Maharashtra State Board of Technical Education

Takshashila Polytechnic College Amravati.

Department of Civil Engineering

SUBJECT
Concrete Technology

TOPIC
11 New trends in concrete technology

GUIDED BY
Prof. A. S. Petkar
 MAHARASHTRA STATE BOARD OF TECHNICAL
EDUCATION

Certificate

This is to that Mr./Miss………………………………………….

Roll no……. of Third Semester of Diploma in Civil Engineering
of Institute. The micro project of Concrete Technology (313360)
entitled ‘11 New trends in concrete technology. ‘For the
academic year
2024-25 as prescribed in the curriculum.

Place: -…………...… Enrolment no: -……………...

Date: -……………… Exam seat no: -………….…....
 Course teacher Head of Department Principal

GROUP MEMBER
Summited by:
Sr.No Roll. No enrolment no Name
 INDEX
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New Trends in Concrete Technology

Concrete contractors and companies must embrace new trends in concrete

technology with open arms. Overall, the industry suffers from a lack of
skilled workers. These new trends in concrete technology will reduce
construction costs and improve efficiency on and off the job site.
1. Project Management Software
There is construction management software made specifically for concrete
contractors. For commercial construction projects, concrete and masonry contractors
set the foundation. They provide services that range from site prep to finishing, timely
delivery, and quality. Traditional processes can result in significant project delays that
can cost additional money and time. With concrete construction project management,
you can track real-time labor and production. You no longer have to wait for payroll
or accounting reports to be processed.

2. BIM
Building Information Modeling has existed for decades, but technology is forever
advancing. Its 3D modeling design software allows professionals the tools to see their
project’s design, plan, and construction. Using BIM can help communicate the scope
of the concrete project across all parties. Concrete contractors have been trying to
push towards 3D, forming from 2-D for fieldwork. The entire building process
becomes more efficient because there is an increase in communication with field
workers, and they can see as-built formwork. BIM overall has the benefits of
improving the supply chain and reducing waste, delays, and mistakes.
There are additional benefits:

— earlier identification of error and fault

— fewer change orders

— improved communication, collaboration, and productivity throughout the product

— more transparency of information that can be used during the bidding and
procurement process

— more reliable design process

3. Artificial Intelligence (IoT)
GPS trackers and IoT sensors on equipment for concrete construction allows for
predictive maintenance and can improve production cycles. Intelligent equipment is
one of the newer concrete construction technologies because it can use human
knowledge through computer processes. Adding sensors to equipment gives field
workers more accurate and timely information about their assets, so there is no need
for second-guessing!

Photo by
TonelloPhotography

There is an evolution to strength gauges, and we can understand curing and the overall
concrete lifecycle. The curing and hardening processes are crucial to the final
formation of cement. IoT applications can automatically regulate temperatures and
humidity to ensure the adequacy of concrete properties in the chemical reactions.
Although new technology is expensive, it is a necessary investment because problems
are addressed, and you can prepare accordingly. Data from AI and IoT empowers
concrete contractors to monitor concrete, access data quickly to make decisions in a
timely manner.
4. UHPC
Ultra-High Performance Concrete is a newer concrete technology that contains fibers
but consists of mostly 80% traditional concrete. These fibers range in strength from
polyester to stainless steel and ultimately deliver durability and strength to the final
product. Additionally, UHPC has a longer lifespan than traditional concrete; it’s up to
more than 75 years, and traditional concrete has 15-25 years. The United States is one
of the key market players for UHPC. Also, the UHPC global market has an expected
CAGR of 8.3% from 2019 to 2024 with a growth of USD 369 Million in 2019 to 550
Million in 2024.

Compared to traditional concrete, UHPC has distinct benefits:

— extended usage life

— improved durability

— improved resiliency

— minimal interruption

— reduced maintenance/out of service

— simplified construction techniques

— the speed of construction

5. Self-healing concrete
After construction, concrete cracks, weathers, leaks, and bends. Self-healing concrete
contains limestone-producing bacteria that repair the crack when it comes into contact
with air and water. Along with concrete, this self-healing bacteria can repair mortar
for already existing structures. Repetitive dry and wet cycles with a width of 0.05 to
0.1mm completely seal cracks. The self-healing product acts as a capillary, and the
water particles go through the cracks. Then, these water particles soak and hydrate the
cement, causing it to expand, thus filling the crack. However, if cracks are greater
than the width of approximately 0.1mm, other reconstructive work will be required.

Self-healing concrete is prepared in two ways:

1. By direct application:

After you mix the concrete, add calcium and bacterial spores to the mix. The process
of sealing cracks occurs when water comes into contact with this bacteria, then they
germinate on calcium lactate, and the production of limestone creates self-healing
concrete.

