SELF-HEALING CONCRETE

1. What makes this proposed project innovative?

Cement concrete is the major material used in construction works which is

recyclable. It is strong, locally available, durable and versatile. It is a composite

material with combined fine aggregates, coarse aggregates, water, cement that

hardens over time. And, no matter how the concrete mixture is handled it eventually

leads in cracking. Self-healing of cracks in concrete would contribute to a longer

service life of concrete structures and would make the material not only more durable

but also more sustainable. Unlike any other concrete, self-healing concrete can fix

itself. It can solve the problem deteriorating well before the end of its life. Regular

concretes are prone to crack when they face tension.

This innovation could solve a longstanding problem with concrete, the

world’s most common construction material. Over the years, scientists and engineers

around the globe have experimented with various healing agents to perfect self-

healing concrete. As cracks occur in concrete, water seeps in, thus corroding the

material that will lead to its degradation. Self-healing concrete is designed to repair

micro-cracks which embeds limestone-producing bacteria into building material.

Bacteria is mixed and distributed evenly with the concrete which can lie dormant for a

hundred years. Water and atmospheric moisture serve as catalyst to this process. The

healing agent is the limestone produced by a bacteria that reacts as it comes in contact

with water and heat. The agent will flow into the crack in a capillary action, the faces
are bonded together and the crack is healed. This method is known as bio-

mineralization technique, which gives promising results to self-healing concrete.

2. Will it help solve a problem of a community, the country, or the

world?

Concrete is still one of the main materials used in the construction industry,

from the foundation of buildings to the structure of bridges and underground parking

lots. Traditional concrete has a flaw, it tends to crack when subjected to tension. Self-

healing concrete gives us the ability to construct buildings without worrying about

damages or intensive maintenance. Not only will structures benefit from self-healing

concrete, they are a wonderful solution for sidewalks. Smooth pavement can be laid

down in cities and suburbs, without having to worry about wear and tear. This could

solve a longstanding problem with concrete, the world’s most common construction

material.

Concrete often develops micro-cracks during the construction process.

These tiny cracks don’t immediately affect the building’s structural integrity, but they

can lead to leakage problems. Leakage can eventually corrode the concrete’s steel

reinforcements, which can ultimately cause a collapse. With the self-healing

technology, cracks can be sealed immediately, staving off future leakage and pricey

damage down the road. The bacteria can lie dormant for as long as 200 years, well

beyond the lifespan of most modern buildings. 

cost. Studies say that the estimated cost of construction repair for a 1km concrete road

without shoulder cost is roughly 15 million pesos. It is usually done through re-

blocking (removing the damaged part of the road and replacing it with a new “buhos”.

There is also additional cost on asphalt overlay that is estimated to be 10 million

pesos in a 1.3km road. Using self-healing concrete could reduce the construction cost

for about 50% of a regular concrete with a lifespan of 30-50 years.

3. Can we make a process/mechanism description out of this?

At Ghent University in Belgium, they research more options of self-healing

concrete. Bacterial repair is one of them. Like Basilisk, the Ghent researchers embed

the bacteria in microcapsules or microgels, where they may survive hundreds of years,

whereas they would not be long-lived when introduced into the concrete mixture right

away. But they also investigate the use of these hydrogels as such. These gels swell

when water enters into the concrete; this partly seals the crack. Then the gel will

provide the fluid to the surrounding matrix for internal curing, further hydration and

the precipitation of calcium carbonate.

polymers can be used in self-healing concrete. When a crack appears, the capsules

break and the content is released. Due to capillary action, the agent will flow into the

crack. After reaction, the crack faces are bonded together and the crack is thus healed.

Polyurethane, methyl methacrylate, water repellent agents and elastic polymers are

among the polymers used, depending on the primary goal of crack repair: reduction of

water permeability, strength restoration, aesthetic view or effective crack sealing. And

finally, a form of self-healing concrete can be obtained by adding fly-ash or blast-

furnace slag to the concrete mixture.

and strength development, but their self-healing capability can be high, because they

will still contain some unreacted particles that can be activated when cracks appear.

