Smart concretes and structures are intelligent systems that have properties different from normal concrete, such as self-sensing and self-healing properties, or have the ability to react upon an external stimulus, such as stress and temperature. The “smartness” of concrete and structures is achieved through material composition design, special processing, introduction of other functional components, or modification of the microstructure. They are designed to meet specific requirements through tailored properties for improving serviceability, safety, reliability, longevity, and durability of the infrastructures and reducing the life-cycle costs of the infrastructures. This article reviews the recent researches of various smart concretes and structures, with attentions to their principles, fabrication, and properties. Future challenges in the development and applications of smart concretes and structures are also discussed.

Sensing concrete has the capability to sense its condition and environmental changes, including stress (or force), strain (or deformation), crack, damage, temperature, and humidity, by incorporating functional fillers. Sensing concrete has recently attracted major research interest aiming to produce smart infrastructures with elegantly integrated health monitoring abilities. In addition to having highly improved mechanical properties, sensing concrete has multifunctional properties, such as improved ductility, durability, resistance to impact, and, most importantly, self-health monitoring due to its electrical conductivity capability, allowing damage detection without the need for an external grid of sensors. This tutorial will provide an overview of sensing concrete, with attention to its principles, properties, and applications. It concludes with an outline of some future opportunities and challenges in the application of sensing concrete in the construction industry.