The newest flexible concrete technologies seem to have incredible attributes for all sorts of uses here on Earth. For instance freeways, toll-ways, roads and highways making them less bumpy, which means they will be more safe, less scalloped and that means better gas mileage as well. How about for the decks of ships or aircraft carriers? How about for runways and airports, parking garages and building foundations in Californias Earthquake regions? Could flexible concrete have saved the 350-mile levee system in New Orleans during the rage of Hurricane Katrina? Should we also be making our dams and levees out of flexible concrete? The answer is most likely yes; but why? Well for starters these new flexible concrete materials which are 500 times more resistant to cracking, 40% lighter and could help in the bumpy road issues, which destroy equipment and cause dangerous safety issues for traffic. There have been lots of roadway tests and the new flexible concrete has withstood the challenge. http://www.physorg.com/news3985.html In fact these new building materials are so technologically advanced that some think we should be using them to make things that might be out of this world? For instance the University of Alabama at Huntsville is already thinking on uses for rocket bodies, lunar colonies and supporting telescopes? How about Mars? Can we use the dirt on Mars to make flexible concrete once there? Well you might be surprised that some believe with the right mix, we just might be able too and without delivering a whole lot of components from earth to do it either. Although this stuff took years to create mixing some 200 different materials in various ratios they now have a flexible concrete, which sets and dries in only 12-hours. It has been tested in water as a submarine, ship and been used to build roads, bridges, buildings, etc. and Now it is ready for space? The flexible concrete can work like a polymer muscle bending as it moves, meaning as air pressure, wind, dust devil pushes on it, it will flex. It has many applications here at home, but NASA really likes the stuff so it will not only remain here at home. Think on this, the ground is not the limit and neither is the sky. |
