Prof. Viktor Mechtcherine
Director: Institute for Construction Materials
Keynote address, IIBCC 2024: Novel
Abstract
This contribution offers an overview on the development of sustainable and high-performance building materials, with a focus on strain-hardening cement-based composites (SHCC) and carbon fiber reinforcement. Advancements in SHCC include the use of Limestone Calcined Clay Cement (LC3) to produce high-strength composites with reduced carbon footprints and surface modifications of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) fibers to enhance crack-bridging behavior, resulting in materials with superior tensile properties. Innovations extend to the fabrication of shell structures using automated 3D printing techniques. In addition, textile reinforcement was incorporated in one of the applications enabling efficient production of complex geometries.
Further research in carbon-fiber reinforcement has led to the development of mineral-impregnated carbon-fiber composites using fly ash geopolymers, optimizing mechanical properties and matrix bonding. Recycled carbon fibers have been utilized in fly ash-GGBS alkali-activated composites, improving sustainability and strength. Notable advancements in digital manufacturing include the integration of carbon-fiber into concrete filaments during 3D printing, enhancing concrete performance and fostering new digital construction techniques.
Additionally, the development of smart mineral-based composites has been pursued through the incorporation of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), enhancing properties like Joule heating in cementitious nanocomposites and energy harvesting in alkali-activated nanocomposites. These smart composites not only offer potential for improved thermal management but should also enable structural health monitoring by detecting environmental changes.
This body of work underscores a paradigm shift towards sustainable construction practices, leveraging novel materials and digital technologies to address the urgent need for environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable construction solutions.
Viktor Mechtcherine has been the Director of the Institute for Construction Materials and a Professor at the TUD Dresden University of Technology in Germany since 2006. Prior to this, he was a Professor at TU Kaiserslautern, Germany. He began his scientific career at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), where he also earned his doctoral degree.
Prof. Mechtcherine serves as an Editor of the journals “Cement and Concrete Composites”, “Materials and Structures”, and “Sustainable Cement-Based Materials”. He is a member of the German National Academy of Science and Engineering and the Science Academy of Saxony. He is also the Speaker of the German Research Foundation (DFG) Priority Program “Opus Fluidum Futurum – Rheology of reactive, multiscale, multi-phase construction materials”, as well as the DFG Research Training Group “Mineral-bonded composites for enhanced structural impact safety”. Furthermore, he chairs the RILEM Technical Committee “Assessment of Additively Manufactured Concrete Materials and Structures”.
Prof. Mechtcherine is a RILEM Fellow and a recipient of the Wason Medal for Materials Research by the American Concrete Institute (ACI), as well as Innovation Awards from both the bauma and the International Federation of Structural Concrete (fib). His research interests include fiber-reinforced mineral-based composites, digital concrete technologies, sustainable construction, and impact resistance.