MAGICON · MAterials Genome engineering for re-Inventing CONcrete

In MAGICON I propose a completely new philosophy for developing and designing concrete. I aim to conceptualize a strategy based on materials genome engineering that combines Experimental tools, Computational tools and Digital data. The MAGICON philosophy should make it possible to select and combine ingredients for concrete that result in optimized properties and behaviour. The need for reinventing concrete comes from the urge to use greener and more environmental friendly binder systems and alternative aggregate particles mainly from recycled materials to work towards a circular economy. The quality and, short and long term performance of concrete is governed by the interplay of binder and aggregates. Especially the connection between both, called Interfacial Transition Zone (ITZ), determines mechanical and transport properties of the composite. The ITZ is actually the finger print of the material and forms the basis in the MAGICON framework to redesign new concretes. To be able to characterize the ITZ and incorporate the results in the design philosophy the following challenges that never have been tried before should be overcome: (1) Develop a method to produce small scale samples including particles, matrix and ITZ which are representative for the composite, including its eigenstresses that are always present in all the phases.(2) Develop testing techniques for measuring mechanical and transport properties and the combined effect of mechanics and transport on the small scale samples.(3) Develop smart technologies for improving ITZ properties.(4) Understand, predict and tailor the results of the microscale testing by using deterministic models for upscaling.(5) Develop a strategy for creating data-sets from experiments, combined with smart numerical modelling that feed into ML systems for validating the behaviour of new sustainable concrete.