Engineers develop fast, automated, affordable test for cement durability
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has developed a test that predicts the durability of concrete in seconds or minutes, rather than the hours required by current methods. The test uses computer vision to measure the behavior of droplets on cement surfaces. It costs less than 200 dollars. Researchers said that the new study may help cement manufacturers automate and improve their quality control.
Journal npj Material Degradation published the results of the research, which was led by Illinois civil engineering and environmental engineering professor Nishant Garg. The paper’s title is \”Rapid Prediction of Cementitious Initial Sorptivity Via Surface Wetability.\”
Garg stated that concrete is the second most used material on Earth, after water. Over time, concrete used in building our infrastructure will degrade due to exposure to deicing chemicals; freezing and thawing cycles; and water intrusion. This can lead to catastrophic failures, such as the 2021 condo collapse in Surfside Florida where 98 people died.
Source:
https://techxplore.com/news/2023-07-fast-automated-cement-durability.html
