Nanotechnology in Construction

Abstract

Nanotechnology, which has a vast number of possibilities in construction, ranging from energy conservation and coatings to structural enhancement and stress monitoring, has not yet made an important difference in construction compared to other major industries even when there has been a big progress in awareness and investigation in the last years. Nanotechnology has the potential to extend the limits of construction bringing new and enhanced products that can foster the construction activity, making it faster, cheaper, and safer. This report contains a study of the state of nanotechnology in the construction industry that reviews the performance of nanoproducts so far, discusses the actual problems and factors that drag their introduction in the market and outlines future potential applications and possible areas of investigation. The objective of this study is not only to serve as a summary compilation reference, but is also to point out and propose what potential applications can make a real difference in the construction industry.