USA USA Engineers at the University of Michigan created a new type of concrete that repairs only when cracks appear on its surface. According to those responsible for the project, the material is restored thanks to the action of rainwater or carbon dioxide present in the atmosphere.The main feature of this new development is that the new concrete bends without breaking and is protected with certain coated fibers that hold it together. In fact, it remains intact for sure when deformed up to 5% or more of its initial size.
The average width of self-healing concrete is less than 60 micrometers. That's about half the thickness of a human hair. Its formula ensures that when exposed on the surface of the cracks it can react with water and carbon dioxide from the air and form a thin white calcium carbonate "scar". Calcium carbonate is a solid compound found naturally in seashells.
At present, builders reinforce concrete structures with steel bars to keep cracks as small as possible. But the truth is that, despite everything, they are not small enough to prevent water or ice from penetrating and damaging that steel, weakening the structure. This flexible concrete needs the steel reinforcement to keep the cracks small, so the corrosion described above no longer occurs.
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