Nanotech and Wireless Guard Against Earthquakes 45
Roland Piquepaille writes "Two separate efforts using technology to protect people from earthquakes have recently been in the news. At the University of Leeds, UK, researchers will use nanotechnology and RFID tags to build a 'self-healing' house in Greece. The house's walls will contain nanoparticles that turn into a liquid when squeezed under pressure, flow into cracks, and then harden to form a solid material. The walls will also host a network of wireless sensors and RFID tags that can alert the residents to an imminent earthquake. Meanwhile, another team at the Washington University in St. Louis is using a wireless sensor network to limit earthquake damages."
Not sure this is such a great idea (Score:4, Interesting)
First thing I don't like about this idea of nano-particles turning into liquid is this. Imagine a solid structure being put under pressure, as the pressure increased a tiny fraction of the material is turned into liquid, my immediate idea is that this would weaken the structure increasing the risk of a collapse. Sure it might be nice if the liquid later filled out the tiny cracks in the structure, but if the entire thing has collapsed by then, what good will it do?
The second thing I don't like is that these cracks that will be filled out in structure represent unevenness in the entire structure. I can't help but think that it would resemble using uneven bricks for a house. I can see that this could give extra strength to the building if they are used very carefully, but if you just put one uneven block into an entire building it will make it more unstable.
Maybe if the blocks are to uneven they will liquefy and turn into the right structure for creating the most possible strength, I guess it depends on how much pressure would be put on a given unevenness.
Also wouldn't this leave the building a lot more vulnerable to the next earthquake?
All this is said knowing very little about the detail of this idea, it is just my immediate thoughts being confronted with this.
The idea to have the building itself alert the inhabitants is nice, it would especially be nice if the building would warn if there had been a minor quake that is not noticeable for humans but still might be the warning that a bigger quake will soon happen.
Misleading title.... (Score:3, Interesting)
An automotive airbag does not "guard against" accidents!
We all know about how much damage an airbag deployment causes, I wonder how much actual damage these technologies can prevent. Getting everyone out alive is important, but if the remaining structure is left distorted and unrepairable, the cost will probably be more than most want to spend. Safety is one thing, going broke just in case is another.
application in space? (Score:3, Interesting)
my question is... could this whole gap filling technology be used to upgrade security for space vehicles..
i can't find links but read something about micro-meteorite protection systems already (i think) in place.
can anyone with better knowledge chip in here?
Re:boycottroland (Score:0, Interesting)
Roland the Plogger discovers WWII technology (Score:3, Interesting)
It's Roland the Plogger again.
This sounds like a variation on self-sealing gas tanks [wikipedia.org], which were first used widely on World War II aircraft.
It's not all that hard to make earthquake-resistant buildings. You just have to have materials and joints with tensile strength. Steel frame buildings are seldom damaged by earthquakes. Wooden buildings with metal plates reinforcing the joints hold up well. Reinforced concrete does fine if there's enough rebar in the right places and the rebar is welded together.
Ancient mortars are already self-healing (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Not sure this is such a great idea (Score:4, Interesting)
I'm not sure. If nothing can liquify, then the high pressure will make everything crumble. A pile of sand, so to speak, doesn't have much structural integrity. Conversely, if part of the pressurised solids convert to liquid and thereby keep the rest of the solid material whole, I would think overall integrity would be stronger since the pressure which caused the liquifying in the first place also keeps everything pressed together. And once the pressure stops the liquids solidify again, thereby reinforcing the building's own structural integrity again in the absence of external pressure.
Re:Not sure this is such a great idea (Score:1, Interesting)