Self Healing Concrete: A Biological Approach

Concrete can be considered as a kind of artificial rock with properties more or less similar to certain natural rocks. As it is strong, durable, and relatively cheap, concrete is, since almost two centuries, the most used construction material worldwide, which can easily be recognized as it has changed the physiognomy of rural areas. However, due to the heterogeneity of the composition of its principle components, cement, water, and a variety of aggregates, the properties of the final product can widely vary. The structural designer therefore must previously establish which properties are important for a specific application and must choose the correct composition of the concrete ingredients in order to ensure that the final product applies to the previously set standards. Concrete is typically characterized by a high-compressive strength, but unfortunately also by a rather low-tensile strength. However, through the application of steel or other material reinforcements, the latter can be compensated for as such reinforcements can take over tensile forces.