Prestressing and Self-Healing of Fiber-Reinforced and Ultra-High-Performance Concrete Using Shape Memory Alloys
Alexander Chen, Bassem Andrawes · MDPI AG · 2026
This study explores the use of shape memory alloys for prestressing and self-healing in fiber-reinforced and ultra-high-performance concrete.
Plain English summary
Why this matters
Key findings
- SMA bars can effectively prestress FRC and UHPC, delaying crack formation.
- SMA bars can heal cracks in concrete, reducing crack width significantly.
- Reductions in crack width of up to 90% were observed in the tested specimens.
- Different heating methods for SMA activation were compared for efficiency and safety.
- The study fills a knowledge gap in the use of SMA in advanced concrete types.
What's new
This study is novel in its experimental evaluation of SMA bars specifically in fiber-reinforced and ultra-high-performance concrete, as previous research focused on conventional concrete.
Limitations
The abstract does not provide details on the scale of the experiments or long-term performance assessments of the SMA in concrete.
Commercial context
The research is still in the experimental phase and has not yet been commercialized.
Publication
- Publisher
- MDPI AG
- Publication date
- March 25, 2026
- Research type
- Paper
- License
- https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Tags
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