We find the development of new construction materials to be fascinating. Some material being developed now could end up being the material of choice in the near future. It seems like there are always new advancements and discoveries in this field of research. Here are a few advancements in construction materials that could be especially exciting.
Foam That is Lighter and Stronger Than Metal
Researchers at John Hopkins University have developed a shock-absorbing material that is lighter and stronger that metal. Ideal for using on helmets and body armor, this new material protects against impacts and it is reusable.
By using high energy-absorbing liquid crystal elastomers, or LCEs, the researchers were able to increase the strength while lowering the weight of this new foam. LCEs were developed in 1975. By combining liquid crystals, which exist in a grey area between a liquid and a solid, and polymers, researchers developed a material able to absorb a lot of energy.
During testing, the material handled impacts from objects weighing four to 15 pounds that were moving at speeds of up to 22 miles per hour. The team suspects the material could handle higher speeds, but 22 miles per hour was the maximum speed of the testing equipment.
The researchers hope to work with a helmet company to create stronger and lighter helmets. While the study authors didn’t call out any other explicit applications, they do conclude that the material could be helpful “where lightweight and extreme energy absorption are desirable.”
Could this become a useful material for architects and engineers? Only time will tell, but it seems to have promise.
New Design Motif Inspired by Animal Exoskeletons
Currently there are eight known biological structural design patterns. A team at Monash University thinks they have discovered a third – inspired by the rigid exoskeleton of invertebrates.
This new design motif, like the version found in nature, allows for a rotational degree of freedom.
What makes this new pattern so exciting is its high strength could be used create more damage resistant buildings. This could reduce the use of cement – which is currently one of the highest sources of carbon dioxide emissions.
By improving cement’s ability to tolerate damage, less cement will be needed to replace and repair damaged sections. The cement will be less likely to get damaged in the first place.
The new design pattern has been noted by the research team in the legs of mammals, amphibians, and reptiles, as well as the exoskeletons of arthropods.
Upon discovery, the group at Monash University tested the motif by 3D printing the shape out of cement. They designed assembled honeycomb with their segmental design motif and tested the strength of this new design.
They found that the new motif has unique progressive failure behavior that “preserves material integrity with 60–80% of load-bearing capacity at >50% of compressive strain.” The material also has a “200% higher strength than the corresponding cellular structure and up to 97.9% reduction of post-damage residual stress compared with ductile materials.”
The authors concluded the study by testing 50 different material combination that showed progressive failure behavior thanks to their design motif. This demonstrated that there is a large potential for this new design motif in architecture and engineering.