Adaptive Systems and Materials Technologies in Civil Engineering: A Review

Smart textiles are one of the areas that provides added value to textile materials. It is a sector that has been developed with new technologies, new fibers, and textile materials. The production of smart or intelligent textiles cooperate with other branches of science like nanotechnology, materials science, design, electronics, and computer engineering, etc. Smart textiles are classified into three groups as passive smart textiles, active smart textiles and ultra smart textiles according to their performance characteristics. Passive smart textiles are the first generation of smart textiles and sense the external conditions; for instance, UV protecting clothing, conductive fibers, etc. As active smart textiles respond to external conditions, ultra smart textiles sense, react, and adopt themselves to conditions. Shape memory materials, chromic materials, heat storage, and thermo-regulated fabrics are the typical applications of active smart textiles.

Smart materials are a class of materials that can respond to external stimuli, such as temperature, light, pressure, and electric or magnetic fields. Chemical engineers play a crucial role in the development, optimization, and scalability of smart materials, which have applications in a wide range of industries, including aerospace, automotive, healthcare, and construction. This article discusses the role of chemical engineering in the design and synthesis of smart materials, focusing on the development of polymers, composites, and nanomaterials that exhibit responsive behaviors. The paper also explores the challenges, innovations, and future directions in smart material technology, highlighting the interdisciplinary nature of chemical engineering in advancing this field.

Dynamic behavior of structural beams made of innovative smart concrete

The chapter presents and discusses the theoretical background, original methodology, format, and results of the workshop “Interdisciplinary challenge on Emerging Materials and Technologies (EM&Ts)” with a focus on Interactive Connected and Smart (ICS) Materials for Wearable Technologies. ICS materials are defined as systems combining inactive materials, stimuli-responsive smart materials, and embedded sensing, computing, and actuating technologies. They can sense and communicate data from the body or the environment, and they can perform interactive behaviours. One of the application sectors where these are more exploited is wearable technologies. These materials can be embedded into clothing or worn on the body as electronic textiles (e-textiles), implants, or accessories. The challenge was used as a way to transfer new knowledge on innovative materials to design and engineering students and to establish a dialogue between students, researchers with extensive materials-focused expertise, and companies interested in EM&Ts. The workshop presented in this paper was held at Politecnico di Milano, Design School, from 12 to 16 July 2021. The methodology of the workshop follows a framework built by collecting, analysing, and systemically formalising innovative tools, methods, and approaches for designing and learning how to design with advanced materials. It identifies three phases: (1) Understanding the EM&Ts—where the fundamental knowledge is provided; (2) Exploring and Shaping the EM&Ts—where hands-on experimentation and tinkering is a way to stimulate ideas and understand the opportunities and limits of the materials and processes; (3) Applying the EM&Ts—the synthesis of the process when the material is embedded and embodied into a project. This framework defined the original structure and agenda of the whole workshop. Therefore, the workshop was based on a combination of hands-on experimentation, design activities, and lectures by the teaching staff of the four universities and by partnering companies (design pills). Students applied this unique design methodology developed within the project to design with four Emerging Materials and Technologies (EM&Ts). The method and tools developed by the staff supported students in understanding, exploring, and shaping, and applying EM&Ts, and finding design opportunities from their integration. Indeed, the main EM&Ts explored in the workshop are Interactive Connected and Smart Materials (ICS Materials), but all the other EM&Ts researched in the project were integrated: Nanomaterials, Experimental Wood-based Materials, and Advanced Growing Materials. In this interdisciplinary challenge, a real-life design brief was given to students with the cooperation of two partner companies: Comftech and SCILIF. The joint challenge with the title “Designing with ICS Materials: a dialogue between e-textiles and active lighting technologies” was about using the two patented technologies produced by the companies—a textile sensor detecting biosignals, and SunFibre active lighting system—as a platform to develop interactive, connected, and smart tangible interfaces for new application sectors focused on emotions and stress management, from well-being to entertainment, to safety. Twenty-three students worked together in six multi-disciplinary teams to find solutions for this challenge and to produce product concepts, prototypes, and material samples. The results are described and discussed in the chapter and include interactive garments for healthcare, improving safety at work, sharing emotions in leisure activities, and for the well-being of elderly people and kids. The discussion of the results and the whole methodology is informed by the feedback provided by students through a questionnaire and by teaching staff observation.

Purpose This paper aims to provide a review of recent developments in selected fields of smart material technology. Design/methodology/approach Following a brief introduction to smart materials, this paper considers research into three classes that are presently attracting particular interest: self-healing materials; smart sensing materials and sensing skins; and shape-changing materials. Findings This shows that each of these fields is the topic of a major research effort and although few products are yet available commercially, they offer great future potential due to their unique capabilities. A multitude of uses are anticipated in the aerospace, defence, automotive, civil engineering, medical, robotics and other industries. Originality/value This paper provides a topical, technical insight into developments in three classes of smart materials.

