r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • Nov 03 '19

Chemistry Scientists replaced 40 percent of cement with rice husk cinder, limestone crushing waste, and silica sand, giving concrete a rubber-like quality, six to nine times more crack-resistant than regular concrete. It self-seals, replaces cement with plentiful waste products, and should be cheaper to use.

https://newatlas.com/materials/rubbery-crack-resistant-cement/
97.2k Upvotes

95% Upvoted

1.6k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

411

u/[deleted] Nov 03 '19 edited Nov 04 '19

In Southern Canada we get tempretures that swing between -40c in the winter and +40c in the summer. Concrete on structures is constantly being touched up and any roads made of it are often in pretty rough shape. Most of them are asphalt.

45

u/ChickenWestern123 Nov 03 '19

Have you been to Michigan? Their concrete roads are terrible. Southern Ontario roads, especially the 407, are amazingly well maintained.

21

u/Bean- Nov 03 '19

Yeah been living here for my whole life. I never even realized how bad the roads were until I traveled out of state.

16

u/ChickenWestern123 Nov 03 '19

Yeah, it's shocking. I could barely drive the speed limit, 70 at times, in my new car without feeling like it was falling apart.

20

u/QVRedit Nov 03 '19

America needs to reinvest in its infrastructure - before it all falls apart..