Monomers that react to the CLCE (A) and the method to prepare the CLCE leaf by leading directly to a target surface and subsequent post -processing (B). Credit: Structural health monitoring (2024). DOI: 10.1177/14759217241296831
Elastomers, similar to the University of Luxembourg and the Technical University of Darmstadt, have been proven to contribute to the detection and monitoring of potential concrete cracks in existing or future buildings. Many of the tunnel and bridge infrastructures in Europe are older than 50 years and approach the end of life with important maintenance needs and exhibit the risk of more catastrophic accidents, as the Morandi Bridge in Genoa in 2018 in Italy (43 deaths and deaths 16 injured).
This technology could be inexpensive and scalable and could have revolutionary effects on the safety of critical infrastructure such as bridges or dams. “Existing solutions and sensors do not enable the detection and surveillance at an appropriate costs, while our technology is cheap and only needs a camera as electronic devices,” says Prof. Jan Lagerwall, physicist at the Faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine at the University of Luxembourg .
Show colors where the material deteriorates
The interdisciplinary cooperation between researchers and concrete technology experts in an article published in the journal Structural health monitoringshowed that the crack formation in a very early stage could be unveiled by a thin layer of this cholesterol -crystallelastomer (CLCES) in order to actively act against potentially catastrophic consequences.
The team currently finds the chemical composition of CLCES, which are changed to different colors or can remain invisible up to the tear in order to minimize its environmental impact. The technology could initially be aimed at concrete surfaces, and could also be easily applied to metal surfaces of mobile vehicles such as aircraft, boats, trains and cars.
“Together with Prof. Numa Bertola here at the University of Luxembourg, we are now starting our first out-of-LAB pilot experiment in spring 2025 on a real structure with a bridge in Switzerland, since it is very important to see, How our solution fairs are exposed to the conditions outdoors for a long time, “added Prof. Jan Lagerwall.
The team is currently investigating cooperation with additional partners and potential commercial possibilities by licensing intellectual property.
Further information:
Tarik Čamo et al., Evidence and assessment of the optical crack using cholesterol liquid crystalelastomers, Structural health monitoring (2024). DOI: 10.1177/14759217241296831
Provided by the University of Luxembourg
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