"The over-all point is that new technology will not necessarily replace old technology, but it will date it. By definition. Eventually, it will replace it. But it's like people who had black-and-white TVs when color came out. They eventually decided whether or not the new technology was worth the investment." - STEVE JOBS
LIQUID GRANITE: Scientists have developed a new building material that is fire resistant to temperatures in excess of 1100 degrees Celsius, is made largely from recycled material and is as versatile as concrete.
Most important to solving the problems of infrastructure is utilizing new materials that will overcome the deficiencies of old materials. It is only through this tactic that progress will be made in the battle of improving infrastructure.
There is also a need for greater versatility from the materials that make up the fabric of our buildings and surroundings. Liquid Granite meets these requirements and has a reduced environmental impact compared to conventional materials.
Liquid Granite offers a real breakthrough in reducing fire risk in buildings as, unlike concrete, it doesn't explode at high temperatures. It can also withstand high temperatures for longer periods, offering valuable minutes in the case of a fire.
In India this building material is still very new to most of the areas of construction industry.
The material is made up of between 30 and 70 per cent recycled material, mainly base products from industry. It uses less than one third of the cement used in precast concrete, which also reduces its carbon footprint.
The product was developed at Sheffield Hallam University and is available from Liquid Granite Ltd. The new material is being used by a number of organisations in building projects as it has a four hour fire rating, meaning that it provides the top level of protection in the case of a fire.
Professor Pal Mangat is the Director of the Centre of Infrastructure Management at Sheffield Hallam University and developed Liquid Granite. He explains, "Liquid Granite is a very versatile material that can be used in a similar way to concrete. The fact it has a high level of fire resistance means that it can be used in areas where fire safety is crucial, such as around power stations, and in domestic and commercial buildings can offer added time for evacuation in case of an emergency.
- Heat:It can withstand with the temperature which the normal concrete can't.
- Strength: Liquid Granite can be manufactured to comply with the toughest standards and can achieve compressive strength of about 80N/m2.
- Reinforcement: Liquid granite behaves like the normal concrete towards reinforcement.
- Moisture: It has excellent moisture resisting properties.The water absorption value of Liquid Granite was as low as 5.18% as for the normal concrete it varies from 9.4% to 12.45%.Hence it can be used in damp environments like basements,sea locations etc.
Eco Friendly: Cement industry is one of the highest producers of CO2 where as Liquid Granite is 60 % less than most of the traditional concrete products.
Uses: Liquid Granite, because of its ability to tolerate heat and pressure so well, has been recently utilized in major construction projects. The Olympic Village in London, which hosted the 2012 summer Olympic Games, makes use of it. The Stratford Shopping Centre, also in London, did too . These high profile projects, by using Liquid Granite, are making important headway in creating better infrastructure. Hopefully others will do the same. However, using Liquid Granite in new projects is not enough. The inadequacies of old infrastructure must also be addressed. Replacement of decaying concrete in old buildings with Liquid Granite, especially buildings prone to fire, is vital. By taking reasonable precaution and using Liquid Granite before catastrophe strikes, lives can be saved.
"Hope you get introduced to the useful technology & meet you back with some other ground breaking technologies" - Viswa
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