Smart Materials in Construction Technology

Smart materials are the materials which have the ability to respond to changes in their condition or the environment to which they are exposed, in a useful and usually repetitive manner. Structures that incorporate smart materials are called as “Smart Structures”. Smart materials are developed which responds to environmental stimuli such as pressure, temperature and wind. Smart materials used in construction technology includes self healing coatings, smart concrete, shape shifting metals, transparent metals, aerogels etc which will change the construction technology in near future. A new material known as shape shifting material has been developed that once deformed will automatically return to its original shape when heated. Concrete is the major building material used in construction industry but it is vulnerable and starts to collapse when it comes in contact with environmental stimuli such as water, wind, stress and pressure. A new type of smart concrete contains dormant bacteria and when they come into contact with stimuli like water, they create limestone, filling up the cracks and thus creating a self-healing repair mechanism. The coatings, made with polymers internally react with one another when ruptured, thus creating a self-healing mechanism. Transparent metals and aerogels are the futuristic materials which will replace the conventional building materials and will play a crucial role in the development of smart cities. Identifying the conventional moiety between Materials Science and construction technology, the paper intent to show how these two fields are inherently connected. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the types of smart materials for construction technology, giving a new vision into innovative processes and techniques, providing new inspiration in the field of architectural design and construction technology.