Book Review of Smart and Multifunctional Concrete toward Sustainable Infrastructure

Abstract

Smart and Multifunctional Concrete toward Sustainable Infrastructures, published by Springer Group, is the first English monograph in the field of smart and multifunctional concrete, which contains 24 chapters organized into 3 parts. The first part introduces the definition, classification, origin, and philosophical basis of smart and multifunctional concrete. The second part describes 22 specific types of smart and multifunctional concrete in detail, including their definitions, classifications, principles, performances, and applications. The third part discusses the current challenges and strategies of smart and multifunctional concrete towards sustainable infrastructures. This monograph not only summarizes the historical development of smart and multifunctional concrete, but also elaborates on the philosophical basis for the emergence of smart and multifunctional concrete from the perspective of “entropy”. At the same time, it comprehensively introduces more than 20 types of smart and multifunctional concrete, as well as new types of smart and multifunctional concrete that have already been prototyped or are undergoing rapid development. Finally, the challenges of smart and multifunctional concrete towards sustainable infrastructure are systematically analysed, and corresponding strategies and development frameworks are proposed. This monograph can be used as a learning material for students majoring in civil engineering, especially in the field of concrete materials and structures, as well as a guidance and reference for researchers and engineers in the field of smart and multifunctional concrete.