Building materials of the future

1.Introduction:
The beginning of civilization as we know it really started with a series of material innovations;
the Bronze Age and the Iron Age set us on the path to where we are now, after all. So it makes
sense that the history of architecture and civil engineering is also deeply engrained in
technological developments of the time. Skyscrapers would have never reached such heights
without developments in steel, for example, and facades would have never slimmed down
without thin-shell concrete.
In a time that is so buzzing with technological development, we cannot help but salivate a little at
the material prospects for engineering and finishing works that are just on the horizon. With 2015
just beginning, we want to take a moment to see what drastic innovations may be leaking into the
world of civil engineering in the near future.
2. Cutting edge building materials:
2.1Self-healing concrete
The great downfall of concretethe world's most widely used building materialis unavoidable
cracking, caused by exposure to water and chemicals. But a new development from a team in the
Netherlands could extend the life of this popular material, by infusing it with bacterial spores that
patch up cracks when water seeps through. Plans are in place to make this self-healing concrete
commercial in the next year or two. The Delft group quantified autonomous self-healing
ofcontrol samples and compared that to the self-healing capacity of concrete with an inbuilt
bacteria-based self-healing agent. While self-healing of 0.2mm wide cracks occurred in 30% of
the control samples, complete closure of all cracks was obtained in all bacteria-based samples.
Moreover, the crack sealing capacity of the latter group was found to be extended to 0.5mm
cracks.

Before-and-after pictures
of the surface of a slab of
self-healing concrete. The
crack is visible in the lefthand image and on the
right, the white limestone
has
filled up the gap

2.2Nanomaterials

Nanotechnologies for Construction

Nanotechnology can generate products with many unique characteristics that can improve the
current construction materials: lighter and stronger structural composites, low maintenance
coatings, better cementious materials, lower thermal transfer rate of fire retardant and insulation,
better sound absorption of acoustic absorbers and better reflectivity of glass (Lee et al., 2010).
Nanotechnologies for Concrete

Concrete is a macro-material strongly influenced by its nano-properties. The addition of nanosilica (SiO2) to cement based materials can control the degradation of the calcium-silicatehydrate
reaction caused by calcium leaching in water, blocking water penetration and leading to
improvements in durability (Mann, 2006).
Nano-sensors have a great potential to be used in concrete structures for quality control and
durability monitoring. (to measure concrete density and viscosity, to monitor concrete curing and
to measure shrinkage or temperature, moisture, chlorine concentration, pH, carbon dioxide,
stresses, reinforcement corrosion or vibration). Carbon nanotubes increase the compressive
strength of cement mortarspecimens and change their electrical properties which can be used for
healthmonitoring and damage detection.
The addition of small amounts (1%) of carbon nanotubes can improve the mechanical properties
of mixture samples of portland cement and water. Oxidized multi-walled nanotubes show the
best improvements both in compressive strength and flexural strength compared to the reference
samples.
Nanotechnologies for Steel
The addition of copper nanoparticles reduces the surface unevenness of steel which then limits
the number of stress risers and hence fatigue cracking, leading to increased safety, less need for
monitoring and more efficient materials use in construction subjected to fatigue issues (Mann,
2006).

Vanadium and molybdenum nanoparticles improve the delayed fracture problems associated with
high strength bolts, reducing the effects of hydrogen embrittlement and improving the steel
micro-structure. The addition of nanoparticles of magnesium and calcium leads to an increase in
weld toughness. The carbon nanotubes have little application as an addition to steel because of
their inherent slipperiness, due to the graphitic nature, making them difficult to bind to the bulk
material (Mann, 2006). Also, the high temperatures involved in the steel elements production
process enhances the vibration of carbon atoms significantly, leading to bond breaking and
deffects in the nanotubes structure.
. Nanotechnologies for Wood
Wood is composed of nanotubes or nanofibrils. Lignocellulosic surfaces at the nanoscale could
open new opportunities for such things as selfsterilizingsurfaces, internal self-repair, and
electronic lignocellulosic devices, providing feedback for product performance and
environmental conditions during service (Mann, 2006).
Highly water repellent coatings incorporating silica and alumina nanoparticles and hydrophobic
polymers are proper to be used for wood.
. Nanotechnologies for Glass
The use of TiO2 nanoparticles to glasses leads to so-called self cleaning technology. Due to the
nanoparticles photocatalytic reactions, the organicpollutants, volatile organic compounds and
bacterial membranes aredecomposed. As well, TiO2 being hydrophilic, his attraction to water
formsdrops which then wash off the dirt particles decomposed in the previousprocess.
Fire-protective glass is obtained using fumed silica (SiO2) nanoparticlesas a clear interlayer
sandwiched between two glass panels which turns into arigid and opaque fire shield when is
heated.
Nanotechnologies for Coatings and Paitings
Nanotechnology is applied to paints in order to assure the corrosionprotection under insulation
since it is hydrophobic and repels water from themetal pipe and can also protect metal from salt
water attack. Others applicationsrefer to coatings that have self healing capabilities through a
process of selfassembly.In addition to the self-cleaning coatings mentioned above forglazing,
the remarkable properties of TiO2 nanoparticles are put to use as acoating material on roadways
in tests around the world (Mann, 2006).

Nanotechnologies for Thermal Insulation

Micro- and nanoporous aerogel materials are appropiate for being corematerials of vacuum
insulation panels but they are sensitive to moisture. As a Bul. Inst. Polit. Iai, t. LVII (LXI), f. 4,
2011 115 possible remedy it was produced an ultra-thin wall insulation which uses ahydrophobic
nanoporous aerogel structure.Another application of aerogels is silica based products for
transparentinsulation, which leads to the possibility of super-insulating windows.Micro- or
nanoelectomechanical systems offer the possibility ofmonitoring and controlling the internal
environment of buildings and this couldlead to energy savings.
Nanotechnologies for Fire Protection
Fire resistance of steel structures is often provided by a coatingproduced by a spray-on
cementitious process. Nano-cement (made of nanosizedparticles) has the potential to create a
tough, durable, high temperaturecoatings. This is achieved by the mixing of carbon nanotubes
with thecementious material to fabricate fibre composites that can inherit some of theoutstanding
properties of the nanotubes.
Nanotechnologies for Structural Monitoring
Nano- and microelectrical mechanical systems (MEMS) sensors havebeen developed and used in
construction to monitor and/or control theenvironment condition and the materials/structure
performance. Nanosensorranges from 109 to 105 m. These sensors could be embedded into the
structureduring the construction process and could monitor internal stresses, cracks andother
physical forces in the structures during the structures life (Lee et al.,2010).

Solar panel innovations

Nanotechnology could also greatly improve the efficiency of solar panels, making it possible to
embed a single panel with a huge array of individual solar cells. This would greatly reduce the
cost of the technology, finally making solar energy a viable alternative to fossil fuel. Other
explorations in making solar energy cheaper include dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) and
DuPont's silicon ink component.

In addition to insulating, Aerogel also has the unique property of being translucent, potentially redefining
the "glass house." Photo of Hemsworth Managed Offices (Atkins Architects) via Kalwall by David Jewel.

2.3Aerogel insulation
Whether it's climate change or simply daunting energy bills, nearly everyone is demanding more
efficient, greener new buildings. Insulation is therefore a hot topic, especially when it comes to
aerogelnot only one of the lightest materials available, but also one of the highest insulators.
(It also held 13 other Guinness World Records in 2011.) Originally developed by NASA, a
commercial spinoff has recently emerged in the form of Thermablock, specifically designed for
residential and commercial uses.