Leveraging emerging technologies to address the crisis of aging concrete infrastructure

Aging concrete infrastructure faces accelerating deterioration from deferred maintenance, environmental exposure, and climate change, creating urgent demand for cost-effective, durable solutions. This Commentary argues that meeting this challenge requires an integrated rehabilitation framework that unites electrochemical treatments, advanced repair materials and methods, and digital technologies. Electrochemical methods such as chloride extraction and cathodic protection can halt active corrosion of reinforcement, while advanced materials (including ultra-high-performance concrete, strain-hardening composites, fiber-reinforced polymers, and self-healing systems) enable resilient, minimally disruptive repairs. Emerging approaches in additive manufacturing and robotics further expand options for rapid, customized interventions. At the systems level, nondestructive evaluation, artificial intelligence, structural health monitoring, and digital twin platforms support data-driven diagnosis and proactive, life-cycle management. This Commentary contends that only through interdisciplinary collaboration can we achieve the necessary paradigm shift, from reactive fixes to predictive, holistic rehabilitation, ultimately extending service life and enhancing the safety, sustainability, and resilience of our concrete infrastructure.