Sobolev—Milwaukee engineer Konstantin University of Wisconsin has developed a water-repellent concrete with a predicted service life of 120 years. To create the material, University of Wisconsin used super-strong polyvinyl alcohol fibres or high-density polyethylene fibres, which are mixed into the concrete and bond with it. When cracks appear in the material, the fibres help to prevent them from expanding. This allows the concrete to withstand four times the compression of traditional concrete and have 200 times greater flexibility under stress.
University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee engineer Konstantin Sobolev has developed a water-repellent concrete with a predicted service life of 120 years. To create the material, Sobolev used super-strong polyvinyl alcohol fibres or high-density polyethylene fibres, which are mixed into the concrete and bond with it. When cracks appear in the material, the fibres help to prevent them from expanding. This allows the concrete to withstand four times the compression of traditional concrete and have 200 times greater flexibility under stress.