2. By encapsulation in lightweight concrete:

The bacteria and calcium lactate are in clay pellets and mixed in with concrete
preparations. Only about 6% of the clay pellets are actually included for making
self-healing concrete. When there is a crack in the structure, the clay pellets break
down, the bacteria germinate and feed on the calcium lactate and produce limestone.
6. Graphic Concrete
According to the Kimmo Knappila, the CEO of Graphic Concrete LTD, “Graphic
concrete offers architects the versatility to deliver distinctive, intriguing, and iconic
imagery to precast concrete surfaces.” Graphic concrete technology is the printing of a
visual idea on a specific membrane and transferring it to a precast concrete surface.
The membrane is disposable and moldable in any shape or form. This new trend in
concrete technology allows custom concrete patterned surfaces. With graphic
concrete, you can customize and add color pigments and different colors to enhance
patterns and designs.

Photo by belov1409

Graphic concrete can go on already prefabricated concrete products. Typically,

graphic concrete is applied to sound barriers, pavers, facades, and interior
applications. Graphic concrete is cost-effective in comparison to other precast
concrete surfaces. When finished, they are ready to use, so you don’t need additional
coating or surface treatments. Overall, graphic concrete can reduce construction time
and keep costs down over the build.
7. Light-generating concrete
Jose Carlos Rubio Avalos developed this trend in concrete technology. This type of
cement can absorb and radiate light. In terms of energy usage, it uses much less
because this cement can be created at room temperature. During the day, the cement
absorbs solar energy, and then it can expend light for approximately 12 hours. Now
you’re thinking, how does this cement absorb solar energy? The cement does not have
the crystallization supplement, and instead has a gel consistency; this allows light to
pass inside.

Photo by BobTrade

This type of cement doesn’t require electricity, so it is typically on roadways, bridges,

bike paths, and more. This is an eco-friendly alternative because the gas release in the
manufacturing process is water vapor. The lifespan of light-generating concrete is
about 100 years. Many light-generating concrete products emit blue or green light so
that they can light roads and bridges. During production, to ensure safer
environments for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians, you can adjust the brightness level.
8. Translucent cement
Translucent concrete and cement are transferring the architectural look. This cutting
edge technology consists of “fiber optics sandwiched between layers of insulation and
concrete.” These fibers allow light from the outside to transmit to the inside and vice
versa. Translucent cement is customizable for the structural and design requirements
for the project. By this, you can determine the diameter and density of the fibers, and
this determines how transparent the concrete will be. Instead of plain, regular
concrete, translucent cement is chosen by designers and architects to add design
aspects to structures like stairs and partition walls.

9. Drones
Drones are one of the new trends in concrete technology and its usage is increasing on
construction sites, and we can expect the usage to increase exponentially. Primarily,
drones survey and inspect sites from an aerial view that the contractor cannot. Drones
finish inspections in a fraction of the time it would take traditionally. Although some
construction companies were reluctant to use drones, the outcomes have benefited
them immensely. For concrete professionals, drones are beneficial because they can
help optimize layouts through digitation. Drones ensure that projects stay on track
with the ability of increased visibility to spot potential problems.
 Photo by FS11

In 2019, the Spanish architecture firm MuDD used drones to spray a cement-like
substance onto fabric to “construct lightweight structures.” drones eliminated
expensive construction equipment and sped up the process. It only took them five
days to build the prototypes; traditionally, it might have taken them weeks. The
prototype included a quadcopter drone to pray shotcrete onto fabric. For effective
application of shotcrete, you typically need human operators and a crane, but with this
method, you maneuver a drone to do the work.
10. 3D Printing
3D printing is not just limited to plastic and metal. With recent developments,
concrete 3D printing offers the possibility in the quick build of affordable homes and
communities. For concrete contractors and architects, 3D concrete printing is
appealing because they can produce less-expensive buildings with less time, and
handle higher dimensional analytics compared to traditional construction techniques.

Photo by sspovpov

Benefits of 3D concrete printing:

— low cost

— high build speed

— reduced waste

As this is one of the newer trends in concrete technology, it is not commonly used in
large-scale projects. This is because this type of technology is a better fit with
mid-sized buildings, structures at a low price, and quicker time span. 3D concrete
printing is more eco-friendly, meaning very little material waste during the
construction process compared to traditional builds. Instead of the architect or
designer converting their blueprints to make molds, 3D concrete printing saves
energy, time, and money by the printer’s ability to read 3D blueprint codes and
immediately start printing. More and more companies will adopt 3D concrete printing
to reduce costs, produce complex structures, and reduce production time.

11. Off-site construction

Off-site construction is the design, fabrication, and assembly of components at a
different location than the actual installation site. Precast or prefabricated concrete is
the most common type of off-site concrete techniques. Because the number of skilled
labor is low, off-site construction is ideal because it is efficient, improve safety, reduce
costs, increase speed, and its quality is consistent. As mentioned earlier, UHPC,
Ultra-High Performance Concrete is very adhesive, which makes it compatible for use
in prefabricated bridge elements and systems (PBES). With this system, you build
bridge components like deck and beams, off-site, at a different location, and then
install in the final location.