Mood ring materials 鈥� a new way to detect damage in failing infrastructure
鈥淢ood ring materials鈥� could play an important role in minimizing and mitigating damage to the nation鈥檚 failing infrastructure.
The American Society of Civil Engineers has estimated that more than to rehabilitate and modernize the nation鈥檚 failing infrastructure. President-elect Donald Trump has promised to establish a $1 trillion infrastructure improvement program when he takes office.
An important element in any modernization effort will be the development of new and improved methods for detecting damage in these structures before it becomes critical. That is where 鈥渕ood ring materials鈥� comes in.
Sprinkle a pixie dust of nanoparticles into a batch of clear polymer resin and you get 鈥渁 smart material that changes color when it is damaged or about to fail, what I call a 鈥榤ood ring material,鈥欌�� explained Cole Brubaker, a doctoral student in civil engineering who is part of an interdisciplinary research team at 国产原创鈥檚 developing the new sensing system.