Scientists from the University of Pittsburgh have designed and developed a metamaterial concrete with novel functionality including compressibility/tunability, while retaining stiffness and damage resistance, with the potential to combat seismic forces and self-recover following exposure to stress.
Description
Scientists from the University of Pittsburgh have designed and developed a metamaterial concrete with novel functionality including compressibility/tunability, while retaining stiffness and damage resistance, with the potential to combat seismic forces and self-recover following exposure to stress. This novel material is composed of engineered polymer lattices embedded in a cementitious mix to form the metamaterial concrete with a broad range of properties such as low/high stiffness, reduced weight, and shapeability. Through modification of the architectural design of these auxetic polymer lattices and the concrete composition, it is possible to tune the mechanical properties of these metamaterials to any desired level. This material has the potential to revolutionize construction methods in future building while also suitable for retrofitting to existing buildings to improve their strength and ductility.
Applications
Applications
• Lightweight and high-performance material for infrastructure construction
• Shock absorbing concrete with high seismic resilience for building in high-risk areas
• Cost-effective and sustainable concrete structures
Advantages
Concrete is the most used material in the construction industry due to its strength, ability to shape as required, and low cost to weight ratio. However, post construction complications from weathering, seismic forces, and fatigue are not only costly, but in some cases, can be deadly. Current approaches to strengthen concrete include the use of steel rebar or fiber reinforced polymer (FRB). While FRB may be lighter and more corrosion resistant than rebar, reduced bonding between the FRB and the concrete can be a source of structural failure.
This novel metamaterial concrete has the best of both rebar and FRB with improved compressibility and ductility, is a lightweight rust resistant reinforcement material, and has better bonding between the polymer and concrete. Additionally, even when concrete flaws are present, the polymer maintains the strength of the concrete preventing structural failure.
Invention Readiness
Metamaterial concrete polymeric prototypes comprising of various unit cell compositions have been produced using different geometries and reinforcement levels. Experimental and theoretical experiments have shown this material to be highly compressible/tunable, and where cracks were observed during compression, material functionality and behavior were unaffected. Further research required to establish the optimal ratio of polymer to concrete is required. The ability to tune the properties of this metamaterial concrete also requires exploration.
IP Status
https://patents.google.com/patent/WO2023044121A1