4. Can we create a representation of its Operational Framework?

There are several construction companies that show the produce on how to

make this innovation and how it works on construction. They show how they benefit

on using this instead of the regular concrete. This project was inspired from the

ancient Romans. Some of their concrete structures survive until this day, most

famously of course the Pantheon. And piers, objects that nowadays are infamous for

concrete degradation under the influence of sea water. That these Roman structures

still exist is a 2,000 year achievement that will not easily be met by modern-day

structures.

Concrete is one of the most used materials in the world with robust

applications and increasing demand. Despite considerable advancement in concrete

and cementitious materials over last centuries, infrastructure built in the present world
with these materials, such as dams, roads, bridges, tunnels and buildings requires

intensive repair and maintenance throughout its design life. Self-healing concrete and

cementitious materials, which have the ability to recover after initial damage, have the

potential to address these challenges. Self-healing technology in concrete and

cementitious materials can mitigate the unnecessary repair and maintenance of built

infrastructure as well as overall CO2 emission due to cement production.

The concept of self-healing concrete came from the principle of the self-

healing properties of the skin, a form of natural defense mechanism. Nature plays an

active role in this process by the development of clots to seal the break. This is the

first process of skin healing. Self-healing technology is a novel branch of engineering

aimed at the protection of concrete infrastructure from developing minor and major

cracks. In a bid to improve the strength and durability of concrete which, is one of the

most pervasive material in the world in terms of infrastructural construction, self-

healing technology was adopted. The use of concrete has been adopted in the design

and construction of major infrastructure for national growth.

The research on microbial self-healing concrete mostly focuses on

laboratory scale or outdoor scale, and there is still lack of large relevant experience in

commercial application of concrete. The research on microbial self-healing concrete

mostly focuses on laboratory scale or outdoor scale, and there is still lack of large

relevant experience in commercial application of concrete.

Obstacles that need to be overcome if self healing concrete is to transform

concrete construction in the next decade. The clay pellets holding the self healing

agent comprise 20% of the volume of the concrete. That 20% would normally

comprise harder aggregate such as gravel. The clay is much weaker than normal

aggregate and this weakens the concrete by 25% and significantly reduces its

compressive strength. In many structures this would not be a problem but in

specialised applications where higher compressive strength is needed, such as in high-

rise buildings, it will not be viable.

The market research indicated that the main problems experienced with

concrete (both old and new construction) in projects on which the respondents had

worked over the last 5 years are as follows:

was experienced by more clients, design team members and contractors than any

other problem, and overall by an average of 90% of all respondents;

ii. Water ingress (experienced by an average of 73% of all respondents);

iii. Impact damage (experienced by an average of 65% of all respondents);

iv. Damage caused by freeze-thaw conditions, and other environmental damage of

which sulphates, salt/chlorides, carbonation and acid attack were the most

common.

Also of particular interest was the response given by 80% of contractors

who highlighted that one of the main sources of damage to concrete results from the

handling and loading of precast elements. It is standard practice to amend the concrete

design or mix specification to address the types of problems particularly cracking,

water ingress, chemical and other environmental damage. Of these, preventing water
ingress was considered the most challenging issue to resolve by 43% of respondents,

followed by cracking, as mentioned by 23% of respondents..

The problems were reported to be experienced at all stages throughout the

life of a concrete structure, contractors in particular, highlighted problems with early

age cracking (<3 days), whereas clients and design team members emphasized

problems with longer-term cracking (>5 years).

6. Who is our target market?

This innovation is best to use on roads, pavements, and other horizontal

construction works where we consider different local/international construction

industries as our target market.

