Title: An Electric Freeway to the Future

Author(s): Bruce W. Ramme and Steven H. Miller

Publication: Concrete International

Volume: 33

Issue: 5

Appears on pages(s): 45-48

Keywords: fly ash, carbon, grounding, sheilding

DOI:

Date: 5/1/2011

Abstract:
Electrically conductive high-carbon concrete (HCC) is being developed and could potentially be used for many new technological advances. Carbon from high-carbon fly ash and spent carbon sorbent—both byproducts of coal combustion in modern power plants—make HCC a conductor. Initial HCC applications have included low-cost grounding for lightning-vulnerable structures, but a much wider range of use is envisioned, including electrical shielding, self-deicing bridges, induction-charging of electric vehicles, and pavements that function as storage batteries. This article explores some of these possibilities.