Concrete, Heal Thyself

The last time I posted a few words regarding concrete, in 2006, I posted a few comments on grancrete, which seemed to be fairly high tech concrete with very positive applications.

Today, National Geographic has an article up regarding another high tech concrete which is bendable, and, more noteworthy, can heal itself if subjected to stresses which cause the concrete to form cracks.

Traditional concrete is brittle and is easily fractured during an earthquake or by overuse.

By contrast, the new concrete composite can bend into a U-shape without breaking. When strained, the material forms hairline cracks, which auto-seal after a few days of light rain.

Dry material exposed by the cracks reacts with rainwater and carbon dioxide in the air to form “scars” of calcium carbonate, a strong compound found naturally in seashells, said study co-author Victor Li of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Bendable Concrete Heals Itself—Just Add Water

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 05/07 at 09:30 AM

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