SMART AND INTELLIGENT

MATERIALS

Presented by
Ar.Clarance Dsilva
Ar.VISHAL DALAL
 GENERAL INTRODUCTION
The construction industry consumes more natural resources than any
other industry. With increasing public awareness of the needs and
demands of sustainable development and environmental
conservation
Smart or Intelligent materials have properties that react to changes in
their environment. One of their properties can be changed by an
external condition, such as temperature, light, pressure or electricity.
This change is reversible and can be repeated many times.
The materials that receive, transmit, or process a stimulus and
respond by producing a useful effect that may include a signal that the
materials are acting upon it.
These materials with one or more property can be significantly altered
in a controlled fashion by external stimuli. Thus this material has
built-in or intrinsic sensor (s), actuator (s) and control mechanism
(s) by which it is capable of sensing a stimulus, responding to it in a
predetermined manner and extent, in a short or appropriate time and
reverting to its original state as soon as the stimulus is removed
 Smart material was defined as the material, which responds to its
environments in a timely manner.
However, the definition of smart materials has been expanded to the
materials that receive, transmit, or process a stimulus and respond
by producing a useful effect that may include a signal that the
materials are acting upon it.
Smart materials have properties that react to changes in their
environment.
This means that one of their properties can be changed by an
external condition, such as temperature, light, pressure or electricity.
This change is reversible and can be repeated many times.
There are a wide range of different smart materials.
Each offer different properties that can be changed.
Some materials are very good indeed and cover a huge range of the
scales.
 WHY SMART MATERIALS ?
Benefits Including :

Superior strength, toughness, and ductility.

Enhanced durability/service life.
Increased resistance to abrasion, corrosion, chemicals, and
fatigue.
Initial and life-cycle cost efficiencies.
Improved response in extreme events such as natural disasters
and fire.
Ease of manufacture and application or installation.
Aesthetics and environmental compatibility.
Ability for self-diagnosis, self healing, and structural control.
 TYPES OF SMART MATERIALS

Shape-memory alloys
Piezoelectricmaterials
Quantum-tunnelling composite
Electroluminescent materials
Colour-change materials
Magnetic shape memoryalloys
pH-sensitive polymers
 SHAPE-MEMORY ALLOYS
Shape-memory alloy (SMA) is bent out of
shape, when it is heated above a certain
temperature it will return to its original
shape.
This property makes it useful for making
spectacle frames - they return to their
original shape if they are put in hot water
after bending them.
SMAs are used as triggers to start the
sprinklers in fire alarm systems, controllers
for hot water valves in showers or coffee
machines and for spectacle frames.
Eg.:Titanium-Nickel Alloys. SHAPE-MEMORY
It can be used in coffee-pot thermostat, LAMP
super elastic spectacle frames, stents for
veins, whereas shape memory polymer
has the ability to regain its original shape
when heated.
 PIEZOELECTRIC MATERIALS
A piezoelectric material is squeezed rapidly, it produces a small
electrical voltage for a moment. If a voltage is put across the material it
makes a tiny change in shape.
Piezoelectric materials are being used for contact sensors for alarm
systems and in microphones and headphones.
They can also be used in optical-tracking devices, magnetic heads, dot-
matrix printers, computer keyboards, high-frequency stereo speakers,
accelerometers, micro-phones, pressure sensors, transducers and igniters
for gas grills.

STRAWSCRAPER AT STOCKHOLM (CONCEPT)

 QUANTUM-TUNNELLING COMPOSITE

Quantum-tunnelling composite
(QTC) is a flexible polymer
which contains tiny metal
particles. It is normally an
insulator but if it is squeezed it
becomes a conductor.
QTC can be used to make
membrane switches like
those used on mobile phones,
pressure sensors and speed
controllers.
 ELECTROLUMINESCENT MATERIALS

Electroluminescent materials give out light when an electric

current is applied to them. Among many possible applications
are safety signs and clothing for use at night.

ELECTRORHEOLOGICALFLUIDS
They are the colloidal suspensions that undergo changes in
viscosity when subjected to an electric field. Such fluids are
highly sensitive and respond instantaneously to any change
in the applied electric field.
 COLOUR-CHANGE MATERIALS

A) Thermochromic materials
Thermochromic materials change colour as the temperature changes.
These are used on contact thermometers made from plastic strips and test
strips on the side of batteries (where the heat comes from a resistor under
the thermochromic film).
They are also used as food COLOR CHANGING
packaging materials
THERMOCHROMIC
TILES

B) Photochromic materials
Photochromic materials change color according to different lighting
conditions. They are used for security markers that can only be seen in
 MAGNETOSTRICTIVEMATERIALS

