Vitruviusaround the 1st century BC, wrote in his book 10 books about architecture An overview of the construction techniques and materials that revolutionized the civil engineering process of the time, including adobe, lime mortar, stretcher-bond ashlar masonry, and drainers. But if he were a modern architect instead of a classical Roman citizen, how would he approach his thesis now? Definitely writing about technology.
In this article The construction industry has built unique partnerships with technology development Here are some examples of the latest materials and technologies that are revolutionizing the field. Some of them have already been implemented in many construction projects.
A New Variation in Concrete: A Classic Classic with Technology
concretebetter known to those outside the sector cementwhich dates back to Roman engineering, but a recent study claims that: Ancient Egyptians Already Used Reconstructed Limestone To Build The Massive Pyramids Of GizaThis building material has evolved over time, combining it with other elements such as steel to improve many of its properties. lack of flexibility So its tendency to crack has traditionally been its “Achilles heel”.
A team of scientists from Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University has developed a material similar to, but not identical to, traditional concrete that surpasses its previous capabilities. The concept features Mixture of hard material and polymer microfiber material instead of cement Up to 40x lighter and 50x stronger than standard concreteIn addition, its most innovative feature is Ability to bend under pressure.
All these characteristics make it an unrivaled candidate if its manufacture is viable build a skyscraper, Mainly earthquake-prone areasIn addition, its implementation is quicker and more efficient and therefore more sustainable.
But that’s not the only breakthrough in concrete manufacturing. Technology is constantly seeking to add properties to this material, turning it into an elite element for the next generation of construction work despite its classical origins.
One of the biggest headaches in civil engineering is dealing with icing up roads when temperatures drop to avoid accidents.Developed by researchers at the University of Nebraska Electrified concrete that can melt snow and ice build-up. This concrete 20% carbon particles and metal fibersshould remove ice even in the harshest winter conditions.
It’s currently being tested by the Federal Aviation Administration on a few landing zones, but if successful, it could soon be implemented on normal roads.
“Technology reaches concrete and turns it into an elite building material”
These are not the only concrete-related projects science is currently working on.If you look into the research being done at Cardiff University in Wales, you’ll see they’re trying to develop Self-healing system embedded in concreteIn this way, concrete can detect when structural changes occur and generate organic and inorganic restoratives, shape-changing polymers that can adapt to changes, or calcium carbonate, without the need for human intervention. Small capsules containing bacteria and nutrients that help fill cracks and cracks. All three sounds like science fiction, right?
Future asphalt with the sun
Renewable energy will become increasingly important in the construction industry.A little while ago, I learned about a certain revolutionary. Conventional tiled solar panel Ready to put the roof on some of the most iconic buildings.
Moreover, engineering has already paved the way for many solar road projects in various countries.France is a pioneer in this initiative By implementing the Kilometer The solar road becomes passable, can supply electricity to Public lighting in a small village in Normandy.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Transportation has given the go-ahead to offer several grants to test the feasibility of this kind of futuristic and sustainable road along major routes.
Drone, mid-air, wall-climbing
Many of the latest breakthroughs are drone technologyIt is used in the engineering field to monitor and optimize projects, but can pose challenges when inspecting buildings and bridges at close range.
A Japanese company has developed a drone with a very unique configuration that can not only fly, but also cling to structures under inspection to detect cracks up to 0.1 mm wide. His PD6-CI-L drone, which is half-bird half-climb, could greatly improve the detection of structural problems and the monitoring of engineering work.
Fuente: Richard van Hooijdonk, 20 minutes, Cardiff University
