Analysis of mechanical performance and durability of self-healing biological concrete

Abstract

Concrete is a building material that withstands environmental actions for centuries. Development of concrete technologies enables building up the lightweight, slender, and aesthetically attractive structures. These building structures, however, became vulnerable to cracking and detrimental effects of corrosion of steel reinforcement. In the last decade, self-healing technologies faced substantial interest of experts worldwide. These technologies are considered as a promising and sustainable solution increasing the durability of structural concrete. Shortage of outdoor application examples calls for studies estimating the efficiency of the self-healing techniques under the real environmental conditions, such as marine environment, freeze–thaw cycles, and sustained load conditions. The long-term performance of biological self-healing concrete has to be estimated in the industrial projects. However, the construction of full-scale outdoor objects is expensive that requires a well-planned setup of the projects. The testing procedure must also be chosen appropriately. This manuscript describes the apparatus and evaluation methods of the durability and mechanical performance of the biological concrete. Substantial limitations of the existing testing approaches are discussed. The authors propose a new setup suitable for performing the tests in the laboratory and outdoor conditions.