A new type of of material has been created to make “green cake†blocks. Two Palestinian women, Rawan Abdulatif and Majd Mashharawi, have engineered the new material using coal ash. The blocks are being used to rebuild Gaza, which has been through three wars in ten years. Due to the Israeli blockade it is very difficult for Gaza to get regular blocks to use to rebuild.
Two engineers from our very own University of Nebraska in Lincoln have created a conductive concrete that is now being used to shield electronics from electromagnetic energy pulse (EMP) attacks. Christopher Tuan and Lim Nguyen have developed the electricity conducting concrete and over time found multiple uses for it including de-icing roads, radiant heating, and anti-static floor applications.
Concrete is pretty awesome stuff if you ask us. Think about it, you can make almost anything out of concrete: floors, buildings, furniture, countertops, and more. Concrete countertops are nearly indestructible and are low maintenance, which makes them a top choice among competing materials.
Polished concrete floors are very popular in the retail, commercial, and industrial world. Typically, companies choose to polish the existing slab of concrete, which can result in exposure of any existing imperfections such as, spalled areas, patchwork, or tack holes. Even after polishing, these flaws will show through.
A new home isn’t required for decorative concrete floors. Most homes have concrete subfloors that already can act as the perfect canvas. Typically, concrete subfloors are covered with tile, hardwood, or carpet. Materials like carpet and hardwood can be problematic over time because carpet stains and can host bacteria, and hardwood floors can easily be damaged by water or liquids.
Delaminations are a big problem in concrete slabs. Delaminations happen when the natural settlement of the cement and the aggregate in the concrete settle after fresh concrete is poured and compacted. The settlement happens naturally which causes bleeding (excess water and air to become displaced). The lighter of the materials rises to the surface of the concrete and gets trapped under the densified surface mortar.