Smart materials are at the cutting edge of modern engineering. Their ability to respond dynamically to changes in the environment enables adaptive and efficient systems. The need in the aerospace industry for lighter, energy-efficient, and highly adaptive materials has driven further development and integration of smart materials into aircraft, spacecraft, and satellite structures. These materials have been applied to the development of morphing wings, vibration control systems, deployable components, and structural health monitoring and have greatly contributed to flight efficiency and reliability. However, they are not widely applied because of limitations, such as temperature sensitivity, fatigue resistance, low actuation force, and scalability issues in large-scale aerospace applications. The solution to these challenges is crucial for ensuring the long-term durability and safety of smart materials under extreme conditions in the aerospace industry. This study focuses on the development, mechanism application, and future development of the following three popular smart materials: Shape Memory Alloys, Piezoelectric Materials, and Electroactive Polymers. The strength of each material will be discussed together with its limitations and how it is being used in the transformation of engineering within the aerospace sector. It highlights how smart materials have increasingly become active players in providing adaptive, sustainable, and high-performance aerospace systems, and critically reviews challenges from smart materials that are faced by real-world aerospace applications, with their potential solution and long-term viability.

The concept of an adaptive aircraft wing, i.e., whose shape parameters such as camber, span-wise twist, and thickness can be varied to optimize the wing shape for various flight conditions, has been extensively studied by numerous researchers. While the aerodynamic benefits (in terms of increased lift/drag ratios, improved maneuverability, and delayed flow separation) have been analytically and experimentally established, the complexity and weight penalty of the designs and actuation using smart materials could potentially alleviate the shortcomings of prior designs, leading the way to a more practical `smart' adaptive wing which responds to changes in flight and environmental conditions by optimally modifying its shape. A summary of recent work in the area of adaptive wing concepts incorporating smart structures technologies is presented. Emphasis is placed on continuing research at Northrop Grumman under a United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency contract entitled `Smart Structures and Materials Development-Smart Wing,'. Limitations and potential benefits of adaptive wing designs, applications and advantages of smart material actuators and sensors, and results of recent tests are discussed. Recommendations for future work required to develop an operational smart adaptive wing are also outlined.

Jewelry is a passion of a large segment of children, especially females, which inspires the jewelry designer to direct this passion to raise a generation of young jewelry designers, using the combination of the arts of jewelry design and formulation and the science of smart materials. Smart materials are one of the most important fruits of technological development, and they vary between shape memory materials, color-changing materials, light-sensitive materials, and others sensitive to electricity. Given that jewelry design is one of the most important fields that affect the culture and thinking of the recipient, and based on the major role of shaping processes in enriching jewelry design, the interest in this research was in studying smart materials as a result of advanced technological developments and the possibility of employing them in simulating some jewelry shaping processes, so that this simulation would be the nucleus of a project to raise the young designer. The problem of the research is the scarcity of the use of smart materials in children's jewelry, and the lack of diversity of shaping methods in jewelry crafting collections directed at children. The research aims to build a knowledge base about smart materials, and employ these materials in simulating jewelry shaping processes. The importance of the research lies in its attempt to benefit from smart materials as a result of advanced technological developments in simulating some jewelry forming processes, with the aim of raising the child practicing this simulation as a young designer. Through the descriptive analytical approach, the research concluded that there are multiple types of smart materials, including shape memory materials, color changing materials, and materials sensitive to pressure and electricity. Through the experimental approach, the research concluded that some smart materials can be developed to suit children's practices. Main Results: 1-.sing smart materials to simulate some jewelry formation processes. 2. Using smart materials leads to diversifying the forming methods in jewelry collections directed at children. 3. Shape memory polymer can be employed to simulate the process of forming ceramic jewelry. 4. Simulating the process of forming jewelry with wires using nitinol wires. 5. Simulating the process of inlaying jewelry with micromosaics using glow-in-the-dark lobes and (UV Resin) 6. The possibility of simulating the process of thermal forming glass jewelry through luminous thermal beads 7. Employing smart materials to simulate some jewelry forming processes makes them suitable for children's practices in middle childhood. 8. The high flexibility of nitinol wires weakens the stability of their formations. 9. Developing nitinol wire by combining it with another aluminum wire of the same thickness. 10. Nitinol wires combined with colored aluminum wires have an attractive surface appearance for children in addition to the ability to stabilize the formation.

Intelligent new building materials are further improved in the perception level of internal and external environment, as well as the feedback ability of materials themselves. Therefore, it can make further response to the environment while improving the building performance, so it can be widely used in civil engineering construction. Based on this, this paper first studies the classification and function of intelligent new civil building materials, then analyses the structure and composition of intelligent new materials in civil engineering construction, and finally gives the application and development of intelligent new materials in wood engineering construction.

