Studies on Performance and Micro Structural Characteristics of Self-healing Concrete

Conventional concrete has the disadvantage of cracking when pulled. Cracks those occur over the surface of concrete cause liquid to percolate inside and cause deterioration of the concrete structure. Renovating and repairing concrete structures is time- consuming, expensive and difficult, so self-healing concrete conquers the issue by fixing cracks in the concrete surface. This concrete is naturally eco-friendly and releases calcium carbonate to seal the cracks. The purpose of this work is to demonstrate the kinetics of crack healing using organic agents to improve the permeability of concrete. Mechanical and durability tests are performed to calculate the self-healing speed of concrete. In this study, after curing for 28 days, the bio-concrete mix showed a 22% enhancement in compressive strength, 16% enhancement in split strength and 11% enhancement in flexural strength compared to conventional concrete. The dense properties of concrete were studied by UPV readings. Sorption and water absorption tests evaluated the durability of both conventional and bacterial concrete samples. The presence of bacteria increases the durability of bacteria-based concrete samples.