Smart materials in architecture for actuator and sensor applications: A review

Abstract

Severe challenges such as depletion of natural resources, natural catastrophes, extreme weather conditions, or overpopulation require intelligent solutions especially in architecture. Built environments that are conceived from smart materials based on actuator and sensor functionality provide a promising approach in order to address this demand. The present paper reviews smart materials-based technologies which are currently applied or developed for application in civil structures, focusing on smart material applications for actuation or sensing. After giving a definition and categorization of smart materials, applications of the investigated materials (i.e. shape memory materials, electro- and magnetostrictive materials, piezoelectric materials, ionic polymer-metal composites, dielectrical elastomers, polyelectrolyte gels as well as magneto- and electrorheological fluids) are presented for the fields of architecture and civil engineering. While some materials are already highly advantageous in the application context, others still need further research in order to become applicable in real-world constructions. Nonetheless this review indicates their large innovation potential which should be consolidated by systematic research efforts in the near future.