<p><b>The future of architecture in New Zealand goes hand-in-hand with its ability to adapt to climate change projections. Since the establishment of the modern era, construction materials have remained largely unchanged. Steel, timber, concrete, and brick are all very static in functionality, are the backbone of our built environments. The shifting climate conditions anticipated in the coming decades require adaptable and resilient construction materials. Temperature Rise for New Zealand is 0.3°C to +0.9°C by 2030 and 0.6°C to +2.7°C by 2070, (O’Connell and Hargreaves 1). The expected increase in temperatures around New Zealand homes will negatively affect the internal thermal comfort of occupants. </b></p> <p>The development of shape memory polymers (SMPs) as an auto-responsive and functional system that responds to numerous environmental stimuli becomes a viable option for smart material integration into external building envelopes. The useful properties of SMPs as a lightweight material with reversible shape-changing capabilities, and deformation mechanisms are becoming increasingly realistic for practical implementation into building facades (Mohamed). </p> <p>The implementation of thermo-responsive shape memory polymers into residential building facades allows for a real-time automated response to manage climatic temperature variances for present and future vulnerabilities of buildings and their occupants. Reinventing building envelopes using shape memory polymer application has the potential to create efficient passive cooling methods which may satisfy the demand for architectural climatisation and improve indoor thermal comfort for occupants. Establishing a proof-of-concept for adaptable and resilient design needs to be fast-tracked into New Zealand’s mainstream construction, showcasing smart materials' necessity and innovative capabilities. The reactionary approach to construction is not a viable option for future climate change projection. The damage to buildings without immediate implementation of climate-adaptive design will be irreversible and detrimental for thousands of New Zealanders. The future of building materials within the construction industry must endeavour to steer away from traditional building materials into the inevitable smart material technology.</p>

The International Conference on Innovative Technology for Smart Construction Materials and Sustainable Infrastructure (ITSCMSI-2022) was successfully held on October 14th and 15th 2022. The ITSCMSI-2022 was organized by Department of Civil Engineering, Velagapudi Ramakrishna Siddhartha Engineering College, Vijayawada, A.P, India. Innovative and sustainable development is one of the leading civilization ideas in the field of Civil Engineering that has gained importance among the researchers in the recent past. In keeping view that the primary objective of the International Conference on Innovative Technology for Smart Construction Materials and Sustainable Infrastructure (ITSCMSI-2022) to provide a platform to the researchers and practitioners from both academia as well as industry to meet and share cutting-edge development in the Civil Engineering in line with the conference theme “Building the World with Innovative Structures towards a Sustainable Future”. The scope of the conference is to gather scientists, practitioners, members of technical committees and users of technical recommendations, to jointly at the same place discuss and envision the future sustainable development of materials, systems and structures in a holistic, global way. Thus, it aims at providing a premier platform for researchers, practitioners and educators to present and discuss the most recent innovations, trends, and concerns as well as practical challenges encountered and solutions adopted in the fields of Civil Engineering.The conference focuses on latest research in different areas of civil engineering with special emphasis on sustainable construction practices. The main theme of the conference is “Building the World with Innovative Structures towards a Sustainable Future” and it is divided into seven sub-themes:1. Smart materials and sustainable construction,2. Sustainable infrastructure in Structural Engineering3. Sustainable infrastructure in Geotechnical and Transportation Engineering4. Sustainability in Environmental Engineering5. Sustainability in Irrigation, Water Resources and Management6. Sustainability in Construction Management, and7. Remote Sensing and GIS Applications in SustainabilityThe ITSCMSI-2022 received about 120 abstracts from various fields of Civil Engineering and out of which 93 full-length papers were received. The research manuscripts deal with Innovative Technologies and Sustainable Materials in Civil Engineering.Hundreds of attendees, paper presenters, researchers and students have been benefited in many ways from this conference. About 51 scientific papers were presented in the conference by the authors from various countries through online platform. Four eminent and well distinguished experts in the field of civil engineering were invited to deliver their keynote speeches and share their knowledge along with their rich experience in the applications of the advancements in sustainable materials and infrastructure in civil engineering to the participants.In summary, the success of the conference is a team effort. This conference could not be organized without the dedicated efforts from all our committee members and hence I am grateful to all the committee members who worked very hard to make this event a successful one. We would also like to thank all the authors who have submitted their papers to the conference and like to thank the editors and reviewers who have contributed to the thorough review process thereby ensuring quality publication of the conference proceedings. We hope that you will find this conference thought provoking and engrossing, and you had a valuable experience by sharing ideas with others at this conference.SincerelyDr. Hanuma KasaganiCo-ConvenerITSCMSI -2022Email: hanumakasagani@vrsiddhartha.ac.inList of Committes are available in this Pdf.

