Researchers at Swinburne University of Technology in Australia have developed and patented a new type of concrete that replaces cement with industrial waste and it can bend under load, which the founders claim will make it a good construction material in earthquake- and hurricane-prone areas.

 

The industrial waste in the mix can be fly ash left over from coal-fired power plants, which makes the concrete less brittle and more sustainable. According to the university, the manufacture of this new concrete uses about 36% less energy and emits up to 27% less carbon than the currently established bendable concrete.

Also in the mix are place short polymeric fibers which allow the final product "to sustain multiple hair-sized cracks when put under tension or bending and not break into pieces."

The lab tests reportedly proved that the new concrete is about 400 times more bendable than traditional concrete but has about the same strength.