THE MECHANICAL & THERMAL PROPERTIES OF TRANSLUCENT CONCRETE AND WAYS TO OPTIMIZE ITS COMMERCIAL VIABILITY

Abstract

In this dissertation, a new building material, translucent concrete, was studied. This concrete allows light to shine through, revealing shadows and silhouettes of objects at the opposite end of the concrete. This effect is achieved by the thousands of glass optical fibres embedded within the concrete. The proportion of fibres is approximately 4% by volume. These fibres run the length between two surfaces of the concrete, and convey light signals from one side of the concrete to the other.

Translucent concrete possesses favourable qualities of both glass and concrete, hence, can be used in a range of architectural applications, offering new functions that conventional concrete cannot provide. However, with the incorporation of optical fibres, there is concern about the performance of the material. Also, it is unlikely that all interested parties are able to enjoy translucent concrete, as it is rather expensive. Therefore, in this study, two aims were set out: first, to study the properties of translucent concrete, particularly, its mechanical and thermal properties. Second, to find ways of optimizing its commercial viability.

Experiments were conducted on translucent concrete blocks purchased to test its strength and thermal conductivity. Results of the experiments revealed that translucent concrete’s performance is comparable to that of normal concrete for both properties.

Interviews were conducted to evaluate the feasibility and financial practicality of the cost-cutting options identified. It was gathered from the interviews that plastic optical fibre is a strong contender for use in translucent concrete. Not only is it cheaper than glass optical fibres, other inherent qualities of plastic-based fibres make it suitable for such an application.