Self-Healing Concrete: Repair cracks without human intervention

 

Self-Healing Concrete or Bio-Concrete 

Let’s talk about Self-Healing Concrete that doesn’t require any human intervention, rather repair cracks itself. You would be thinking Is it possible? Indeed, Researchers have been working on Self-Healing Concrete for a long time. Now let’s go back in history to know who invented Self-healing concrete?

According to sources, Henk Jonkers, a microbiologist and professor at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands invested in self-healing concrete. After working for almost three years he was able to come up with the perfect healing agent ‘Bacillus’’ in 2006.He was the finalist in the European Inventor Award of 2015 for his invention.

Self-Healing concrete is also known as Bio-Concrete. Self-Healing concrete Heal itself when it comes in contact with water and air. It creates lime in the outer layer of the Concrete. For Self-Healing concrete different experiments have been conducted besides using ‘’Bacillus’’. Such as capsule-based self-healing, electrodeposition, vascular self-healing and self-healing using shape memory Alloy (SMA) integration. 

The benefits of self-healing concrete are numerous. It can significantly increase the lifespan of concrete structures, as it can repair cracks and prevent water damage before it becomes severe. This can lead to significant cost savings in terms of maintenance and repair.

Moreover, self-healing concrete can also enhance safety, particularly in critical structures such as bridges and dams. It can reduce the risk of structural failure due to cracks and other forms of damage, which can be especially important in areas prone to natural disasters.

Self-healing concrete can also be environmentally friendly. By reducing the need for maintenance and repair, it can reduce the carbon footprint associated with the production and transportation of concrete materials.

Overall, self-healing concrete has the potential to revolutionize the construction industry by providing a more durable, safer, and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional concrete. While the technology is still in its early stages, it has already shown great promise, and further research and development could lead to even more significant breakthroughs in the future.