Take bendable concrete. When used as an upper roadway layer, this material would reduce surface damage evident in our roads and prevent potholes by adding a layer of mechanical flexibility.
The material also has been designed with capabilities that can enable concrete pavement to heal small cracks by themselves when exposed to rain water. This can make roads last longer, a key step as Michigan looks to build a transportation network that will last for the next 50 years with minimal maintenance. U-M Professor Victor Li has been the driving force behind this new take on an age-old product.
Read the full story in Crain’s Detroit Business.