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Tales of concrete forensics

2021; American Chemical Society; Volume: 99; Issue: 17 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1021/cen-09917-feature2

2474-7408

MITCH JACOBY,

Construction Engineering and Safety

Sherlock Holmes, Miss Marple, and other fictional detectives used their keen powers of observation to solve murders, bank robberies, and other puzzling crimes. If these literary detectives had been materials scientists, they might have turned their sleuthing skills toward concrete forensics. Concrete is everywhere . The rock-hard construction material is the stuff from which the world builds bridges, buildings, roads, sewage systems, and more. We use more of it than any other material, save water: 30 billion metric tons of concrete around the globe each year. But even with all the experience we have with concrete, things can go wrong. Sometimes concrete unexpectedly cracks, chips, or flakes. It may also become discolored, corroded, and weak, failing to stand the test of time and provide the strength to support the structures for which it was designed. The damage can be unsightly, defacing a pricey building, or it can pose a safety