A new mixture of concrete has been developed to decrease the damage done in bomb attacks. This mix was used in the construction of the One World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan, Science Daily reports.
The danger posed by explosions to buildings is mainly in the debris that comes loose and goes flying. Traditional concrete is brittle, meaning that an explosive force can easily tear off chunks and fling them into the air.
This new concrete mix, developed by Dr. Stephan Hauser, Managing Director of Ducon Europe GmbH & CoKG, actually deforms instead of breaking. Very hard high-performance concrete is combined with finely-meshed reinforced steel, and when a certain threshold of pressure is exerted on the concrete, the steel ruptures and the shock is distributed uniformly throughout the concrete.
A new computational formula is what makes this possible. Researchers have developed a universal formula which allows them to rapidly compute the required thickness of the concrete for each specific application.
This formula was used in the application of the concrete to the One World Trade Center. The tower rests on a 20-story, bombproof foundation, and has "safety concrete" at vulnerable points, according to Science Daily.
Related Stories
| Feb 5, 2013
8 eye-popping wood building projects
From 100-foot roof spans to novel reclaimed wood installations, the winners of the 2013 National Wood Design Awards push the envelope in wood design.
| Jan 7, 2013
Jerry Yudelson's issues his "Top 10 Green Building Megatrends" for 2013
Yudelson, a Contributing Editor to Building Design+Construction, says, “It looks like a good year ahead for the green building industry. Based on our experience, it seems clear that green building will continue its rapid expansion globally in 2013 in spite of the ongoing economic slowdown in most countries of Europe and North America. More people are building green each year, with 50,000 LEED projects underway by the latest counts; there is nothing on the horizon that will stop this Mega-trend or its constituent elements.”
| Oct 17, 2012
Denver office building makes use of single-component wall system for retrofit
The Building Team selected Centria's Formawall Dimension Series to help achieve the retrofit project's goals of improved aesthetics, sustainability, and energy efficiency.
| Jun 25, 2012
Living green wall planned for InterContinental Chicago
Project, with price tag of $2 million to $3 million, needs council approval.
| Jun 22, 2012
Golden Gate Bridge Celebrates 75 Years With the Opening of New Bridge Pavilion
With features such as Nichiha's Illumination series panels, super-insulating glass units, and LED lighting, the new Golden Gate Bridge Pavilion not only boasts the bridge's famous international orange, but green sustainability as well
| Jun 15, 2012
InPro’s bio-content becomes Cradle-to-Cradle CertifiedCM Silver
Two main components of G2 Blend formula now C2C Certified Silver.
