Landscape Architect Articles

Hardscape Heroes08-14-13 | News

Hardscape Heroes
Pavers and Concrete are part of everyone's daily life, but most of the time they remain unnoticed, ignored by average citizens. However, some of these "mild-mannered' structures and surfaces contain secret powers: the ability to heal, to clean the air, to light the night. Some, in fact, are downright...SUPER!

A Porous Cure
Location: Purdue University, Indiana
Abilities: Increased strength against cracking, deicing salt
Origin: Purdue graduate students added small porous stones to their concrete's sand mixture to enhance "internal curing," extending the lifespan and reducing maintenance needs in new bridges. Indiana's Dept. of Transportation plans to use the mix in four bridges this year.

The Smog-Eater
Location: Hengelo, east Netherlands
Abilities: Cleans urban air by absorbing pollutants from vehicle emissions
Origin: Dutch researchers mixed concrete pavement with titanium dioxide – a common ingredient in sunscreen – and measured the air quality over a "test street' for one year. The "smog-eaters' reduced airborne nitrogen oxide (NOx) pollutants by 45 percent under ideal conditions and 19 percent on an average day.

Concrete Chameleon
Location: Aachen, Germany
Abilities: Concrete fa?????ade's embedded LED panels display colors, text and logos
Origin: German manufacturer LUCEM's system incorporates optical fibers into 136 separate concrete panels (pictured) that can be programmed with a wireless DMX controller.

The Healer
Location: Ghent, Belgium
Abilities: Bacteria "heals" cracks and damages when water seeps into concrete
Origin: "HealCon Project" researchers added bacteria to a concrete mix that produces limestone when water enters a crack, sealing the damage before it can threaten structural integrity.