They are the smart materials which have the ability to undergo
deformation when subjected to magnetic field.
Eg :Terfenol-D, (Alloy of Iron and Terbium)
Magneto restrictive materials similar to piezoelectric, respond to only
magnetic fields rather than electric. They are typically used in low-
frequency, high-power sonar transducers, motors and hydraulic
actuators, along with the shape-memory alloy Nitinol, magneto
restrictive materials are considered promising candidates for achieving
active damping of vibrations.
Magnetic shape memoryalloys
Magnetic shape memoryalloys are materials that change their shape in
response to a significant change in the magnetic field.
 PH-SENSITIVE POLYMERS

pH-sensitive polymersare materials that change in volume when the

pH of the surrounding medium changes.
pH-sensitive materials are the materials that change their colour as a
result of changing acidity.
This can be applicable for paints that can change colour to indicate
corrosion in the metal underneath them.
Chromogenic systems change colour in response to electrical,
optical or thermal changes. These include Electrochromic materials,
which change their colour or opacity on the application of a voltage.
Very common example of such type is Liquid crystal displays. Likewise,
photochromic materials, which change colour in response to light.
This can be observed in light sensitive spectacles that darken when
exposed to bright sunlight. There are also certain paints such as the
rmochromic and photochromic paints, which change colour on
heating and on exposure to light respectively
 CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY BENEFITS FROM THE
NANO-TECHNOLOGY.

Replacement of steel cables by much stronger carbon nanotubes in

suspension bridges and cable-stayed bridges
Use of nano-silica, to produce dense cement composite materials
Incorporation of resistive carbon nanofibers in concrete roads in snowy areas
Incorporation of nano-titania, to produce photocatalytic concrete
Use of nano-calcite particles in sealants to protect the structures from
aggressive elements of the surrounding environment
Use of nano-clays in concrete to enhance its plasticity and flowability.
Urban air quality could be improved by if the civil structures are treated with
nano TiO2
EXAMPLES
Cable-Stayed and Suspension bridges
New Jubilee Church (Rome, Italy) made of nano photocatylatic concrete
 Smart concrete
With smart concrete, short carbon fibers are added to the conventional concrete
mixture. This modification gives the concrete the ability to detect stress and tiny
deformations in the concrete. In the presence of structural flaws - within a levee
made of smart concrete, for example - the concrete's electrical resistance
increases. This change can be detected by electrical probes placed on the
outside of structures. Similarly, the electrical properties of smart concrete could
be used to detect underground stress that builds prior to an earthquake, to
monitor building occupancy for intruders or for stragglers during an evacuation,
and to monitor traffic flow in an emergency or around borders (Chung, 2005)
Smart bricks
Bricks stuffed with sensors, signal processors and wireless communication links
warning about hidden stresses, or damage in the aftermath of natural calamities
like earthquakes, storms or hurricanes. Built into a wall, the brick could monitor a
buildings temperature, vibration and movement. Such information could be vital
to firefighters battling a blazing skyscraper, or to rescue workers ascertaining the
soundness of an earthquake-damaged structure
 Acoustic monitoring technologies
Acoustic monitoring technologies are a non-destructive method for evaluating pre-stressed concrete
structures. When installed, they can measure deterioration and corrosion of wires or strands at
localized areas of corrosion. They may also be used to determine the rate of corrosion, which not only
provides valuable data for future use, but can also alert engineers to the time remaining to deal with
the system failure efficiently and effectively. This data is then sent to a central monitoring unit, where
it is interpreted and analysed. This technique allows the building owners and engineers to focus on
preventive measures and maintenance, instead of having to cope with an unforeseen structural
failure.
Roofing
To impart protection and covering to the buildings using the renewable energy resources like
vegetated green roofs and photovoltaic modules. Photovoltaic (PV) modules (which convert sunlight
into electricity) are integrated into roofing materials and are mounted on rooftop racks. Once
installed, PV roofing produces free electricity from sunlight that can power certain home functions or
supply most, if not all, the electrical needs of a home and significantly reduces the amount of
electricity supplied by the utility company. While the initial cost of these systems can be quite high,
the operating cost over the life cycle of the building structure can result in a significant drop in
energy and maintenance cost.
Ceilings
Ceilings with anti-bacterial treatment called the anti-microbial ceilings include an intercept coating
that destabilizes the cellular membrane of certain microorganisms preventing them from multiplying
and surviving. The coating inhibits the growth of odor and stain-causing bacteria on the treated
surface of the ceiling tile (Figure 5). Controlled laboratory tests have demonstrated that these panels
resist Gram-positive, Gram-negative odour/stain-causing bacteria