The earliest well-known use of concrete is a floor dating back to Galilee, around 7000 BC, which was still audio when uncovered in 2007. After thousands of years of use as a building material, science could develop something better. This material wouldn't crack or crumble when used on columns or sidewalks.
Science can, says Christopher Ferraro, a civil engineering researcher at the University of Florida.
The problem is that many stronger or more durable materials than concrete provide no clue that something is wrong. Ferraro said cracks in concrete are a sign that can save lives.
Concrete can show signs of distress. It will start to crack and peel, which is a sign to pay attention and is time for maintenance.
Concrete made the reports when the Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida, collapsed in June. Attention was focused on the condition of the concrete and steel structures as they showed signs of wear and tear. Concrete will continue to be in the news as a massive federal infrastructure spending package takes shape, with much of the spending going toward structures made of concrete.
The climate crisis has also focused on concrete contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. Still, Ferraro said that America today has a respectable document compared with other industrialized countries. For instance, China utilized as much concrete between 2011 and 2013 as the USA used in the 20th century.
While it's unlikely that any other material will replace concrete anytime soon, the science of concrete aims to make the world's most popular building material stronger, more durable, and more sustainable.
Ferraro points out that many of the failures blamed on concrete are not due to concrete at all but to concrete's near-constant partner: steel.
As an expert engineer and specialist who often testifies on all things concrete from New York City to Florida, Ferraro states he has seen his share of concrete repair services, 95 percent of all strengthened concrete frameworks being repaired because of the steel framed in them. Brought on by destruction. When steel rusts, two points occur. First, the iron develops into iron oxide. Then, the iron oxide broadens as much as seven times its initial dimension. The expansion pushes against the concrete, causing spalling or cracking. Ferraro said when you see cracks in reinforced concrete, it's often because the underlying steel bars are expanding.
Concrete and steel are used together to provide both strengths. The concrete handles the compressive load, which is the structure's weight, and the steel handles the tensile load, allowing for some flexibility. Combining concrete and steel provides structural strength that is difficult to surpass.
The ingredients in concrete recipes are among the most common raw materials on the planet. It is made of limestone, sand, and clay-made cement. Concrete is made from cement, plus sand, gravel, and water. This makes cement—especially Porter Blue cement - a key research focus.
Research in the Ferraro Laboratory in the School of Sustainable Infrastructure and Environmental Engineering focuses on nondestructive testing, alternative binders and aggregates, infrastructure conditions, and virtual testing and modeling of concrete microstructures.
Traditionally, Portland cement is combined with Potsdam, a material with cohesive properties when combined with water. One of the most effective and common admixtures is fly ash, a by-product of coal-fired power plants. Fly ash has the added benefit of recycling coal-fired waste products. Rather than being released into the air or landfilled, fly ash is used to make concrete, which is added to make the concrete more durable. However, as coal burning decreases, there will be demand for alternatives to fly ash.
Some alternative stuccoes are crushed recycled glass and different types of clay. Since South Florida has a large sugarcane crop, bagasse, a waste product from sugarcane farming, is also being studied. Ferraro is looking for alternative cements that are structurally appropriate, plentiful, readily available and cost-effective.
"We know that without fly ash, Portland cement itself is not very durable, so we are looking for alternatives," Ferraro said.
Concrete is porous, and fly ash does a very good job of protecting the steel encased in the concrete from chlorides that seep into the concrete layer. For example, coastal bridge towers are located in saltwater chloride-rich environments.
Fly ash gives us a long time for corrosion to start and, therefore, extends the life cycle of the concrete.
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