ECLIPS - ENHANCING CONCRETE LIFE IN INFRASTRUCTURE THROUGH PHASE-CHANGE SYSTEMS (eclips.asu.edu)

Early, and late age thermal cracking in reinforced concrete elements and freeze-thaw related deterioration in concretes exposed to temperatures cycling around the freezing point of water are sources of concern to owners and managers of infrastructure assets around the world. This is a considerable issue with numerous transportation structures (e.g., bridges, pavements etc.) often requiring premature repair/replacement or incurring exceedingly high maintenance costs during their service-life. Enhancing Concrete Life in Infrastructure using Phase Change Systems (ECLIPS) advocates an approach wherein the incorporation of phase change materials (PCMs) with a suitable phase transition temperature, enthalpy of phase change, and degree of dispersion in the concrete can alleviate each of these concerns. PCMs are combined sensible-and-latent thermal storage materials that can be used to store and dissipate energy in the form of heat. The ECLIPS effort intends to develop novel PCM types for applications in concrete, select PCM types and dosages for different applications based on the climatic conditions, understand the early and late age performance of infrastructural concretes containing PCMs including the mechanical and durability behavior, and develops a life cycle framework for concretes containing such durability-enhancing components.

PARTNERS 

In addition there are several industrial and outreach partners. Dissemination will be done by the American Concrete Pavement Association (ACPA) and European Concrete Paving Association (EUPAVE).