Materials

Scientists at MIT - the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in the United States - have reportedly developed a type of concrete that may be stronger and more durable than traditional cement. According to the MIT News, a paper recently published in the journal Construction and Building Materials, scientists compared cement paste with the structure of natural materials including bones, shells and sea sponges. These are exceptionally strong because of the way they are arranged at both the microscopic lev

Researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Canada believe they may have discovered a cure for ‘concrete cancer’, which afflicts many concrete structures. The Canadian claims for a concrete cancer cure revolve around a novel method for producing concrete using discarded glass. Researchers at UBC’s Okanagan campus were able to reduce the chemical reaction that previously caused glass-fed concrete to weaken, expand and crack. This reaction is widely referred to as concrete cancer. “Every

From expanding bitumen operations in India to groundbreaking mixes in Italy, stronger roads in South Africa to high RAP content in Germany, this month we bring you stories of advancing technology from around the world - Kristina Smith reports Technology from Austrian engineering company Pörner will soon be responsible for almost two-thirds of India’s bitumen production. In December last year Pörner signed the deal with HPCL-Mittal Energy, a joint venture of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation and Mittal Energy

The American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) is calling for more bridge repairs in the US. There are still too many structurally deficient bridges in the country according to a recent analysis. This report states that while there were 2,574 fewer structurally deficient bridges in 2015 compared to the number in 2014, there are still 58,500 on the structurally deficient list. Worse still, at the current pace of bridge investment it will take at least 21 years before these bridges are all r