ijeit1412201302_18_study on transparent concrete 2013

7/22/2019 IJEIT1412201302_18_study on Transparent Concrete 2013

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ISSN: 2277-3754

ISO 9001:2008 CertifiedInternational Journal of Engineering and Innovative Technology (IJEIT)

Volume 2, Issue 8, February 2013

83

A Study on Transparent Concrete: A Novel

Architectural Material to Explore ConstructionSector

Bhavin K. Kashiyani, Varsha Raina, Jayeshkumar Pitroda, Dr. Bhavnaben K. Shah

Abstract: Transparent concrete is a concrete based

buil ding material with ligh t-Tran missive properti es due to

embedded light optical elements usual ly Optical f ibres. Li ght is

conducted through the stone from one end to the other.

Therefore the fibres have to go through the whole object.

Transparent concrete is also known as the translucent

concrete and light transmitting concrete because of its

properti es. I t is used in fi ne archi tectur e as afacade material

and forcladding of interior walls. In this paper, to integrate

the merits of concrete and optical fiber, for developing

transparent concrete by arranging the high numerical

apertu re Plastic Optical F ibr es (POF) or big diameter glass

optical f iber in to concrete. The main pur pose is to use sunli ght

as a light source to reduce the power consumption of

il luminati on and to use the optical fi ber to sense the stress of

structures and also use this concrete as an architectural

purpose for good aesthetical view of the bui lding.

Keywords: Transparent Concrete, Optical Fibre,

Architectural, Concrete.

I. INTRODUCTIONJust a few decades ago concrete was often

misunderstood, disliked and captured by its image fixed

due to the rapid urbanization of the1960s. But since that

time, concrete has made considerable progress, not only

in technical terms, but also in aesthetic terms. It is no

longer the heavy, cold and grey material of the past; it has

become beautiful and lively. By research and innovation,

newly developed concrete hasbeen created which is more

resistant, lighter, white or colored, etc. Concrete has

learned to adapt to almost all new challenges that

appeared. In 2001, the concept of transparent concrete

was first put forward by Hungarian architect

AronLosonzi, and the first transparent concrete block was

successfully produced by mixing large amount of glass

fiber into concrete in 2003, named as LiTraCon. Joel S.

and Sergio O.G. developed a transparent concrete

material, which can allow 80% light through and only

30% of weight of common concrete. It is worth

mentioning that Italian Pavilion in Shanghai Expo 2010

shows a kind of transparent concrete developed by

mixing glass into concrete in 2010. While the transparent

concrete mainly focuses on transparency and its objective

of application pertains to green technology and artistic

finish. Therefore it is imperative to develop a new

functional material to satisfy the structure in terms ofsafety monitoring (such as damage detection, fire

warning), environmental protection and energy saving

and artistic modeling. Transparent or translucent concrete

can be seen as a recent answer to the architects call for

more Transparent Architecture.

Table 1 Properties of Transparent Concrete Blocks By

Litracon Company

ProductLitracon- Light

Transmitting Concrete

Form Prefabricated blocks

Ingredients 96% concrete, 4% optical fibre

Density 2100-2400 Kg/m

Block size 600mm x 300mm

Thickness 25-500mm

Colour White, Grey or Black

Fibre distribution Organic

Finished Polished

Compressive strength 50 N/mm2

Bending Tensile strength 7 N/mm2

Source: www.litracon.hu/productlist.php

II. MATERIAL USED FOR TRANSPARENT

CONCRETE

There are two basic materials used for making

transparent concrete, one is from construction field and

another from sensing field. First, concrete is one of the

most important civil engineering materials with the

advantages of rich raw materials, low cost and simple

production process and second the optical fiber has good

light guiding property which can be arrange to transmit

the light and the sun light transmit according to pre-

design road without light-heat, light-electrical or

photochemical process, and photo elastic effect which can

be used to study the stress distribution of structures.

Combining the advantages of the concrete and opticalfiber, developing a novel functional material called

transparent concrete has an important value in the

application of construction and sensing.

Types of optical fibre

There are three basic types of optical fibers:

[1] Multimode graded-index fiber[2] Multimode step-index fiber[3] Single-mode step-index fibers.

