A concrete that mends itself? Well perhaps. Microbiologist Henk Jonkers working alongside concrete technologist Eric Schlangen at Delft Technical University have added dehydrated limestone-producing bacterial spores to a concrete mix. If the concrete should crack, allowing in water — which over time erodes the concrete and corrodes any exposed steel reinforcement — presto! these spores wake up and start industriously producing limestone to plug the cracks. But don’t get too excited: it’s still undergoing tests and any commercial application is two or three years off.
Henk Jonkers explaining the concept of Bio-Concrete (Video: TU Delft).
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