First, just to clarify, the title of this post refers to two different things.  The first is a type of concrete developed by researchers at the University of Michigan called Engineered Composit Concrete (ECC).  This is fiber reinforced concrete that is actually bendable.  ECC is reported to be 40% lighter than traditional concrete and 500 times more resistant to cracks.  The first practical test in the U.S. for ECC appears to have been ECC its use in a patch on Curtis Road bridge over M-14 in Ann Arbor for about 4 years.  It has already gone through several winters and has proven itself to be extremely crack resistant.  Considering the fact that concrete will expand and contract at different temperatures, that sounds pretty good to me.  Read more about ECC HERE.

The second cool concrete innovation I stumbled across is concrete that actually allows light to pass through it.  Called LitraCon, this is concrete that has thousands of glass fibers running in a matrix parallel to each other within the concrete.  This allows light to pass through, which in turn allows shadows to be cast through the concrete.  This can be used to replace glass block in bathrooms, in special flooring and probably a lot more.  See photgraphs of LitraCon HERE.