Bendable concrete

A new type of fibre-reinforced bendable concrete will be used for the first time in Michigan this summer—and University of Michigan scientists hope that their new material will find widespread use across the US.

The new concrete looks like regular concrete, but is 500 times more resistant to cracking and 40 percent lighter in weight. Tiny fibres that comprise about 2% of the mixture’s volume partly account for its performance. Also, the materials in the concrete itself are designed for maximum flexibility. Because of its long life, the Engineered Cement Composites (ECC) are expected to cost less in the long run, as well.

U-M’s ECC technology has been used already on projects in Japan, Korea, Switzerland and Australia, but has had relatively slow adoption in the US, said engineering professor Victor Li, whose team is developing the engineered cement composites. That’s despite traditional concrete’s many problems: lack of durability and sustainability, failure under severe loading and the resulting expenses of repair.