Recent Innovations in Concrete Materials and Technologies
Jan Olek
Civil Engineering, Purdue University
ABSTRACT: The development of cementitious binders capable of hardening by binding of CO2 and recent forays into additive manufacturing (3D printing) of concrete are just two examples of transformations in the ways we think about concrete materials and construction technology. Olek focuses on these relatively young innovations in the traditionally conservative construction sector as a way to address such looming challenges as global climate change due to emissions and need for more sustainable technologies. Olek first reviews reaction mechanisms underlying the formation of cementing phases in low-lime, non-hydraulic binders and highlight selected mechanical and durability properties of concretes produced using such binders. Then Olek explores mechanical properties and fracture behavior of 3D-printed cement-paste elements with two types of nature-inspired internal architectures (“lamellar” and “Bouligand”) as a means to control their microstructure and mechanical response.
