Replacing BT-Roads by Concrete to Improve Durability
Bitumen is a black, oily and viscous material that is a naturally occurring organic by-product of decomposed organic materials. It is a common binder that is mixed with and glued together aggregates to make asphalt and its primary use is found in road construction. However, due to the…
SmartRock para Control de Calidad de Hormigón
El Giatec SmartRock® es un sensor que permite determinar la resistencia a la compresión estimada, basado en la madurez de hormigón, al registrar la temperatura del hormigón fresco durante el proceso de fraguado. Este método es el único recomendado por la NCh170:2016 para determinar la resistencia real del…
Concrete Re-Imagined – From Opaque to Translucent
When the image of concrete enters one’s mind, an object with the inherent characteristics of solidity, heaviness and opaqueness presents itself as this is the only form in which we have been exposed to. However, with the development of new concrete mixtures, this is about to change. Often…
Microbial Communities May Help us Detect Damaged Concrete
Concrete is known to be the world’s most common building material as it shapes our buildings, bridges and runways, sidewalks and more – and at first glance, one would assume that it is not a hospitable environment for living organisms. Freshly poured concrete for instance, has a pH…
What Will Happen if the Trump Wall Project Materializes?
Donald Trump plans on building a wall along the entire Mexican border if he is elected as the President of America as an attempt to hinder the migration of illegal immigrants making their way into the country. Interestingly some of the beneficiaries of this project would be Mexican…
Asbestos in Old Concrete Buildings
When contractors have a job that entails demolition of an old concrete building from the early 1900’s one issue arises with respect to concerns about asbestos being included in the concrete mixture. SmartRock® is #1 and we can prove it! Experience the world’s #1 concrete sensor. Get a…
To Repair or To Rebuild – That is the Question
Over the next several months, the concrete base of Oceanside’s municipal pier – an iconic 90-year old structure located in California – will be undergoing much needed repairs. However, city officials claim it still may need to be rebuilt entirely over the next few years. SmartRock® is #1…
Self-Healing Concrete – Embedding Self-Activating Bacteria
Apart from water, concrete is the most widely produced and consumed material on earth, according to a WBCSD report. This material is what paves our roads, spans our bridges and builds our buildings. It is a leading carbon emitter that goes unnoticed even though it surrounds us every…
Bendable Concrete – A Stronger, More Durable Concrete
Increased Tensile Strength with Flexible ConcreteTypical concrete is characterised by its heavy, brittle qualities which lends itself to breakage under tension. To combat this, Nanyang Technological University scientists from the NTU-JTC Industrial Infrastructure Innovation Centre (13C) have invented a new type of concrete called the ConFlexPave. What makes…
Floating Concrete – A Revolutionary Feat
An abandoned pier that was erected in the early 1950’s known as Pier 57, is about to go through a $350 million renovation. Located in Manhattan, this pier is expected to be occupied by new offices for Google as well as a new food market. This large-scale renovation…
High Modulus of Elasticity for High Rise Structures
Modulus of elasticity (MOE) in concrete refers to the measurement of resistance a concrete structure has to deform or sway. That is, it measures the stiffness of the concrete. This measurement is used for high rise buildings, bridge piers, and other structural applications where the stiffness of the…
DOTs are Using Hydro Technology to Repair Concrete Structures
The Utah Department of Transportation is using a recyclable resource to repair worn bridges along one of the busier highways in Salt Lake County. SmartRock® is #1 and we can prove it! Experience the world’s #1 concrete sensor. Get a Prove-It Kit On Friday, the agency exhibited an…
Modifying the Microstructure of Concrete to Decrease Emissions
An MIT-led team has defined the nanoscale forces that control how particles pack together during the development of cement “paste,” the material that holds together concrete and causes that ubiquitous construction material to be a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. By monitoring those forces, the researchers will…
Progress on the Ohio River Bridge Project
Officials with the Ohio River Bridges Project just recently released the latest batch of aerial photos, showing the progress of the bridge as of June. SmartRock® is #1 and we can prove it! Experience the world’s #1 concrete sensor. Get a Prove-It Kit Michael McKay, a spokesman for…
Seattle Concrete Tunnel Project is Beginning to Take Shape
Portions of the vast Highway 99 tunnel are starting to look like the double-decker thoroughfare that former Gov. Chris Gregoire promised seven years ago. Bertha’s recent progress along the Seattle waterfront — some 1,500 feet since diving below the Alaskan Way Viaduct on April 29 — has allowed…
Construction Software is Heading Toward the Cloud
There is a perception that construction software applications are only affordable and needed by large multinational companies working on billion-dollar jobs. However, Daniel De Monte, President of Toronto’s Flat Iron Building Group, states that is not actually the case. SmartRock® is #1 and we can prove it! Experience…
Development in Sustainable Concrete Material
At UCLA an interdisciplinary research team is recycling carbon dioxide in an innovative process to develop sustainable building material. SmartRock® is #1 and we can prove it! Experience the world’s #1 concrete sensor. Get a Prove-It Kit Carbon Upcycling consists of 13 UCLA faculty members, students and staff…
Can Future Structures Be Made Out of Bone ?
Researcher at the University of Cambridge are making small batches of the artificial bone and are now in the process of scaling it up for production use. However, the biggest setback is the use of animal collagen. It isn’t exactly eco-friendly – or even sustainable – so the…