A multimode fiber can propagate hundreds of light modes

at one time while single-mode fibers only propagate one

mode as shown below.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fa%C3%A7adehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cladding_(construction)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cladding_(construction)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fa%C3%A7ade


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Fig 1: Types of Fibre

Source: Simon Kwan, Principles of Optical Fibers,

San Jose State University, 2002 Since the single-mode

fibers propagate light in one clearly defined path,

intermodal dispersion effects is not present, allowing the

fiber to operate at larger bandwidths than a multimode

fiber. On the other hand, multimode fibers have large

intermodal dispersion effects due to the many light modes

of propagations it handles at one time.

III. PRINCIPLE

Transparent concrete or translucent concrete is work

Based on Nano-Optics. Optical fibres passes as much

light when tiny slits are placed directly on top of each

other as when they are staggered. Principal can carry

because optical fibers in the concrete act like the slits and

carry the light across throughout the concrete.

Fig 2: Transparent Panels

Source: entertainingscience.blogspot.com

IV. CONSTRUCTION

Transparent concrete is produced out of fine-grain con-

crete and translucent fabric which is layer cast in pre-

fabricated mould. Because of relatively small amount of

fabric, solidity and consistency of transparent concrete

are the same as the high-strength concrete. Almost free

energy loss light penetration through optic fibres makes itpossible to see light, shadows and even colours through

concrete even by very thick walls. It can be produced as

prefabricated building blocks and panels. Due to the

small size of the fibres, they blend into concrete

becoming a component of the material like small pieces

of aggregate. In this manner, the result is not mixed

material like glass in concrete but a new material, which

is homogeneous in its inner structure as well as on its

main surfaces. The optical fibres lead light by points

between the two sides of the blocks. Because of their

parallel position, the light-information on the brighter

side of such a wall appears unchanged on the darker side.

The most interesting form of this phenomenon is

probably the sharp display of shadows on the opposing

side of the wall. Moreover, the colour of the light also

remains the same.

V. MANUFACTURING PROCESS

The manufacturing process of transparent concrete is

almost same as regular concrete. Only optical fibres arespread throughout the aggregate and cement mix. Small

layers of the concrete are poured on top of each other and

infused with the fibers and are then connected. Thousands

of strands of optical fibers are cast into concrete to

transmit light, either natural or artificial.Light-

transmitting concrete is produced by adding 4% to 5%

optical fibers by volume into the concrete mixture. The

concrete mixture is made from fine materials only it does

not contain coarse aggregate. Thickness of the optical

fibers can be varied between 2 m and 2 mm to suit the

particular requirements of light transmission.Automatic

production processes use woven fibres fabric instead of

single filaments. Fabric and concrete are alternately

inserted into molds at intervals of approximately 2 mm to

5 mm.Smaller or thinner layers allow an increased

amount of light to pass through the concrete. Following

casting, the material is cut into panels or blocks of the

specified thickness and the surface is then typically

polished, resulting in finishes ranging from semi-gloss to

high-gloss.

Fig 3: Transparent Concrete When Optical Fibres Are In

Organic Distribution

Source: Victoria Bailey, Translucent Concrete, MEEN

3344-001


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Fig 4: Transparent Concrete When Optical Fibres Are In

Layered Distribution

Source: Victoria Bailey, Translucent Concrete, MEEN

3344-001

VI. APPLICATION

A. Il luminate Your WallsTransparent Concrete can be used as building material

for interior and exterior walls. If sunshine illuminates the

wall structure, then eastern or western placement is

recommended; the rays of the rising or setting sun will hit

the optical glass fibers in a lower angle and the intensity

of the light will be bigger. Besides the traditional

applications of a wall, the light transmitting concrete can

also be used as wall covering illuminated from the back.

Fig 5: Translucent Wall for Architectural ViewSource: www.impactlightinginc.com

B. Watch Your Pavement Shine at SunsetThis concrete can be used as flooring a passable

surface illuminated from below. During the day it looks

like typical concrete pavement but at sunset the paving

blocks begin to shine and in different colors.

C. Get Creative with DesignThe building units are versatile and can be used in

many areas of design. Two successful designs using the

light transmitting concrete were a jewel and a concrete

bench. You can also create a logo with colorful figures,

inscriptions, and pictures and can used for beautificationpurpose.

