Abstract
In the last decades a considerable progress has been made in concrete technology . The use of so called high strength concrete has made possible the economical construction of super-tall buildings such as the world tallest building: Burj Khalifa in Dubai. This development is a result of the better understanding of microstructure of concrete. Buildings consume a substantial amount of energy (up to 40% of total consumed energy in Hong Kong). There is a need to develop cement based materials which are energy efficient and eco friendly. Such development is fostered by emerging nanotechnology. In this presentation, some examples of the nanotechnology fueled research will be presented. These include improved constructability using self-consolidating concrete, enhanced thixotropy using nanoclay, energy efficient use of waste materials, employing nanoparticles to assure sustainability, ultra-high performance fiber reinforced composites, recycled aggregates with improved interfaces and multi-functional composites using carbon nanotube and graphene oxide.
About the speaker
Prof Surendra P. Shah is the Walter P. Murphy Emeritus Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Northwestern University, and Honorary Professor at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and L'Aquilla University in Italy. He was the Founding Director of the pioneering National Science Foundation and Technology Center for Advanced Cement-Based Materials, and has taught at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He is also Visiting Professor of the HKUST Jockey Club Institute for Advanced Study.
Prof Shah's current research interests include: fracture, fiber reinforced composites, non-destructive evaluation, transport properties, processing, rheology, nanotechnology, and use of solid waste materials. He has co-authored two books: Fiber-Reinforced Cement-Based Composites and Fracture Mechanics of Concrete. He has published more than 400 journal articles and edited more than twenty books. He has served as editor-in-chief of RILEM's journal Materials and Structures.
Prof Shah is a Member of the US National Academy of Engineering. He is also a Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, as well as of the Indian Academy of Engineering. He is the only civil engineer who is a member of these three academies. He has received many awards including the Swedish Concrete Award, ACI Anderson Award, RILEM Gold Medal, ASTM Thompson Award, ASCE Charles Pankow Award, and Engineering News Record's News Maker Award. He was named one the Most Influential People in the industry by Concrete Construction Magazine. He spent time recently as an Honorary Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay under a Fulbright grant. Most recently, he was awarded an honorary membership in American Concrete Institute and RILEM (based in Paris).
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