A Review of Translucent Concrete as a New Innovative Material in Architecture

Abstract

Recently, the concept of green architecture has become a common interest in various disciplines; innovative materials are continuously developed to fulfill the green architecture requirements. Translucent concrete (TC) or light-transmitting concrete (LTC) is produced as one of those innovative types of materials which allows external light to transmit through interior spaces by using some light elements like optical fibers with concrete. This paper aggregates and reviews the previous studies in terms of translucent concrete' applications, proper ratio and arrangement pattern of optical fibers, light-transmitting, mechanical, thermal and energy-saving properties. We reviewed the remarkable studies carried out especially last 10 years in translucent concrete techniques. Notwithstanding the advantages, literature concurs that several gaps were found in translucent concrete studies. Translucent concrete' strength and proper ratio of fibers are key limitations. The gap between studies examining the effect of using different ratios of optical fibers on the material strength and on energy-saving concluded that the proper ratio of fibers should be less than 5% for strength, and the optimum ratio ranges 4.3% to 6% for energy-saving. We identify possible areas for future research and suggest recommendations in the conclusion to fill these gaps.

Light-Transmitting Concrete Properties of Short Wall Panel

“…About 19 % of the total electricity worldwide is consumed by artificial lighting [1]. Light-transmitting concrete (LTC) could be one of the innovative ideas of reducing the consumption of man-made lighting while maintaining the structural purpose of the structure [2]. This innovative product could be categorized as a green building material.…”

Mechanical, light transmittance properties and simulation study of sustainable translucent lightweight aggregate concrete

“…The development of sustainable architecture plays an important role in environmental protection by minimizing the consumption of raw materials and energy and promoting the practice and design of buildings in an eco-friendly way. The most important and widely used building material in the construction industry is concrete [4][5][6], a kind of completely opaque material. Nevertheless, it is possible to change concrete from opaque to translucent by combining optical fibers with a concrete matrix [7].…”

“…Nevertheless, it is possible to change concrete from opaque to translucent by combining optical fibers with a concrete matrix [7]. Translucent concrete (TC) is a new energy-efficient building material that transmits light into the indoor environment via embedded optical fibers [5,8,9], which provides new insights into the interior design of buildings and decorative architecture [10]. TC not only improves the lighting of the building and reduces energy consumption for lighting, but also changes the traditional pattern of dense, dark, and bulky monotonous building walls, making the building aesthetically pleasing and decorative [11].…”

Acid Resistance of Ternary Blended Nanosilica Concrete Incorporating Fly Ash and Alccofine

“…For the construction sector, nanotechnology is described as key for controlling properties at the nanometer-scale which can bring advancement in cement based composites with unique mechanical, durability and thermal properties using scientific principles [24]. Extensive research is being performed to enhance the efficiency of building materials and to produce durable concrete for the construction industry through the implementation of nanomaterials [25,29,30]. The nanomaterials like nanosilica (NS) possess high pozzolanic nature and can significantly improve the properties of concrete in all aspects.…”