Development and Characterization of Bacteria based Self-healing Concrete

Abstract

It is highly typical for concrete structures to develop cracks as a result of different load and non-load causes, which shortens their useful lifespan. Hence, maintenance and repair procedures are required to stop cracks from spreading and shortening the service life of the buildings. However, access to the damaged areas may be challenging because of the high labour and material costs connected with the fixing and upkeeping of concrete structures. One potential approach is autonomous healing using bacteria-based self-healing agents in capsules. The bacteria are activated by water and oxygen availability when released from a broken capsule during this process. Aerobic digestion of bacteria produces calcite which in turn is used to fill up the microcracks in concrete.