New publication from Self Healing Cities
30 June 2020
As part of the Self Healing Cities project, the Institute of Making has been carrying out research into materials and 3D printing technologies for minimally-invasive sensing, maintenance and repair of city infrastructure. We have already demonstrated that 3D printing of asphalt is a viable method for repairing such cracks and could be deployed using an autonomous vehicle to repair small cracks before they turn into potholes. However, it is critical to obtain specific material properties within the crack repair to ensure longevity. Specifically, the functional grading of elasticity has been shown to decrease material fatigue. Our latest publication details the development of a robust 3D-printing platform for functionalised asphalt composites. It shows that the technology has immediate applications for repairing cracks in asphalt roads to modulate their properties and improve the lifetime of the repair.
See our new publication here: Functionally graded 3D printed asphalt composites, in Materials Letters: X (March 2020)