Smart concrete has a wide range of groundbreaking applications with the potential to revolutionise multiple industries. Together, the Internet of Things (IoT) and Smart Concrete will create a network of networked infrastructure that promotes global efficiency, sustainability and resilience.
In addition, unlike traditional concrete, the addition of carbon fibre can regulate the cracking process and prevent the catastrophic development of cracks. It can be used to create a motorway that tracks the location of each vehicle as well as its weight and speed. On the road, vehicles can be weighed while travelling normally. It can also be used to weigh vehicles on motorways.
Self-sensing concrete is a component of smart concrete that can be used in the construction process. It is carefully integrated into the construction process at every stage, from design to construction and ongoing maintenance. In order to achieve the desired function, precise quantities of additives are added during the mixing step. Preventive maintenance and performance optimisation can be achieved by enabling real-time data collection through advanced monitoring systems throughout the lifecycle of the infrastructure.
The smart building market is expected to continue expanding, thereby accelerating the adoption of smart concrete in the building and construction industry. This is due to the fact that smart concrete not only has the basic ability to recognise small cracks, but also helps in stopping the expansion of cracks and repairing them. In addition, it can withstand greater energy without breaking and buckling.
High-rise buildings, motorways, bridges, airport runways, continuous slab sleepers for high-speed trains, dams and nuclear power plants are just a few examples of the civil infrastructure applications of smart concrete. It also has great potential in traffic detection, border and military security, and structural health monitoring.
