Cracking the Concrete Code

Concrete—the most used material in the construction industry, first used by ancient Romans—is getting a facelift as Pitt engineers reimagine it to create lightweight and mechanically tunable concrete systems that integrate energy harvesting and sensing functionality.

“Massive use of concrete in our infrastructure projects implies the need for developing a new generation of concrete materials that are more economical and environmentally sustainable yet offer advanced functionalities,” says Amir Alavi, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering in the Swanson School of Engineering. “We believe we can achieve these goals by introducing a metamaterial paradigm into the development of construction materials.” 

Alavi and his team have previously developed self-aware metamaterials and explored their use in applications like smart implants. Attributes like brittleness, flexibility, and shapeability can be fine-tuned in the creation of the material, enabling builders to use less of the material without sacrificing strength or longevity. It can even generate enough electricity to power roadside sensors.

Partnering with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and working with researchers from Johns Hopkins University, New Mexico State University, the Georgia Institute of Technology, and the Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, Alavi says, “Such lightweight and mechanically tunable concrete systems can open a door to the use of concrete in various applications, such as shock-absorbing engineered materials at airports to help slow runaway planes or seismic base isolation systems.”