Abstract
Nature-inspired ensemble of organic and inorganic constituents, such as that found in the microstructure of nacre and dactyl clubs of Mantis shrimp, has evolved into the model system for the structural design of industrial composites. This novel design concept, which helps attaining the balance between strength, toughness and ductility, has not only induced a paradigm shift in the synthesis of advanced materials such as graphene-based composites but also, in the development of more abundant, low-cost materials such as cement and concretes. The advance in synthetic techniques and the advent of new manufacturing technologies such as 3D printing has enabled effective integration of cementitious materials with soft materials across various length scales. Furthermore, novel functional properties such as self-healing have also been materialized based on a variety of strategies. This review will provide a comprehensive overview on the ongoing research efforts, encompassing 3D printing, self-healing strategies and integration of cement hydrate with organic components, all of which are actively exploited in synthesizing bioinspired, multifunctional cementitious materials.
Highlights
Nature provides a large pool of living examples, where materials with distinct types of properties are orchestrated with each other synergistically at various length scales
This review provides an overview on the ongoing research efforts, which are currently devoted to implementing bioinspired structural concepts using cementitious materials
The review has provided an extensive insight into three major areas of research efforts, self-healing, 3D printing and nano/mesoscale integration of organic materials with C-S-H, all of which have been actively exploited in attaining novel, biomimetic cementitious materials
Summary
Nature-inspired ensemble of organic and inorganic constituents, such as that found in the microstructure of nacre and dactyl clubs of Mantis shrimp, has evolved into the model system for the structural design of industrial composites. This novel design concept, which helps attaining the balance between strength, toughness and ductility, has induced a paradigm shift in the synthesis of advanced materials such as graphene-based composites and, in the development of more abundant, low-cost materials such as cement and concretes.
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