Fig 6: Decorative Wall Design

Source: www.impactlightinginc.com

D. Ar tsy Reception DeskIf you really want to create a look that stands out, youshould opt for this artsy and vogue reception desk where

light up in the front and the sides.

E. A L ighti ng fi xture and Conversational PieceThe transparent concrete cube is, without a doubt, a

great conversation piece. The new cube line consists of

four identical pieces of concrete and, due to its special

geometry; the pieces form a stable structure without

fixing them together.

Fig 7: Transparent Partition Wall

Source: www.litracon.hu

It can be also applicable at:

Transparent concrete blocks suitable for floors,pavements and load-bearing walls.

Facades, interior wall cladding and dividingwalls based on thin panels.

Partitions wall and it can be used where thesunlight does not reach properly.

In furniture for the decorative and aestheticpurpose.

Light fixtures. Light sidewalks at night. Increasing visibility in dark subway stations.


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Lighting indoor fire escapes in the event of apower failure.

Illuminating speed bumps on roadways at night.VII. ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES

The main advantage of these products is that onlarge scale objects the texture is still visible -

while the texture of finer translucent concrete

becomes indistinct at distance.

When a solid wall is imbued with the ability totransmit light, it means that a home can use

fewer lights in their house during daylight

hours.

It has very good architectural properties forgiving good aesthetical view to the building.

Where light is not able to come properly at thatplace transparent concrete can be used.

Energy saving can be done by utilization oftransparent concrete in building.

Totally environment friendly because of itslight transmitting characteristics, so energy

consumption can be reduced.

The main disadvantage is these concrete is verycostly because of the optical fibres.

Casting of transparent concrete block is difficultfor the labour so special skilled person is

required.

VIII. CONCLUSION

A novel architectural material called transparent

concrete can be developed by adding optical fibre or large

diameter glass fibre in the concrete mixture. The

transparent concrete has good light guiding property and

the ratio of optical fibre volume to concrete is proportion

to transmission. The transparent concrete not looses the

strength parameter when compared to regular concrete

and also it has very vital property for the aesthetical point

of view. It can be used for the best architecturalappearance of the building. Also used where the light

cannot reach with appropriate intensity. This new kind of

building materialcan integrate the concept of green

energy saving with the usage self-sensing properties of

functional materials.

IX. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The Authors thankfully acknowledge to Dr.C.L.Patel,

Chairman, Charutar Vidya Mandal, Er.V.M.Patel, Hon.Jt.

Secretary, Charutar Vidya Mandal, Dr. F.S.Umrigar,

Principal, B.V.M. Engineering College, Dr.A.K.Verma,

Head & Professor, Structural Engineering Department,B.V.M. Engineering College, Prof. J.J.Bhavsar, Civil

Engineering Department, B.V.M Engineering College,

Vallabh Vidyanagar, Gujarat, India for their motivational

and infrastructural support to carry out this research.

REFERENCES

[1] D.D.L. Chung. Cement reinforced with short carbon fibers:a multifunctional material. Composites: Part B.31:511-526,2000.

[2] F. Ansari. Practical Implementation of Optical FiberSensors in Civil Structural Health Monitoring. Journal of

Intelligent Material Systems and Structures, 18(8):879-889,2007.

[3] H.Li, H.G. Xiao, J.P. Ou. Microstructure of cement mortarwith nano-particles. Composites Part B Engineering,35:185-189, 2004.

[4] Jianping He, Zhi Zhou, JinpingOu, Minghua Huang, Studyon Smart Transparent Concrete Product and Its

Performances, Dalian, China, 2011.

[5] Kalymnios, D. Plastic Optical Fibers (POF) in sensing current status and prospects. 17th International Conference

on Optical Fiber Sensors SPIE, 5855, 2005.

[6] K.S.C. Kuang, M. Maalej, S.T. Quek. Hybrid optical fibersensor system based on fiber Bragg gratings and plastic

optical fibers for health monitoring of engineering

structures. Proc. of SPIE, 6174(61742P)1-12, 2006.

[7] Scherafe, T. fabric Structure outpace applications: Recentstructural development expand the range of fabric options,

Building design and construction, pp.128-138,1988

[8] Victoria Bailey, Translucent Concrete, MEEN 3344-001[9] Z. Zhou, J.P. Ou, and B. Wang. Smart FRP-OFGB Bars

and Their Application in Reinforced Concrete Beams.

