Concrete that shields against electromagnetic energy
US engineers have developed concrete that shields against electromagnetic pulse (EMP), offering protection for electronics housed inside structures that have been built or coated with the concrete.
It all started when Christopher Tuan and Lim Nguyen, both based at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL), decided to study concrete that conducts electricity. They first developed their conductive concrete to melt snow and ice from surfaces, such as roadways and bridges, but later recognised that it had another important property — the ability to block electromagnetic energy.
“EMP is very lethal to electronic equipment,” said Tuan. “We found a key ingredient that dissipates wave energy.”
The team replaced some standard concrete aggregates with magnetite — a mineral with magnetic properties that absorbs microwaves like a sponge. Their recipe also includes carbon and metal components for better absorption as well as reflection. This ability to both absorb and reflect electromagnetic waves makes their concrete more effective than existing shielding technologies. The technology is additionally more cost-effective and flexible than current shielding methods, making it suitable for use in large structures.
Through a research agreement with American Business Continuity Group (ABC Group), a developer of disaster-resistant structures, the researchers have modified their shielding concrete to work with the company’s shotcrete construction technique — a spray-on method of applying concrete that can be used to cost-effectively retrofit existing buildings. To demonstrate the concrete’s effectiveness, ABC Group built a prototype structure at its disaster recovery complex in Lakeland, Florida.
The product was found to protect building interiors from electromagnetic interference, such as radio waves and microwaves, as well as electronic eavesdropping. The material could protect military, financial or other structures that store critical electronics, such as data servers or aircraft.
“The concrete has the ability to provide what we call a multithreat structure,” said Nguyen. “The structure has to be able to withstand an attack either by an explosive or an electromagnetic attack or other scheme.”
As a result of a licensing agreement with UNL, ABC Group has exclusive rights to market the shielding shotcrete product. Its EMSS-Electromagnetic Shielding Shotcrete is now commercially available.
“Our proprietary construction methods, which incorporate the Nebraska-developed technology, enable us to construct high-strength, blast-resistant structures that exceed military electromagnetic shielding requirements,” said ABC Group CEO Peter Fedele. “Our prototype building has been well received as a new shielding construction material by leading experts in the EMP community.”
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