New Vision for Civil Engineering with Nanotechnology

Physical scale and Examples in Civil Engineering System

What is Nanoscale Science and Engineering

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One nanometer (one billionth of a meter) is a magical point on the dimensional scale. Nanoscale science and engineering here refer to the fundamental understanding and resulting technological advances arising from the exploitation of new systems that are intermediate in size, between isolated atoms and molecules and bulk materials.

What is Nanotechnology
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Nanotechnology is the creation and utilization of functional materials, devices, and systems with novel properties and functions that are achieved through the control of matter, atom-byatom, molecule-by-molecule, or at the nanoscale or macromolecular level.

The Complete Process

Tip Preparation

Work piece Preparation

Final Product

Positional Control

What Nanotechnology Can Do

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Create functional materials, devices and systems with novel functions and properties through the control of matter at the nano-scale. Exploit properties and phenomena developed at the nanometre scale. Consider a scale in which matter shows a special behavior due to both the quantum effects (prevailing up to 10 nm) as well as the high surface/interface effects

Nanotechnology Application in Civil Engineering

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Materials:
ultra-high strength and ductility of steels polymers composite and concrete multifunctional materials

Nanotechnology Application in Civil Engineering

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Coatings:
new composite materials, photocatalytic coatings; corrosion protection coating and self cleaning coating

Nanotechnology Application in Civil Engineering

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Sensors:
intelligent aggregates and coatings acting as wireless sensors and actuators

Nanotechnology Application in Civil Engineering

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Durability:
self-healing structural polymer composite, pavements

Nanotechnology Application in Civil Engineering

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New designs:
infrastructure taking advantage of much stronger materials, ductile concrete and other advances, as such multifunctional or smart materials

Nanotechnology Application in Civil Engineering

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New tools:
giving new understanding of basic materials structure-property relations, especially for cement

Future Vision for Civil Engineering with Nanotechnology

cracked bridges and potholes in pavement repair on their own; a guardrails re-align automatically after impact; a bridges adjust their shapes to control movement caused by winds;
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Future Vision for Civil Engineering with Nanotechnology

coatings make metal structures self clean to avoid corrosion, and make road sign never need to be washed; a rearranging and combining alloy particles could make bridge steel many times more durable and stronger;
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Future Vision for Civil Engineering with Nanotechnology

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MEMS/NEMS sensors could be embedded into highways or coat an entire bridge for monitoring the processes of deterioration, and allowing to fix them long before they are apparent to human inspectors

Apply Nanotecnology to Improve Construction Material

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high performance steel for bridges.

With copper nanoparticles forming at the steel grain boundary, the resulting microstructures changes make the steel tougher, easier to weld and more corrosion-resistance

Nanomaterials Modified Concrete

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Concrete is a porous material, ranging from air voids to nanometers scale pores these nanoscale pores control the properties of the calcium-silicate-hydrate hydration product, or C-S-H colloids

Nanomaterials Modified Concrete

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Exploring and modifying these nanoscale pores can result in improved concrete Nano-engineered cement materials with nano-sized reaction modifier and reinforcing materials are under development

Nanomaterials Modified Concrete

These addition could compensate for its weakness in tension and result in concrete with greatly improved stress-strain behavior a Possibly result in the range of newly introduced smart properties, such as electrical conductivity, sensing abilities
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Nanoscale Silica Fume Modifier

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De-icing chemicals could penetrate concretes porous structure and oxidize the reinforcing steel and cause cracking and deterioration to the structure. The addition of nanoscale silica fume operates at a nanoscale and can improve durability of concrete structures exposed to de-icing salts.

Carbon Nanotubes (CNT) Reinforced Cement/Concrete

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A carbon nanotube is a oneatom thick sheet of graphite rolled up into a seamless cylinder with diameter of the order of a nanometer.

Single-walled carbon nanotube

Multi-walled carbon nanotube

Carbon Nanotubes (CNT) Reinforced Cement/Concrete

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They are one-dimensional nanostructure where the length-to-diameter ratio exceeds 10,000. The Young's modulus of CNTs can be as high as 1000 GPa ,5 times higher than steel. The tensile strength can be up to 63 GPa, 50 times higher than steel. They exhibit unique electrical properties, and are efficient conductors of heat.

Carbon Nanotubes (CNT) Reinforced Cement/Concrete

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CNTs hold great promise for the next generation of high performance and multi-functional composite materials. Much research activities have focused on CNTsreinforced polymer or ceramic composite Exploration of applications of this new material in cement/concrete is underway

Carbon Nanotubes (CNT) Reinforced Cement/Concrete

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Plain concrete itself is a brittle material that is much stronger in compression than in tension. carbon nanotubes may be applied to improve mechanical performance of cement/carbon-nanotube composite

evidence of reinforcing mechanisms of CNT in cement

polymeric polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fiber

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nanoscale coating that controls the chemical bonding between reinforcing PVA fibers and the mortar matrix This nano-enabled concrete is 500 times more resistant to cracking and makes concrete tough

Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECC) bending test

Apply Nanotechnology to Improve sensor for Civil Engineering

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Nanotechnology-based Devices for Quality Control and Durability Monitoring of Concrete Material
understanding of the cement hydration process, strength development, and damage evolution detecting crack initiation under loading, as well as pressure, temperature, chemical, stress, strain for both nondestructive evaluation and condition-based maintenance

