A Shape-Conscious Alloy: New materials for the building industry

The test shows that the retrofitted FeSMA strips pre-stress the reinforced concrete beam, increasing its load carrying capacity. ©Empa

Shape memory alloys, or SMAs, possess the ability to return to their original shape after being severely deformed, either spontaneously or following the application of heat.

This makes them useful materials, not just for making spectacle frames but also for technical applications such as thermostats, stents and micro-actuators. Other applications in the construction industry are conceivable too, for example in the reinforcement of bridges.

If a concrete beam is cast with reinforcing rods made of an SMA material, these can then be “activated” through the application of heat. They attempt to return to their original shape, but because of their concrete sheath they cannot do so, thus exerting a pre-stressing force on the beam. This effect can be used, for example, to pre-stress a complete bridge span. In order to generate the necessary force the SMA rods must simply be heated by passing an electric current through them. This obviates the need for using elaborate tensioning systems and jacket tubes, as used in conventional pre-stressing techniques.

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The Latest on: Shape-memory alloy

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