7. Will it be offered for free or with a price?

Unfortunately, the costs of the technology are still quite high, about €30-40

(about $33-44) per square meter. This means it will initially only be viable for

projects where leakage and corrosion are particularly problematic, such as

underground and underwater structures. The price of the calcium lactate needed for

the bacteria to produce calcite is part of the problem, but Jonkers and his team are

working to create a cheaper, sugar-based alternative. And as demand for the concrete

increases, the price should decrease. Engineers considering using self-healing

concrete should assess its functionality and cost in comparison with conventional
concrete. It will more likely be used in larger, more expensive projects, but only after

its long-term safety has been thoroughly demonstrated.

8. Is it eco-friendly?

There are several formulas that they used on concrete mixture and one of

the formulas is composed of sand, gel and bacteria on which they call the living

concrete. This concrete is environmentally friendly that can bear heavy loads. It is

also composed of water and doesn’t use any harmful chemicals to the environment.

For this project, these innovative tents become eco-friendly through what they call

living concrete by using sand, gel and bacteria that the scientists have developed.

Researchers said this building material has structural load-bearing function, is capable

of self-healing and is more environmentally friendly than concrete – which is the

second most-consumed material on Earth after water.

According to a WWF report, by 2030, urban growth in China and India will

place global cement output at 5bn metric tons per year. With current output already

responsible for 8% of the global emissions total, we could see potential in self-healing

concrete by reducing the future production of cement. As maintenance of structures

are standard safety procedures, one cannot discount the multiple aspects of indirect

pollution it contributes: the dust during construction, the smoke emissions of trucks

used for bridge repairs and etc. Although the environmental impact of other sources of

pollution is more visible, it is best to address this implicit problem early on. Also, this

will help lower maintenance for building owners, homeowners and for the

government as well.
 Researchers said this building material has structural load-bearing

function, is capable of self-healing and is more environmentally friendly than concrete

– which is the second most-consumed material on Earth after water.

The team from the University of Colorado Boulder believe their work

paves the way for future building structures that could “heal their own cracks, suck up

dangerous toxins from the air or even glow on command”. Wil Srubar, who heads the

Living Materials Laboratory at the University of Colorado Boulder and is one of the

study authors, said: “We already use biological materials in our buildings, like wood,

but those materials are no longer alive.

“We’re asking: Why can’t we keep them alive and have that biology do

something beneficial, too?”

9. Which product/ service/ project have we taken inspiration from?

The ancient Romans already developed a self-healing concrete and then, the

problem of self-healing concrete may have been solved by the ancient

Romans already. Some of their concrete structures survive until this day, most

famously of course the Pantheon. And piers, objects that nowadays are infamous for

concrete degradation under the influence of sea water. That these Roman structures

still exist is a 2,000 year achievement that will not easily be met by modern-day

structures. The secret seems to be a ‘pozzolanic’ reaction of the material with

intrusive water that takes place after construction and produces calcium/aluminium

silicate crystals that fill voids and cracks. Strengthening the structures long after the
works were finished. Old technologies that need to be revived! Even if this would

imply rethinking our the very approach of building with concrete.

Then it was developed in Netherlands by a microbiologist named Hendrick

Jonkers. It is said that he was inspired by the natural body processes in which bones

heal through mineralization. He thinks that it is practical and a breakthrough to the

construction world.

10. What will we add, omit, or improve on this existing product/

service/ project?

We suggest that researchers should also conduct a study about this self-

healing concrete here in the Philippines so that they’ll know what particular mixture

and bacteria they will use that works on our climate. Since concrete is used every day

for all manner of construction, it stands to reason that this innovation could make

infrastructure safer and more durable. The use of bacillus pasteuriinot only reverses

deterioration, but could also minimize the costs and environmental effects of building

new structures. Moreover, repairs made with this kind of concrete are likely to last

longer than their traditional counterparts.

We need a bacteria that can survive the harsh environment of concrete,

something like a rock-like, stone-like material, that is very dry. With that, we can

choose a bacillus bacteria for this, because they thrive in alkaline conditions and

produce spores that can survive for decades without food or oxygen. In order to
produce limestone the bacilli need a food source. We will be formulating ideas on

what’s a good food source for the bacilli.