Concrete is dense and durable, but also inflexible and brittle. Researchers at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and NTU-JTC Industrial Infrastructure Innovation Center (I3C), both in Singapore, are seeking to change that. They added polymer microfibers to the typical mix of water, cement, gravel, and sand. The result is ConFlexPave, a bendable concrete product that is thinner and lighter than its conventional counterpart. Because it’s less prone to cracking, it requires less frequent maintenance. However, when maintenance is required, workers can replace individual slabs because the material can be pre-cast, rather than tearing up the entire area for resurfacing. So far, ConFlexPave has been tested on a small, tablet scale in the NTU lab, but the team is hoping to test it on a larger scale over the next three years. [Nanyang Technological University]
ICYMI: WeWork explains its high-tech approach to post-occupancy studies of its office interiors. [ARCHITECT]
The MIT Media Lab marries science and fashion with DuoSkin, a cluster of tattoo-like interfaces that can wirelessly control the wearer’s electronic devices. [MIT Media Lab]
Culver City, Calif.–based non-profit X-Prize Foundation considers utilizing Elon Musk’s Hyperloop One technology underwater for more efficient cargo distribution. [New Atlas]
The Engineered Living Materials program, from the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, has announced that it will be developing tools and methods to help create building materials that function like living organisms. [Federal Business Opportunities]
FEMA’s flood risk maps may need to be redrawn after massive rainfall in Louisiana left around 40,000 homes submerged. [Wired]
Why Columbus, Ohio, is poised to make the most of its recent $40 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to develop “smart” infrastructure for transportation and resource management. [Curbed]
