Motivation
Transport infrastructure forms the basis of mobility and societal prosperity. Current material concepts applied to transport infrastructure are typically based on conventional concrete, which often, due to deterioration and damage, entails limitations in infrastructure performance and efficiency. Mobility of the 21st century and the implementation of "new" technological concepts, such as autonomous driving, alternative drive systems and smart city concepts, require investigating new materials and material combinations to advance infrastructure performance and efficiency.
Goals and strategies
This research group aims at developing so-called "Concrete 2.0", representing a high-performance material for transport infrastructure of the 21st century, that is smart, adaptive, and multifunctional. The goal will be achieved through three basic research strategies, to be conducted concurrently by the project partners involved in this research group:
In the second project phase, the research strategies described above will be merged and materialized in specific transport infrastructure applications. Upon completion of the project, it is expected to achieve adaptive, “intelligent” concrete for transport infrastructure, characterized by multi-functionality, which may support critical functions relevant to transport infrastructure, such as reduction of noise and air pollution..
Sensor and actuator concepts
Within the research group, the Chair of Computing in Civil Engineering, will focus on developing new sensor and actuator concepts to be implemented into the concrete for achieving a so-called “sensorial material” (strategy 1). First, new design concepts for sensorial material and, specifically, for material-integrated, miniaturized, intelligent sensors are proposed. The intelligent sensors are then optimized to autonomously analyze sensor data and to reliably control the material-integrated actuators. Sensor/actuator combinations are able to self-detect changes in the concrete, using embedded algorithms and, being wirelessly connected to sensor networks, taking advantage of IoT-based communication. Based upon autonomous decision making of the intelligent sensors, the material-integrated actuators are enabled to initiate the self-healing mechanisms of the concrete by triggering the release of the encapsulated self-healing agents though actuator signals. Extending the communication functionalities of the sensor/actuator combinations, the implementation is done following the principles of IoT-enabled cyber-physical systems, enabling the “Concrete 2.0” to communicate with other components of the virtual and the real world.
Contact
Professor Dr. Kay Smarsly
Hamburg University of Technology
Institute of Digital and Autonomous Construction
Blohmstraße 15
21079 Hamburg
Germany
Email: kay.smarsly@tuhh.de
Professor Dr. Horst-Michael Ludwig
Bauhaus University Weimar
Chair of Construction Materials
Coudraystraße 11 b
99423 Weimar
Germany
Email: horst-michael.ludwig@uni-weimar.de