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GROUNDBREAKERS
GOING STRONG
Self-healing concrete could clear up traffic jams
ROAD CONSTRUCTION CAUSES DELAYS for millions of
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P U R DU E A LU M N US
—KAYLA WILES
P U RD U E U N I V E R S I T Y/JO H N U N DE R WOO D
American travelers each year. Purdue University
civil engineering professor Luna Lu is working
to cut down on repairs and traffic through the
development of “smart concrete.”
“Traffic jams caused by infrastructure repairs
have wasted 4 billion hours and 3 billion gallons
of gas on a yearly basis. This is primarily due to
insufficient knowledge and understanding of our
infrastructure’s condition,” Lu says. “For instance,
we don’t know when concrete will reach the right
strength needed for opening up major roads to
traffic after construction. In many states, major
interstates need to reopen in a 12-hour window,
which only leaves three to four hours for concrete to cure. The concrete may go through premature failure, leading to frequent repairing.”
Lu and her students have invented technology that addresses two big challenges in road
construction: figuring out exactly when concrete is strong enough to handle heavy traffic
and improving its durability. In reducing the frequency of road repairs, these inventions could
also save millions of taxpayer dollars.
To better communicate with concrete, Lu’s lab
has developed sensors that wirelessly track concrete-strength development in real time, giving
engineers more precise data on how much time
is needed before traffic can use new concrete
pavement. In 2019, the Indiana Department of
Transportation began embedding these sensors
in Indiana highways. Lu has also been working with the Federal Highway Administration
to embed the sensors in other states, including
California, Texas, Missouri, Tennessee, Colorado,
and North Dakota.
Harsh winters can cause concrete to crack.
Lu’s lab discovered that mixing nano-silica
materials into concrete can help the mixture
seal its own cracks while regaining strength.
The healing process also prevents water from
seeping into the concrete and corroding steel or
rebar reinforcement.
Lu’s research currently applies to concrete—
the most challenging road material to repair—
but could resolve issues with other road materials in the future.
“Like with concrete, we can understand the
conditions of strength for materials such as
asphalt and soil and use that information to
determine traffic opening time,” Lu says.
