UM: Concrete

Motor Trend magazine reports on a new form of concrete being developed by UM researchers, called Engineered Cement Composite (ECC): “With traditional brittle concrete, a structure would become unable to carry a load when the concrete has been stretched just 0.01% beyond its original size. Cracks form, the concrete fails and the structure collapses. ECC, however, stays together and is even safe to continue using when stretched up to 5% beyond its original size. That’s the equivalent of taking a 100-foot long slab of concrete and stretching it five feet longer.” [Source]