Concrete is one of the most widely used materials in construction for its strength and durability.
However, overloads, adverse weather conditions and thermal stresses can cause cracks, endangering the safety of construction.
The maintenance and repair of concrete structures can be expensive, so several self-repairing concrete systems have been created, which seal the cracks that can come out over time, repairing itself in different ways:
- Bacteria: mixing concrete with calcium lactate and a bacterium that makes limestone, thus forming the calcite that seals cracks.
- Autogenic healing: thanks to the unhydrated cement in the matrix, when it comes in contact with water it can cure small cracks and adding microfibres closes easily.
- Superabsorbent polymers: SAPs can absorb a lot of liquid and keep it in the structure without dissolving, swelling when there is a crack.
These are some of the systems that extend the life of structures, making them more sustainables and environmentally friendly.