Did you know that mineral-producing bacteria may aid in the repair of concrete microcracks?
After extensive study, a microbiologist named Dr. Henk Jonkers invented self-healing concrete, which may one day replace traditional concrete as a construction material.
Self-healing concrete’s major goal is to make concrete more durable so that structures last longer.
What is self-healing concrete or bio-concrete?
The most crucial construction material is concrete, which can bear compressive pressures but not tensile stresses. It begins to shatter under strain because of its poor tensile strength. To endure tensile stresses, it is reinforced with steel.
“Concrete that can restore itself to its original condition when it experiences fractures is known as self-healing concrete.” With the aid of microorganisms found within, bio-concrete is a substance that will organically manufacture minerals like limestone, which will treat surface fissures.
Non-hardening cement was often employed in ancient construction, which is why the buildings lasted for a long period with little care. The Pantheon is a living example of Roman architecture used to design and apply the self-healing idea.
Autonomous healing, a natural mechanism for mending fractures that might develop in moisture or water, fills fissures via non-hydrated cement particles. The use of non-hardening cement is decreasing in modern buildings, which hurts the effectiveness of natural or autonomous healing.
Why is self-healing concrete necessary?
Nowadays, the ultimate objective is to create a technology that can create a durable, eco-friendly construction. But because of untrained labor and hasty construction, most buildings are susceptible to breaking.
The concrete and mortar conditions age and become older as time goes on because water penetrates the walls, corrodes the steel reinforcement, and destroys the concrete.
It normally takes longer to fix fractures in traditional concrete construction since we need to add cement to the harmed areas. To keep an old building from collapsing, we sometimes have to implant mortar into it using metal pins.
Due to the difficulty of accessing the repaired surface, whether underground or at a considerable height, all these approaches are costly.
How does it function?
This concrete’s constituents include calcium lactate, nitrogen, phosphorus, and a particular strain of bacteria from the genus Bacillus. These microorganisms may slumber for up to 200 years in concrete.
When water drools into a concrete building that has been broken, germs will climb to the surface and grow. Once the bacteria are active, they feed on the calcium lactate while consuming oxygen, turning the soluble calcium lactate into insoluble limestone. The newly formed limestone seals the fractured surface by compressing it.
This bacterial conversion’s overall benefit is that it makes steel-reinforced concrete constructions more durable.
Disadvantages
• It is inappropriate for applications requiring greater compressive strength, such as towering structures.
• It is not economical. Self-healing concrete costs twice as much as regular concrete.
As the world moves towards a more sustainable future, self-healing concrete is one of the key materials that will play a major role. Living concrete is a new type of concrete that can heal after damage. This technology can potentially revolutionize how we build buildings and roads, as it eliminates the need for repairs and maintenance. So, what is self-healing concrete, and where is it being developed? Stay tuned for more updates on this fascinating topic!
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