Concrete is great. It’s strong, it’s got a long life, but then, it cracks and everyone is bummed out. Cracking is not only an eyesore, but it leads to structural issues and leaks, among other issues. Back in May, we wrote about a concrete additive that would allow the concrete to “heal” its own cracks and it’s got researchers pretty excited about the possibilities.
A team of researchers in the UK has taken it upon themselves to give three separate concrete healing technologies some real world trials to see how they actually perform. Materials for Life, as the 3 year project is known, will test six concrete walls, apply loads to crack them, and then determine how the technologies respond.
The three techniques being tested are: shape shifting polymers, healing agents, and bacteria infused aggregates (like the one we mentioned above). The shape shifting polymers are activated when heated with a small current and is supposed to make the material change shape. The healing agents will be pumped into the concrete through thin tunnels to facilitate healing. Finally, the bacteria additive is used to release chemicals that will produce calcium carbonate when the concrete is cracked.
The team of researchers from the Cardiff University School of Engineering will be testing each wall for stiffness, permeability, and mechanical damage in hopes that one of these methods good be used to keep infrastructure repair costs down in the future in the UK.
The video below shows the full process of the teams concrete testing:
FULL STORY: UK's first trial of self-healing concrete | Cardiff
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