SMART MATERIALS

AND ITS
APPLICATIONS

BY
G.S.RAGHAVENDRA

1
Introduction
construction materials and systems

• durable
• cost effective
• high performance

2
Smart materials

Smart materials are materials that have the intrinsic

and extrinsic capabilities
 firstly to respond to environmental changes and
 secondly to activate their functions according to
these changes.

3
Smart Structure

 Structure that incorporates smart materials

 Perform particular functions like sensing,

transmitting and recording of data.

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Components of a Smart Structure

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Control system
• monitors the sensor’s signal

• processing the information in order to determine

action required.
• If an action is required, then a signal is applied to
the appropriate actuator.
Sensor
• To monitor environmental changes

• and generate signals proportional to the changing

measured.
Actuator
• used to change the properties of the smart structure
in order to achieve the desired response 6
Smart structure aims at 5 basic function

Data Data
ACTUATORS CONTROL SENSOR
Transmission Transmission

 Data Acquisition
 Data Transmission
 Command and control process
 Data instructions
 Action Device
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Classification Of Smart Materials
 Piezoelectric

 Electrostrictive

 Magnetostrictive

 Optical fibers

 Shape memory alloys

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 Piezoelectric Materials
They have two unique properties which are
interrelated.

 When a piezoelectric material is deformed, it

gives off a small but measurable electrical
discharge.

 Alternately, when an electrical current is

passed through a piezoelectric material it
experiences a significant increase in size
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Illustration of the Piezoelectric Effect
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Advantages
 Compact and light weight.
 Displacement proportional to applied voltage.
 Operate over large temperature range.

Disadvantages
 Brittle due to crystalline structure.
 Produce small strains compared to SMA and
magnetostrictives.
 Cannot withstand high shear and tension.
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Electrostrictive and Magnetostrictive
materials

 These are ferromagnetic materials

 Experience an elastic strain when subjected to

an electric field and magnetic field respectively.

 used in high precision actuation.

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Shape memory alloys (SMA's)

 Shape memory alloys are metals, which

exhibit two very unique properties,
• pseudo-elasticity, and
• shape memory effect.

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SHAPE MEMORY ALLOYS 14
SHAPE MEMORY ALLOYS 15
SHAPE MEMORY ALLOYS
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Crystal Structures Of SMA

The two phases which occur in shape memory

alloys, are
 Martensite and
 Austenite
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Martensite
 is the relatively soft and easily deformed phase of
shape memory alloys,
 which exists at lower temperatures.
 It is stable in low energy level having a sheared
version of structure.
Austenite
 the stronger phase of shape memory alloys,
 occurs at higher temperatures.
 It is stable in high energy level with a bcc
structure. 18
Pseudo-elasticity

It is stress induced, phase transformation mechanism

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 Shape Memory Effect

It is temperature induced, phase transformation

mechanism 20
Properties of shape memory Alloys
 Repeated absorption of large amount of strain
energy

 Usable strain range of 70%

 Extraordinary fatigue resistance under large strain

cycle

 There great durability and reliability in the long

run 21
Structural uses

 Active control of structures

 Passive control of structures

 Smart material tag

 Retrofitting

 Self healing

 prestressing 22
Active control of structures
concept of adaptive behavior of smart materials

Test Setup of the Cantilevered Beam with SMA Wire

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Actuators, (Baz et al., 1990)

 Passive control of structures

 special braces for framed structures

 isolation devices for buildings and bridges

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Arrangement of SMA braces in framed model
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The Structure and the SMA Actuators (Shahin et al).

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Smart Material Tag

 Used in composite structures

 Can be monitored externally throughout the life

of the structure

 The internal material conditions like moisture,

voids, cracks may be interpreted via sensing .

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Retrofitting
 SMAs can be used as self stressing fibers and
thus they can be applied for retrofitting
SMA tendons are placed into the composite in
non stressed state
 Prestressing force is introduced into the system
by providing heating
 Treatment can be applied at any time after
hardening of the matrix
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Self-healing
The deformation beyond the first crack can be
fully recovered and cracks can be fully closed.

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 Smart prestressing

 prestressing concrete using shape memory alloy

tendons

 prestressing force in beams can be changed by using

heat activated SMA tendons

 Jacking equipment is not needed

 it requires an electrical source of heat to trigger the

tendons
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Other Applications Of Smart Materials

Structural Health Monitoring

 Monitoring can be done by the use of

→ piezo transducers, bonded to the surface of the structure
→ optical fibre composites in retrofitting

 local damage detection can be done.

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Smart concrete
Addition of 0.5% of carbon fibers enables the
increase of electrical conductivity of concrete
 Addition of load reduces the conductivity of the
concrete, on removing of load concrete regains its
original conductivity
 Functions as a traffic sensing recorder when used
as road pavement
 Used to lay smart highways to guide self steering
cars which at present follow tracks of buried
magnets 32
Substitute for steel?

 The fatigue behavior of CuZnAl- SMAs is

comparable with steel

 Larger diameter rods manufacture has potential

for use in civil engineering applications

 require future investigations

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ACTIVE RAILWAY TRACK
SUPPORT

The train will pass the bridge with reduced track deflection
and vibrations and thus velocity could be safely increased 34
 Active Structural Control Against Wind

 Aerodynamic control devices reduces the bi-

directional wind induced vibrations in tall
buildings

 Aerodynamic flap system (AFS) is an active

system driven by a feed back control algorithm
based on information obtained from the vibration
sensors

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ACTIVE AERODYNAMIC CONTROL DEVICE 36
 Smart building materials remove
pollutants
 These are special construction materials and
coatings containing titanium dioxide (TiO2)

 They can “capture” organic and inorganic air

pollutants after they have been exposed to ultra-
violet and/or sun rays.

 The degraded polluting substances can then be

washed away by rainwater. 37
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Flagpole in Dupont court 39
Sensor box mounted on flag pole
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Flagpole in Dupont court
 102-foot-tall
 Outfitted with a specially designed system of
sensors
 These sensors provide measurements of the
response of the structure to the wind
 Monitoring station on top of Building.
 Data from sensors is continuously transmitted to
computers through wireless and wired connections.
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Rion Antirion Bridge,Greece

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CONCLUSION
The technologies using smart materials are useful
for both new and existing constructions.

Of the many emerging technologies available the

few described here need further research to
evolve the design guidelines of systems.

Codes, standards and practices are of crucial

importance for the further development.
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