electricity, suitable for powering roadside sensors. The electrical signals self-generated by the metamaterial concrete under mechanical excitations can be used for structural health monitoring (SHM), measuring damage within concrete structures or monitoring loads and stresses during earthquakes.
In the future, smart structures may power embedded chips inside roads to assist self-driving cars with navigation on highways when GPS signals are weak or LIDAR is not working. The material developed at Pitt consists of reinforced auxetic polymer lattices embedded in a conductive cement matrix, which generates contact-electrification between layers when mechanically triggered.
The conductive cement, enhanced with graphite powder, serves as the electrode in the system. Experimental studies show that the material can compress up to 15% under cyclic loading and produce 330 microwatts of power.
Alavi and his research team are partnering with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) through the IRISE Consortium at Pitt to develop this metamaterial concrete for use on Pennsylvania roads. The project involves researchers from Johns Hopkins University, New Mexico State University, the Georgia Institute of Technology, and the Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems.
Highlight
- The new study introduces metamaterials in concrete creation, enabling the customisation of attributes like load-bearing capability, flexibility, and shapeability.
- These lightweight and mechanically tunable concrete systems can be used in various applications, such as shock-absorbing engineered materials at airports or seismic isolation systems.
- The electrical signals self-generated by the metamaterial concrete under mechanical excitations can be used for structural health monitoring (SHM), measuring damage within concrete structures or monitoring loads and stresses during earthquakes.
- Experimental studies show that the material can compress up to 15% under cyclic loading and produce 330 microwatts of power.
Related Questions:
Related Definitions:
Meta Concrete
Meta-concrete, a term derived from the concept of metamaterials, refers to an innovative type of concrete that incorporates advanced properties and functionalities, such as energy harvesting, sensing, and self-monitoring capabilities. Metamaterials are artificially engineered materials designed to exhibit unique properties not found in nature.
By incorporating metamaterials into concrete, researchers aim to create a new generation of construction materials that are more economical, environmentally sustainable, and capable of addressing the evolving needs of smart civil infrastructure systems.
Recent Comments