Resilient Materials 4 Life (RM4L) – An overview of research on biomimetic infrastructure materials

Jefferson, Anthony ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2050-2521, Gardner, Diane ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2864-9122, Paine, Kevin and Al -Tabbaa, Abir 2021. Resilient Materials 4 Life (RM4L) – An overview of research on biomimetic infrastructure materials. Presented at: Resilient Materials 4 Life 2020 (RM4L2020) International Conference, Online/Cardiff, 20-22 Sept 2021. Published in: Maddalena, Riccardo and Wright-Syed, Muaaz eds. Proceedings Resilient Materials 4 Life 2020 (RM4L2020). Cardiff University, pp. 2-3.

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Abstract

Despite recent endeavours, structures remain susceptible to damage. The need to develop resilient structures, whilst being prudent with our natural resources has never been more pressing. Since planning the RM4L project in 2016, the landscape surrounding climate change has changed significantly. As a research consortium, we had and still have an ambition that by 2050 we can create a sustainable and resilient built environment and infrastructure comprising materials and structures that continually monitor, regulate, adapt and repair themselves without the need for external intervention. RM4L and its inception was a key enabler of this ambition, with its own vision of achieving (by the project end) a transformation in construction materials using the biomimetic approach that will adapt to their environment, develop immunity to harmful actions, self‐diagnose the on‐set of deterioration and self‐heal when damaged. Although we are still en-route to achieving this vision, the innovative research into smart materials in RM4L will engender a step‐change in the value placed on infrastructure materials and provide a much higher level of confidence and reliability in the performance of our infrastructure systems.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item - published (Keynote)
Date Type:	Published Online
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Engineering
Publisher:	Cardiff University
ISBN:	9781399908320
Last Modified:	07 May 2026 15:48
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/156252

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