What are the problems that occur with concrete that can be solved by nanotechnology?

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Civil Engineering

What are the problems that occur with concrete that can be solvedby nanotechnology?

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Concrete is the single most commonly used construction material in the world More than 26 billion tons of OPC was produced worldwide in 2007 corresponding to more than 17 billion tons of concrete This production of OPC was used in a wide range of products ranging from basement foundations and house walls through road pavement and precast lamp poles to bridges dams and high rise towers Concrete products are generally intended to have long lifespans and be resistant to local environmental conditions However in most cases they will eventually be demolished and possibly recycled when they reach the end of their service lives In addition the nature of the construction industry is such that it is easier to implement process innovations rather than disruptive product innovations Construction integrates products from a wide range of suppliers and skills from a wide range of contractors subcontractors and trades into a single finished structure A change in the way a structure is built can be determined by the construction company itself but a significantly new product needs to be created by a supplier understood and approved by architects engineers and the client and implemented by onsite workers who may need to be specifically trained in its use All of these factors must be taken into consideration in developing nanotechnology for use in concrete First concrete and related products are bulk commodities Even high value concrete structures require low materials costs and the ability to handle large quantities of material in a safe and environmentally acceptable manner Second innovations need to be thoroughly developed and field tested in order to build the knowledge and confidence in the construction community Finally concrete structures can be difficult to demolish often requiring explosive or other highenergy approaches as an initial step to break up the major components of the structure Nanotechnology used in concrete must therefore be compatible to these traditional practices Given these constraints the initial nanotechnology applications in construction are those that provide a clear benefit in terms of added functionality with relatively small amounts of nanomaterials that can be delivered in using standard construction practices and will not affect other aspects of the performance of the material Novel products that improve the delivery of existing materials such as the control released admixture work described here are likely to be next to market Other innovations such as nanocalcium carbonate accelerators will become more common as the price of the nanomaterial falls to the point where it can be used in bulk Carbon nanotubecement composites in contrast will likely take the longest time to implement as they will require further fundamental See Answer

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