Michigan Professor & Graduate May Have Just Solved Our Road Issues Forever
“Qingxu “Bill” Jin and Jin and current MSU graduate student Xiaoqiang “Antonio” Ni may have just changed the roads in Michigan forever.
These two came up with a material that would act as a sealant or replacement for concrete that when it hits near-freezing temperatures, uses stored energy to create heat, making it not only self-heating but self-healing.
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According to Jin, only a few inches of this material would be needed to cover the roads, to not only maintain its integrity, which heals itself from any minor damage but to keep it’s heating element active.
Jin, who is an assistant professor in the College of Engineering explained how this could possibly change our roads forever:
This could revolutionize the concrete industry and our infrastructure. This technology could also be a solution for underserved or rural communities with limited access to snow and ice removal options, providing a safer and more sustainable solution during winter months.
He also elaborated on how, because it is self-warming, this may change how we deal with snowy roads in the winter:
This concrete product can potentially be used as a protective layer over the pavement, which can reduce or even eliminate the need for deicing salt usage. Due to recent changes in the climate causing more extreme weather conditions, we needed to come up with innovative ways to remove ice from roadways.
If what they are saying is correct and this really can’t fix the roads, is it possible that we will no longer have a construction season in Michigan in the future?