Engineers at Princeton University have succeeded in developing a cement-based material that outperforms its conventional counterparts in terms of strength. This new design inspired by the architecture of the outer layer of human bone is 5.6 times more resistant to damage and avoids the sudden cracking that characterizes standard cements.
How does bone inspiration improve the strength of cement?
The research team, led by Prof. Reza Moini and Ph.D. candidate Shashank Gupta, introduced an innovative approach to improve the durability of the concrete. Instead of adding fibers or plastics to reinforce the material, they chose to incorporate a tube-like internal architecture inspired by the structure of human cortical bone. This method creates a gradual hardening mechanism that improves the concrete ‘s ability to resist fracture.
Each crack extension is controlled, preventing catastrophic failure.
Gupta explained.
This new material differs from traditional methods thanks to the implementation of cylindrical and elliptical tubes in its composition. These interact with the cracks as they propagate, reducing the risk of sudden failure.
This gradual control contributes to additional energy dissipation, allowing the material to resist progressive damage and increase its overall strength.
Geometric handling for stronger materials
Moini notes that the approach is based on manipulating the structure of the material rather than adding external elements. By adjusting the geometry, size and orientation of the tubes, the team has been able to promote interaction with cracks to improve strength without compromising other properties. This method, supported by theoretical principles of fracture mechanics, takes advantage of the material’s ability to deflect cracks around internal structures, simulating the behavior of human bone.
The researchers also presented a novel method for quantifying the degree of disorder in architectural materials by applying statistical mechanics parameters. This tool makes it possible to design materials with a customized degree of disorder, expanding the possibilities for creating more resistant concretes. According to Moini, the use of techniques such as additive manufacturing will contribute to improve the design and scale-up of these tubular structures in civil infrastructure components.
Future applications in industry
Research opens up new opportunities to develop more durable and resistant more durable and resistant construction materials. The introduction of robotic and additive manufacturing techniques will allow exploration of different variables, such as tube size and orientation, applying the principles learned to other brittle materials.
The paper, titled “Cement material with tubular architecture inspired by strong, disordered cortical bone.” was published in the journal Advanced Materials. This work is supported by the National Science Foundation, which reinforces the relevance and potential for its application in the construction industry.
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Source and photos: Princeton University
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