2 Vietnamese original engineers invented extremely safe automatic deicing concrete

It can automatically thaw, safe, do not use chemicals, does not cause corrosion and is environmentally friendly.

Snowy roads in cold weather are the culprits causing many serious accidents. In particular, this often happens in areas with complex terrain such as steep passes, overpasses, intersections, freeway access roads . Statistics show 10 to 15% of road accidents in the United States directly to the weather. This rate is equivalent to thousands of people injured and killed each year.

In the face of the fact that the road surface must be thawed in winter, two Vietnamese engineers, Chris Tuan and Lim Nguyen from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, invented a special conductive concrete . It can automatically melt ice safely, do not use chemicals, is non-corrosive and superior to traditional snowmobiles in the US.

Picture 1 of 2 Vietnamese original engineers invented extremely safe automatic deicing concrete
Christ Engineering Professor Tuan tested safety on a conductive concrete slab.

Christ Tuan talked about his anti-ice concrete , during his time working for a US Air Force contractor. Chris Tuan's goal then was to get rid of the ice and prevent slippery during the landing.

Until 2001, with the help of Lim Nguyen and two other colleagues, Sherif Yehia and Bing Chen, new automatic melting concrete was completed. They have the same patent for this invention.

In 2001, the Nebraska Road Department immediately put Chris's conductive concrete on the Roca Spur bridge, making it the world's first bridge to use this advanced technology.

So what is Christ Tuan's secret for this type of concrete? It's very simple, it's basically like normal concrete, but will be mixed with 20% of small steel chips and carbon particles. This mixture is responsible for conducting electricity and converting into heat to melt ice. Meanwhile, it still ensures that the concrete surface is safe enough to touch.

"Our concrete is resistant to freezing," Chris Tuan said. "You just need to keep the core and its surface warm. When the snow falls on it, it will melt."

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Test ice-proof concrete in real conditions.

Power supply for concrete slabs is a 3-phase 600 A, 220V source, can be used right from the power station near the road. The sensors will automatically turn on the system when the outdoor temperature drops below 4 ° C and turns off when above 10 ° C.

Previously, the most popular anti-freezing technology in the US was the use of chemicals, typically salt. The workers will drive a specialized vehicle and spread salt or salt water on the road. The lower freezing temperature of salt water will keep the road surface up to -18 o C.

However, chemical use techniques have numerous disadvantages. It pollutes the environment, corroborates automotive metal parts and restricts use for steel bridges.

Therefore, Nebraska Department of Roads decided to use Christ Tuan's conductive concrete technology for their bridge. Roca Spur Bridge is spread 52 anti-ice concrete slabs across its length. Each plate costs 300 USD instead of 120 USD of normal concrete.

"The bridge is always the first frozen traffic terrain, because it is exposed both on the road and under the bridge," Christ Tuan said. "It is not economical to cover the entire sphere with conductive concrete, but you can use it in important places like potholes or critical places."

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The pavement using Christ Tuan's technology will automatically prevent freezing.

Currently, Chris Tuan's products and research team are being evaluated by the Federal Aviation Administration. They may have a plan to test it on a large runway.

However, Christ Tuan said, "The Aviation Administration has surprised me, the anti-ice concrete will be less likely to be applied to the runway. However, the location they need most is the gate area . "It is a place with lots of trucks, a place for luggage and fuel services. The whole area without ice will cause delays in many flights. We are very optimistic."


Christ Tuan talked about his anti-ice concrete.

Not only that, Christ Tuan also added to his concrete a kind of magnetite ore . He said it would help prevent electromagnetic waves. This technology will be very attractive to manufacturers who want to build an industrial antispyware security process.

Christ Tuan tested the electromagnetic wave concrete in his laboratory."We invite a lot of potential customers to come and tell them to try to use mobile phones," he said. "They always get warnings without service."

While the concrete that Christ Tuan developed will bring great applications in the future, he still makes it present in his very closest interests."I have a back garden filled with conductive concrete," Christ Tuan said with a smile. "You see, I apply what I teach at university and convince people."