Video: Self-Healing Concrete

Amazingly, scientists in Tokyo, Japan have developed a self-healing concrete. With the aid of bacteria, the concrete over the course of a single month heals a crack. See the video below for images of this amazing process. The very technical scientific article is located here, if you are interested in the project.

Read More

Concrete and Masonry Sustainability – Publication

Concrete and Masonry Sustainability – Publication

Today we bring you a white paper from the International Concrete Repair Institute. The ICRI is a non-profit institute devoted to standards for the concrete business and provides several free publications on their website. Today we decided to take a look at Sustainability for Repairing and Maintaining Concrete and Masonry Buildings. Green building and construction…

Read More

Cool Urban Heat Islands

Cool Urban Heat Islands

Urban heat islands (UHI) are metropolitan area that is significantly warmer than its surrounding rural areas due to human activities. On a hot, sunny summer day, the sun can heat dry, exposed urban surfaces, such as roofs and pavement, to temperatures 50–90°F (27–50°C) hotter than the air while shaded or moist surfaces—often in more rural surroundings—remain…

Read More

Edgewater NJ Complex Fire

Edgewater NJ Complex Fire

You probably heard of the fire in Edgewater NJ in January that rapidly demolished an apartment complex there, displacing hundreds of residents. The building’s wood-frame truss construction allowed the fire to spread quickly, and it completely overwhelmed the sprinkler system. There is a trend in the US toward weakening building codes to allow for the…

Read More

Concrete: 2nd Only To Water

Concrete: 2nd Only To Water

Concrete is one of the most widely used materials on the planet—some say second only to water. Versatility is the key to it’s widespread use. From sidewalks to skyscrapers, concrete is at the core of our buildings, homes, roads, since the days of the Roman Empire. Here’s just a sample of some of the concrete products use and…

Read More Tags:

India Abandons Asphalt

India Abandons Asphalt

India’s business newspaper and online news source. Transport minister Nitin Gadkari announced the switch to concrete last week. The ministry has also changed the model for assessing the project cost. Projects will now be evaluated on the basis of the life-cycle cost of the project rather than the initial cost of construction. “So, the consultant will…

Read More