Ageing Infrastructure Pose High Safety Risk: Due to heavy use and environmental effects, bridges and streets are constantly under high stress loads and require regular maintenance.  Conference organisers Prof. Horst-Michael Ludwig and Prof. Tom Lahmer from the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar are convinced that smart materials and artificial intelligence could help make transport infrastructure safer and more durable. »Digital technologies help automatically monitor structural conditions and signal when maintenance is required before the threat of road closures or structural demolition emerges«, says Prof. Lahmer.

The event will be hosting forum for experts from the field of sensor technology, civil engineering, computer science and mathematics to help establish an interdisciplinary network among experts to promote the topic of »intelligent structures«. Twenty-four lectures will provide participants with an overview of the potential offered by smart infrastructure as well as the obstacles that need to be overcome. 

Intelligent Concrete as the Foundation

The »Funktionalisierung smarter Werkstoffe unter Mehrfeldanforderungen für die Verkehrsinfrastruktur« project was the initial inspiration for the conference. The five-year research project is set to develop an »intelligent concrete 2.0« to be used as a high performing material for 21st century infrastructure. In short: smart – adaptive – multifunctional.

The idea: Damage that may occur through the use of infrastructure is either to be prevented from the get-go or repaired after it has been detected. In addition, pollution that resulting from traffic in the form of noise as well as emissions should also be reduced. The project is split into three sections: Through the use of intelligent sensor technology, the structures’ conditions and environmental data are anonymously collected and processed. The second section looks at active components that fulfil the need for robust, self-healing concrete and activate as required. This means that the material structure is modified so that the concrete can fulfil additional functions and is, for instance, more resilient against environment effects and noise pollution from traffic can be reduced.  

The Carl Zeiss Stiftung has been supporting the project since 2020 with 4.5 million euros. A total of five projects were approved in the »Durchbrüche - Intelligente Werkstoffe« project series in 2019. Projects were evaluated by experts in a two-stage process and then recommended for funding by a selection committee. 

For further information, contact project coordinator Dr. Matthias Lieboldt at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar’s F.A. Finger Institute for Building Materials Engineering at: +49 (0) 3643/584721 or via e-mail to: matthias.lieboldt[at]uni-weimar.de