Smart materials adapt to, rather than resist, changes to their environment. In Nature, a variety of smart materials in the biological system demonstrate unique and potential functions, which appear as norm in the design of smart synthetic materials. Liquid crystals are very useful in the engineering of smart synthetic materials because of their well-ordered and controllable structure, anisotropy, and high sensitivity to external stimuli. These properties promote the engineering of synthetic materials to display smart and potential functions comparative to those of biological materials. The research presented in this thesis describes strategies to develop new, functional and smart molecular materials by amplifying molecular motion, which is intrinsically limited to the nanoscale, up to the macroscopic level of functional materials. A special focus is given to molecular motion that is triggered by light as an external stimulus, and induces a change in chiral structure of cholesteric liquid crystals at molecular level, which is eventually amplified by cooperativity of the liquid crystals into either a mechanical or an optical output. This work also provides insights into the mechanisms of amplification of molecular movement. While stabilizing the twisted organization of liquid crystals by in-situ polymerization, photo-induced molecular switching lead to disorder in the liquid crystal polymer network, which in turn created strain and was eventually transformed into mechanical motion at the macroscale (chapter 3 and 4), including both helical motion (chapter 3 and 4) and bending motion (chapter 4) which were shown to arise from a twisted geometry. Alternatively, starting from a ground state in which the twisting of a chiral liquid crystal is hampered, amplification of molecular motion was achieved by releasing this frustration, which was translated into original properties for this system (chapter 5 and 6). These investigations also point out that the amplification of molecular motion can be manipulated to reach different ranges, from the microscale (chapter 5 and 6) to the macroscale (chapter 3 and 4), by using an appropriate choice of irradiation with light (with either a local- or a spatial- focus). In addition to amplifying motion, we showed that chirality, an essential property of molecular matter, can be translated (e.g. chapter 3; molecular chirality indirectly amplified into macroscopic chiral shapes) or suppressed (e.g. chapter 5 and 6; supramolecular chirality is suppressed using homeotropic confinement) at different scales. Changes of material design, such as architecture, chemical constitution, fabrication and controlled operation have impact on the amplification of molecular motion, molecular chirality as well as other intrinsic molecular properties to present variously at the level of functional materials (e.g. mechanical output in chapter 3 (helical motion) and chapter 4 (helical- and bending motion with slow shape relaxation), and optical output in chapter 5 (single stimuli-responsiveness) and chapter 6 (dual stimuli-responsiveness)). Notably, taking inspiration from the design of biological materials in nature can lead to effective strategies in engineering new, smart and sophisticated function of materials (e.g. chapter 3). Overall, we have developed light-responsive liquid crystal polymer networks that are capable of performing light-induced helical motion and some of them also retain their light-induced shape. The complex and versatile helix-based behavior they display suggests prospective use in applications such as soft robotics and microfluidic technology. Moreover, light-responsive chiral liquid crystals show original optical properties that could be used for the development of re-writable and photonic technologies.

Smart materials are upcoming in many industries due to their unique properties and wide range of applicability. These materials have the potential to transform traditional engineering practices by enabling the development of more efficient, adaptive, and responsive systems. However, smart materials are characterized by nonlinear behaviour and complex constitutive models, posing challenges in modelling and simulation. Therefore, understanding their mechanical properties is crucial for model-based design. This review aims for advancements in numerically implementing various smart materials, especially focusing on their nonlinear deformation behaviours. Different mechanisms and functionalities, classification, constitutive models and applications of smart materials were analyzed. In addition, different numerical approaches for modelling across scales were investigated. This review also explored the strategies and implementations for mechanically intelligent structures using smart materials. In conclusion, the potential model-based design methodology for the multiple smart material-based structures is proposed, which provides guidance for the future development of mechanically intelligent structures in industrial applications.

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.

- The prosthetic lower limb knee joint is a critical component for restoring mobility and improving the quality of life for individuals with lower limb amputations. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the latest advancements in material utilization for these vital devices. It explores the modern application of metals, polymers, composites and the emerging search for smart and biomimetic materials, highlighting their impact on the biomechanical performance, durability, weight, user comfort, and overall functionality of prosthetic knee joints. Furthermore, it examines the role of advanced manufacturing techniques, such as 3D printing, in enabling innovative material applications and personalized prosthetic options. The paper concludes by discussing the ongoing challenges and future directions in material research aimed at optimizing prosthetic knee joint technology for enhanced user outcomes. Key Words: Prosthetic Knee Joint, Materials, Advanced Materials, Smart Materials, Biomimetic Materials, 3D Printing, Durability, User Experience.