Jointless concrete base layer - Sustainable, durable, func-tionalized (concrete base layer)

Constantly growing goods transport and increasing social mobility are showing the limits of the road infrastructure. In combination with the increasing seasonal temperatures and the pronounced traffic loads enormous economic and ecological damages are caused. An essential part of the heavily loaded road systems is the concrete base layer with transverse and longitudinal joints.

In subproject A05, a multifunctional, thin, highly resilient and durable base layer made of concrete will be developed. Low-cement or cement-free concrete matrices with low environmental impact are reinforced with mineral-impregnated carbon fibers (MCF). Those MCF are characterized by excellent corrosion resistance and bonding property to concrete matrices. Moreover, they possess good electrical conductivity which can be used as a sensory and thermally activatable component. The excellent mechanical interactiosubns between the continuous MCF reinforcement and the sustainable concrete matrices result in fine cracks and allows jointless construction of the base layer. Additionally, the high electrical conductivity of the carbon fibers enables the resistivity-based detection of load and moisture conditions as well as thermal activation of the road. In practical engineering, the good electrical conductivity of the MCF offers a wide range of options for activating the concrete roadway as sensors and thus networking it with the digital twin. The thermal activation also enables ice-free roadways and accelerates the strength development of the reinforcement and the concrete base layer.