Modeling of crack-healing by hydration products of residual cement in concrete

Abstract

Concrete has the ability to heal cracks by its internal resources. In the work, a self-healing crack model has been developed. The model takes into account the cement content in concrete, the initial size distribution of cement particles, the degree of hydration, and the depth of hydration of individual cement grains. Assuming that unhydrated grains directly adjacent to the crack can participate in self-healing, the zone of influence of the crack and the potential for self-healing are evaluated. It was shown that the initial granulometric composition of cement, initial cement content, and degree of hydration at the time of cracking have a significant influence on self-healing potential.