Ground-breaking research into self-healing concrete has received over £4 million in new funding to help create innovative solutions to rising maintenance costs across the UK.
The Cardiff University-led Resilient Materials 4 Life (RM4L) project has received the investment from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and will be used to develop smart materials that can self-diagnose damage and self-heal without human intervention.
The aim of the RM4L project is to help companies incorporate self-healing technologies into systems that can automatically repair concrete in the built environment. At present, billions of pounds are spent every year maintaining, fixing and restoring structures such as bridges, buildings, tunnels and roads.
It is estimated that around £40 billion a year is spent in the UK on the repair and maintenance of structures, the majority of which are made from concrete.
Read the complete article published by Cardiff University, 16 March 2017