Smart Concrete ? The newest upcoming technology to detects cracks in concrete earlier

The concrete is extensively used as a composite material for several types of structures but the concrete lacks the strength to resist tension and as a result it can be cracked easily. Therefore, the concrete should be examined thoroughly for cracks and proper and timely repairs should be undertaken so that the quality of the concrete is not deteriorated.

In this way, the safety and stability of different structures are maintained. Another process for determining cracks is to attach sensors to the structure but the installation charge is costly.

Smart concrete technology is the newest concept for examining the health of reinforced concrete structures. The type of concrete is reinforced with carbon fiber comprising of 0.2% to 0.5% of the volume. It can determine the pressure on the concrete structure well in advance. Smart concrete technology has witnessed broad laboratory testing, but has not launched yet.

It becomes functional with the addition of a small amount of short carbon fiber to the concrete with a traditional concrete mixer to change the electrical resistance of the concrete with regards to tension or pressure.

Accordingly, contact among the fiber and the cement matrix is impacted while the concrete is deformed or depressed, thus affecting the electrical resistivity of the concrete volume. Tension is then exposed by calculating the level of electrical resistance.

Smart concrete has the ability to recognize very small structural weaknesses before it gets significant and therefore becomes applicable in checking the internal conditions of the structure, especially after an earthquake.

Besides, identifying small cracks, smart concrete also allows stopping the development of cracks in traditional concrete and reinforce it to make it stronger. Besides, it takes a lot of strength to bend smart concrete, and consume more energy before breaking.

Smart concrete can also be applied in the construction of highways since they can easily find out the weight of the vehicle. Roads constructed with smart concrete can detect the position, weight, and speed of the vehicle.

Smart Concrete ? The newest upcoming technology to detects cracks in concrete earlier