Proceedings of the First International Conference onStructural Health Monitoring and Intelligent Structure,Japan: 861~866, 2003.

[10]seminarprojects.com/s/transparent-concrete-ppt[11]byen.wikipedia.org/wiki/LiTraCon[12]en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_fiber[13]en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Translucent_concrete[14]www.archicentral.com/litracon-transparent-concrete-4379/[15]www.engineer.tamuk.edu/.../Translucent%20Concrete_Victoria_Baile[16]www.foundationsakc.org/potential[17]www.impactlightinginc.com[18]www.litracon.hu/[19]http://www.magtudin.org/Translucent%20concrete.htm[20]http://www.nbmcw.com/articles/concrete/17991-

transparent-concrete-litracon.html

[21]www.thesurfacegallery.com/product/litracon/
http://www.archicentral.com/litracon-transparent-concrete-4379/http://www.archicentral.com/litracon-transparent-concrete-4379/http://www.litracon.hu/http://www.litracon.hu/http://www.nbmcw.com/articles/concrete/17991-transparent-concrete-litracon.htmlhttp://www.nbmcw.com/articles/concrete/17991-transparent-concrete-litracon.htmlhttp://www.nbmcw.com/articles/concrete/17991-transparent-concrete-litracon.htmlhttp://www.nbmcw.com/articles/concrete/17991-transparent-concrete-litracon.htmlhttp://www.thesurfacegallery.com/product/litracon/http://www.thesurfacegallery.com/product/litracon/http://www.thesurfacegallery.com/product/litracon/http://www.nbmcw.com/articles/concrete/17991-transparent-concrete-litracon.htmlhttp://www.nbmcw.com/articles/concrete/17991-transparent-concrete-litracon.htmlhttp://www.litracon.hu/http://www.archicentral.com/litracon-transparent-concrete-4379/


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AUTHORS BIOGRAPHY

BhavinKantilalKashiyani was born in 1989 in

Jayva village of Jamnagar district, Gujarat. He

has received his Bachelor of Engineering degree

in Civil Engineering from the Faculty of

Technology, Dharmsinh Desai University,

Nadiad in 2011. At present he is Final year student of Master`s Degree

in Construction Engineering and Management from Birla Vishwakarma

Mahavidyalaya, Gujarat Technological University. He has published

papers in international journals.

Varsha Raina was born in 1990 in Bareilly, Uttar

Pradesh. She has received her Bachelor of

Engineering degree in Civil Engineering from the

Faculty of Technology, Maharaja Sayajirao

University, Baroda in 2012. She is currently first

year student of Master`s Degree in Construction Engineering and

Management from Birla Vishwakarma Mahavidyalaya, Gujarat

Technological University.

Prof. Jayeshkumar R. Pitroda was born in 1977 in

Vadodara City. He received his Bachelor of


Birla Vishvakarma Mahavidyalaya, Sardar Patel

University in 2000. In 2009 he received his Master's

Degree in Construction Engineering and Management from Birla

Vishvakarma Mahavidyalaya, Sardar Patel University. He joined Birla

Vishvakarma Mahavidyalaya Engineering College as a faculty where he

is Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering Department with a total

experience of 12 years in field of Research, Designing and education.

He is guiding M.E. (Construction Engineering & Management) Thesis

work in field of Civil/ Construction Engineering. He has publishedpapers in National Conferences and International Journals.

Dr.Bhavnaben K. Shah was born in 1954 in

Ahmedabad City. She received her Bachelor of


Birla Vishvakarma Mahavidyalaya, Sardar Patel

University in 1977. In 1988she received her Master's Degree in

Structural Engineering from Maharaja Sayajirao University, Baroda.

She joined Birla Vishvakarma Mahavidyalaya Engineering College as a

faculty where she is Associate Professor of Structural Engineering

Department with a total experience of 36 years in field of Research in

concrete by using industrial waste and its byproducts and education. She

is guiding M.E. (Construction Engineering & Management) Thesis work

in field of Civil/ Construction Engineering. She has published papers inNational/International Conferences and Journals.

ijeit1412201302_18_study on transparent concrete 2013

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