A new concrete "sensing skin" technology, developed by researchers from North Carolina State University and the University of Eastern Finland, could change how societies respond to the formation of critical (and dangerous) cracks in concrete. The sensing skin is an "electrically conductive" coating of paint that can incorporate even inexpensive conductive materials like copper, making the skin affordable. "The sensing skin could be used for a wide range of structures, but the impetus for the work was to help ensure the integrity of critical infrastructure such as nuclear waste storage facilities," said civil, construction, and environmental engineering professor Mohammad Pour-Ghaz in an NC State press release: "The idea is to identify problems quickly so that they can be addressed before they become big problems and - in the case of some critical infrastructure - so that public safety measures can be implemented."
