Issue link: https://geospatial.trimble.com/en/resources/i/1415420
56 csengineermag.com august 2019 Course Overview: Concrete is the material of choice for the tallest buildings in the world and infrastructure designed to last centuries. To meet demands for these cutting-edge projects, concrete must be stronger, more durable and more workable than ever before. This article explores how new products, manufacturing methods and research are developing innovative concretes to meet these new challenges. Bendable concrete, smog eating concrete and carbon capture are just a few examples of new technologies enhancing a product that is nearly 5,000 years in development. Learning Objectives: 1. Understand new technologies used in concrete manufacturing 2. Discover how innovative concrete products can improve project performance 3. Learn how to implement the latest concrete innovations in building and infrastructure projects 4. Demonstrate the importance of incorporating new technologies to enhance resilience and sustainability in the built environment Introduction What do the Jubilee Church and the Pantheon have in common? They are both places of worship in Rome. But besides that, they are both built with innovative concrete. The Romans mastered the use of concrete 2,000 years ago to build some of the most iconic structures ever built. Although different than today's concrete, Roman concrete used the same principals, combin- ing aggregate with a hydraulic binder. The aggregate included pieces of rock, ceramic tile and brick rubble often recycled from demolished buildings. Volcanic ash, called pozzolana, was the favored binder where it was available. Gypsum and quicklime were used as binders also. And even 3,000 years before, the Egyptians used a form of concrete made with mud and straw to build the pyramids. Today of course, most concrete is made with portland cement, invented in 1824, and combined with high quality quarried aggregate. Most modern concrete is augmented with innovative products and additives to enhance both plastic and hardened properties. Innovative supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) such as fly ash, slag cement and silica fume are used to increase strength, durability and workability. Chemical admixtures affect set time, freeze thaw resistance and flowability. Tiny fibers are added to increase ductility and control cracking. Carbon dioxide is injected into concrete to improve strength and capture greenhouse Concrete Innovations By Lionel Lemay, PE, SE, LEED AP. Executive Vice President, Structures and Sustainability, National Ready Mixed Concrete Association Brian Lemay, Research Assistant Intern, National Ready Mixed Concrete Association Credit: 1 LU/HSW Course Number: ZG082019CS Sponsored by: Build with Strength | www.BuildwithStrength.com Build with Strength, a coalition of the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, educates the building and design communities and policymakers on the benefits of concrete, and encourages its use as the building material of choice. No other material can replicate concrete's advantages in terms of strength, durability, safety and ease of use.