How can concrete be made lightweight and flexible?

Concrete is the most frequently used construction material in the world. Most people associate with it massive and voluminous buildings, rather than lightness, flexibility or filigree constructions. However, the constructed environment requires an alternative where Light Construction and Concrete are not a contradiction and that can meet the challenges of the construction industry. The novel Carbon Concrete possesses the necessary characteristics.

What has started in the mid- 1990’s with fundamental research at TU Dresden and the RWTH Aachen, is now continued in the C3 project dealing with Carbon Concrete, under the leadership of TU Dresden. Compared to steel, carbon is four times lighter and has five times the load-capacity. Also, it is form-free and saves material. Unlike steel, carbon does not rust. There is no additional need for a concrete cover as a protection layer, which up until now has shielded the reinforced concrete components from corrosion.

This allows thin-walled constructions and material savings of up to 80%. Current research projects show, that carbonreinforced walls are heatable, due to the electrical and thermal conductivity of carbon. Sensors can be installed right inside the walls. This allows new methods to monitor the building’s state. Furthermore, carbon concrete is very flexible. Using this material, architects can design geometry of buildings, which so far has been extremely difficult to implement.