Self Healing in Concrete Materials

The phenomenon of self healing in concrete has been known for many years. It has been observed that some cracks in old concrete structures are lined with white crystalline material suggesting the ability of concrete to self-seal the cracks with chemical products by itself, perhaps with the aid of rainwater and carbon dioxide in air. Later, a number of researchers [1, 2] in the study of water flow through cracked concrete under a hydraulic gradient, noted a gradual reduction of permeability over time, again suggesting the ability of the cracked concrete to self-seal itself and slow the rate of water flow. The main cause of self-sealing was attributed to the formation of calcium carbonate, a result of reaction between unhydrated cement and carbon dioxide dissolved in water [1]. Thus, under limited conditions, the phenomenon of self-sealing in concrete is well established. Self-sealing is important to watertight structures and to prolonging service life of infrastructure.