Quantitative evaluation on self-healing capacity of cracked concrete by water permeability test – A review

Crack healing is an effective way to recover the mechanical properties and improve the durability of concrete. This can be achieved either by autogenous healing or adding healing agents into cementitious materials. Although quantitative evaluation on self-healing capacity of cracked concrete is difficult, sealing ratio obtained by water permeability test is a useful indicator for assessing healing efficiency, which is closely related to the characteristics and morphology of crack. In this work, the empirical formulas linking quantified geometry of a single crack (i.e., crack width, tortuosity and surface roughness) and transmissivity are first reviewed and analyzed. Then, the relationship between crack geometry and sealing ratio is established and discussed. At last, some recommendations about the quantitative evaluation on self-healing capacity of cracked concrete are given.