Concrete is a critical component in the modern world, but its production poses challenges, especially due to the considerable associated CO2 emissions. At Drexel University in the United States, a team of scientists has tackled a crucial problem related to this material: its maintenance. They have developed an additive that could revolutionize construction, allowing the creation of "self-healing" concrete, similar to the skin's ability to heal wounds on its own.
This advancement promises to change the way we maintain our homes and structures forever. The additive, called BioFiber, consists of a central fiber wrapped in hydrogel containing "dormant bacterial spores" covered by an outer polymeric layer. When a crack forms in the concrete and breaks the BioFiber, the water activates the hydrogel, stimulating bacteria to produce calcium carbonate, sealing the crack and repairing the damage autonomously.
YoInspired by nature, This process has three key components: a tough core, a spore-bearing hydrogel layer, and a damage-sensitive polymer coating. Researchers say BioFiber endows concrete with three essential abilities: self-healing, crack growth control, and damage response.
The ultimate goal of BioFiber is to provide concrete with the ability to regenerate itself., which improves its sustainability and efficiency. By allowing structures to repair themselves automatically, this additive prolongs their useful life and reduces the need for costly periodic repairs, which in turn decreases the costs and environmental footprint associated with the production and maintenance of concrete.
BioFiber's success lies in the convergence of materials science, microbiology and manufacturing processes. Mohammad Houshmand, team leader, highlights the importance of this multidisciplinary approach to ensure the success of the technology.
However, Houshmand's team is not alone in this race towards self-healing concrete. The U.S. Department of Defense's DARPA research agency has a program called BRACE that also seeks to develop self-healing concrete. Inspired by human vascular systems and fungal networks, this project seeks to provide a transport network for deep material regeneration.
These efforts to create self-healing concrete could revolutionize construction, paving the way to a more sustainable and efficient future in this field. The combination of innovations like BioFiber and other similar approaches promises to transform the way we build and maintain our structures, opening up new possibilities for a stronger, more durable built world.
