Reimagining solid waste as a sustainable source for bendable, self-healing concrete

MSU Today with Russ White

Concrete is the second largest consumed material in the U.S., and its production is responsible for 8% to 10% of carbon dioxide emissions. Professor Qingxu “Bill” Jin and his PhD student, Antonio Ni, at Michigan State University have developed flexible self-healing concrete that produces heat, which could prove to be an environmentally friendly option for roads in terms of snow and ice removal.

Professor Jin says the self-healing concrete could revolutionize the concrete industry and further promote industrial decarbonization by using solid waste as a sustainable source. Jin is an assistant professor in the College of Engineering. In this podcast, two of Jin's other students, Diego and Nathan, discuss their contributions to bendable concrete technology, including efforts to utilize solid waste for low-carbon, flexible concrete.

Conversation Highlights:

(0:24) – Bill, Diego and Nathan introduce themselves.

(2:21) – Why is MSU the ideal place to do this research?

(6:15) – Bill highlights the accomplishments and credentials of Diego and Nathan.

(7:24) – Talk about the mission of your Resilient, Intelligent, Sustainable and Energy Efficient Infrastructure Materials Lab (RISE).

(10:50) – Diego and Nathan on when they first learned about flexible concrete and Bill’s work.

(12:43) – What are the benefits of flexible concrete?

(16:58) – How will flexible concrete improve the average citizen’s daily life?

(19:45) – What has surprised you so far about this research, and what are the next steps?

(23:45) – Diego and Nathan with more on their MSU experience.

(27:02) – What are some key takeaways from our conversation?

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