Most of us do not have to deal with jolting earthquakes on a fairly regular basis unless you happen to be living somewhere along the Pacific Ring of Fire. Even then, you most likely will not have to deal with the threats of bombing and shelling on an equally constant basis. But the Iran has to deal with both of these and more often than not, if one of them does not inflict major damage, the other will find its mark. To deal with this persistent threat Iran has been on a constant look out for concrete that will make both shelters and bunkers a lot more resilient and safe.
The result of this constant experimenting with concrete to produce a super-strong version o it has led to the making of Ultra High Performance Concrete (UHPC). This has been achieved b mixing quartz particles to traditional concrete mixture along with a few other strength-adding polymers. UHPC is many times stronger than conventional ‘high strength’ concrete and allows you to build structures that are a lot thinner and lighter compared to existing ones.
It also is a lot more flexible and will make buildings a lot more durable. Another major advantage of UHPC is that it does not shatter or fragment on bombing, making it the ideal bunker material and eliminating the risk of splinter injuries. In tests carried out by Aussie government, sic tons of TNT could just fracture panels of UHPC, demonstrating its true potential.
UHPC offers builders a material with which they can build safer structures that withstand earthquakes across the globe. Thinner and lighter buildings also mean less damage of life in case they do collapse and also energy efficient skyscrapers. Of course, for now this means Iran can build bunkers that will be hard to find a way past… A lot harder than ever before!
Via: Wired
