Building-Integrated Structural Energy Storage: AI-Guided Design of Ductile Cementitious Composites

Electrochemical structural energy storage, which enables load-bearing elements to store and release electrical energy, represents a crucial clean-energy innovation. When integrated into architecture, it can transform buildings from passive energy consumers into distributed flexibility assets for the grid. Furthermore, it offers a practical pathway to mitigate peak demand and support heat-resilient operation, issues of growing importance across the European Union (EU). In recent years, cement–carbon systems for structural supercapacitors have garnered significant attention due to their robustness and cost-effectiveness compared with stand-alone devices. However, present solutions often lack ductility and show limited capacity retention under humidity and freeze–thaw ingress, which constrains practical applications. This project aims to lead the development of Building-Integrated Structural Energy Storage (BISES) through the AI-guided design of ductile cementitious composites, thereby advancing the EU’s progress toward energy-efficient, flexible buildings. The proposed BISES modules constitute innovative materials that fulfil both structural (mechanical) and electrochemical (energy storage) roles. Their mechanical and electrochemical properties will be enhanced by fibre-bridging micromechanics, interface tailoring, percolated carbon networks and alkali-compatible gel or solid electrolytes. Subsequently, the project will analyse the reversibility, cyclability ageing and mechanical durability of BISES modules to further improve functionality and applicability. Additionally, a comprehensive electro-chemo-mechanical numerical model will be developed and validated using data obtained from microstructural assessments of ageing BISES modules and AI-assisted experiments.