1. Self Healing Concrete
Concrete the world’s second most consumed thing which is just after water but the substance is prone to cracking and deterioration that too very effortlessly. But it becomes difficult when it comes to repairing the damaged part. In 2010, a student from Rhode Island University created smart concrete that automatically heals the crack that forms. Capsules of Sodium Silicate are present inside the concrete which breaks during formation of cracks.
2. Carbon Nanotubes
Carbon Nanotubes forms when a larger particle combines with millions of smaller particles which increase the surface area on the mass of the particles. It is light, highly tensile and sturdy. It combines with building materials like wood, metals, concrete, etc. Sensors can be added to these materials to monitor change in stress and strain.
3. Transparent Aluminum
Scientists are trying to create a material which is tough and transparent. In their recent search they made Transparent Aluminum, a material having all properties of Aluminum but crystal clear as glass, the material is called ALON and a long process of pressurizing, heating and cooling is done to manufacture it.
4. Permeable Concrete
Porous Concrete comes of great help when it comes to clearing water from roads during rainfall. It is formed of grains and sand of 15 to 35% which consists of a lot of space so when water gets accumulated over it, it seeps through and then runs off from there to the drains. This technique is very efficient and reliable.
5. Aerogel Insulation
Aerogel is a substance that is light, even lighter than air but do hold the shape it ends into intact and incompressible. Aerogel is almost fifteen times heavier than air. It is made by removing the liquid part from the gel and thus is left with only air. It has super-insulating properties and thus used in various fields.
6. Temperature Reactive Tiles
What if I say that whenever you touch the tiles in your drawing or living room, it changes its color to match the temperature of your body seems impossible but a company made it possible. It is coating thermionic paint on this decorative glass which makes them alive whenever they sense a temperature difference. At normal temperature, they are glossy black, but with the touch, it becomes lighter or darker.
7. Robot Swarm Construction
We all know the power of termites and how these creatures build such structures when they are a size of grains. Scientists have built four-legged robots which are capable of doing the same they can build strong walls by laying the bricks down and putting one over another to make the structure more stronger. They have sensors to detect various changes around them.
8. 3-D Printing
With 3D printers one can easily build anything for himself, he only needs to fill the machine with the design he requires and the printer does its work to give the desired output to the user. It will be very beneficial in the future since it helps to minimize cost and will work in precision with 100% accuracy.
9. Smart Roads
Nowadays roads have also become smart, a company from New Zealand designed roads which act as a charger for all the electric cars. The technology is wireless and seems to be the future of smart infrastructure.
10. Build from CO2
Researchers from institutes have invented technology that modifies yeast; this is used to convert CO2 to solid substance. It will be a striving technology since it can be used to convert the harmful gas to something useful and will allow controlling a concentration of CO2 in our atmosphere.