Sensor examples
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A sensor was developed to measure the density and viscosity of uncured concrete in mixing and pumping equipment during pouring concrete.
fresh concrete workability is important and improper workability will prevent concrete fully flowing into form and result in porous

Sensor Examples
NSF currently supports a research of strain and corrosion sensors for civil structures by exploring the fabrication of carbon nanotube-polyelectrolyte thin films a Another NSF funded research is to develop embedded strain sensors, using nanoscale engineering of ultra-sonic consolidation
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Sensor Examples
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Smart dust a wireless sensor built on a small silicon chip, is currently developed these fine particle-size sensors could be distributed over a structure to form a network and monitor the entire structure

Sensor Examples
some embedded sensors have been developed and applied to verify designs a these sensors do not constitute nanotechnology, they do illustrate the use of embedded sensors and give a indication of what can be accomplished in the future as the nanotechnology reduces the sensor size
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Sensor Examples
the Golden Gate Bridge now has an experimental sensor network of approximately 200 small MEMS sensors, a Each sensor can measure movement such as traffic, wind, or seismic loads. a All sensor readings are correlated, a threedimensional picture is created which may portray structural abnormalities
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Sensor Examples
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IntelliRock and iBottom can be embedded in concrete to record the temperature of iBottom curing concrete. Strength of concrete can be quickly monitored It can speed construction and save cost by removing forms earlier, loading the concrete earlier

IntelliRock

Sensor Examples
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Chloride corrodes the reinforcing steel rebar in concrete expand the rebars volume and cause the surrounding concrete to crack

Sensor Examples
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Smart Pebble, a long-life wireless sensor can check chloride ingress and relay the information wirelessly This sensor is powered remotely, so no lifetimelimiting batteries are required

Sensor Examples
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Smart Aggregates, contains wireless power receiver and data transmission coils A data reader mounted on a car powers the sensors as it passes over them and collects the sensor data

Apply Nanotechnology for nanocomposite

Nanomaterials-by-design can deliberately creating materials with unique functionality for target applications a Nanocomposites can possess the ability to repair themselves after major damage. a Nanosensors and multifunctional materials can be built into composite materials to produce smart building
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Self-Healing Nanocomposite
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Inspired by biological systems in which damage trigger an autonomic healing response A polymer composite material that can heal itself when cracked has been developed

Self-Healing Nanocomposite
Microcapsules on computer chip

Incorporate a microencapsulated healing agent and a catalytic chemical trigger within an epoxy matrix a structural polymeric material can have the ability to self-heal cracks

Ruptured Microcapsules

Self-Healing Nanocomposite
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An approaching crack ruptures embedded microcapsules, releasing a healing agent into the crack Polymerization of the healing agent is triggered by contact with the embedded catalyst and will bond the crack faces

Self-Healing Concrete
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The concrete could be self-healing

Self-Healing Concrete
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The high fraction of unhydrated cement left after the hydration could be a reservoir for further hydration
Unhydarated cement grain

Cracked surface

Self-Healing Concrete
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When a crack develops and anhydrous surfaces are soaked in water, hydration starts again and seal the crack

Self-Sensing Concrete
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The inclusion of electrically conducting short fibers can make concrete sense elastic and inelastic deformation and fracture necessary The electrical resistance (ER) increase is due to conducting fiber pullout in the elastic regime, conducting fiber breakage in the inelastic regime, and crack propagation at fracture

Self-Sensing Concrete
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Correlations exist between concrete ER and its strain or damage condition:

Reversible change in ER is for elastic deformation Irreversible change in ER is for inelastic deformation Irreversible dramatic change in ER is for fracture.

Use ECC for Concrete Self-Healing

Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECC) are developed and reinforced by polymeric polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fiber or other fibers a It results in smaller crack in concrete a Hollow fibers with sealing agent could repair cracks after fibers break due to cracking
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Use ECC for Concrete Self-Healing

Advanced Smart Concrete

Sensing strain and damage a Self-healing after cracking
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Electrically conducted hollowed fibers inclusion for sensing Fill hollowed fiber with sealing agent for sealing the cracks

Self-Cleaning Nano-Coating
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In some Eastern cultures, the lotus plant is a symbol of purity. Even lotuses emerge from muddy ponds or lakes, its leaves and flowers remain uncontaminated and pure.

Self-Cleaning Nano-Coating
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lotus leaves have a fine surface with wax crystals of around 1 nm in diameter The contact area between the water and surface is reduced to only 2-3% of the droplet-covered surface Dirt and grime can be collected by water drops and rinses off

Self-Cleaning Nano-Coating
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Nanotechnology is being used to mimic the lotus leaf surface and create new nostick painting or coating
(C) treated surface with silica nanoparticles. (D) Water droplet on this surface. (Zhai et al.)

Self-Cleaning Nano-Coating
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Development of lotus-effect aerosol spray is underway It combines nanoparticles with hydrophobic polymers and propellant gas, and develops a nanostructure through self-assembly. It particularly suits rough surfaces such as paper, leather, textiles and masonry

Treated wood surface with water repelling capacity

Self-Cleaning Nano-Coating
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The Lotus-Effect exterior coating or paint on traffic signs or control devices:

require no laborintensive and periodic washing to remove road grime enhance visibility and safety

Self-Cleaning Nano-Coating
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The commercial Lotus-Effect exterior coating or paint are available in U.S. for building facades:
Water and dirt flow off immediately Resists the growth of mold, mildew, and algae The facade remains dry and attractive

Sto Lotusan

A Schematic View of a Smart Bridge