5.07.2009

new techMology...


Bendable concrete...wow. why didn't i think of this? really though, the amount of problems "cured" (i crack my shit up!) will be amazing. 

concrete is one of the most useful building materials for modern day architecture, but it's Achilles heal is it's inability to withstand shear forces or tension. it crumbles when pulled or bent....until now. thank goodness for univ. of michiganders and their new technology devised to allow concrete to HEAL its cracks after it is bent. this shit is truly magical -

By contrast, the new concrete composite can bend into a U-shape without breaking. When strained, the material forms hairline cracks, which auto-seal after a few days of light rain.

Dry material exposed by the cracks reacts with rainwater and carbon dioxide in the air to form "scars" of calcium carbonate, a strong compound found naturally in seashells, said study co-author Victor Li of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

i mean...really?  i love science.  now buildings can withstand earthquakes better, bridges can move easier without expansion joints....ahhh yes.

via national geographic