Within the SMARTINCS project, the scientific work was divided into three Work Packages (WPs): (1) Improved self-healing concrete, (2) Advanced local (self-) repair, and (3) Durability, service life and sustainability. These were supported by a fourth WP (4) Technology transfer and Entrepreneurship, which had as a main goal to ensure market oriented research. To this end, Laís Bandeira Barros (ESR15) conducted a thorough investigation into the process of commercializing innovations within the construction industry and, more specifically, how the technical knowledge on self-healing methods and systems could be brought to the market.
In WP1, Yasmina Shields (ESR1) developed selection criteria for optimal healing agents and developed a new ductile-porous vascular network, of which performance was proven in a large-scale demonstrator in collaboration with Besix. Claire Riordan (ESR2) developed two types of microcapsule formulations using membrane emulsification and tested their stability and longevity in cementitious matrices. She scaled up the production of the microcapsules via two pathways. Mustafa Mert Tezer (ESR3) selected appropriate bacterial biomasses and has proven their functionality under adverse conditions. In collaboration with Cardiff University he improved the formulation to allow repetitive self-healing actions and he realised an upscaled bacterial fermentation for a large scale test in collaboration with RDC. Harry Hermawan (ESR4) developed a methodology for the design of optimized self-healing concrete mixes to be used in ready-mixed and prefab concrete applications in order to overcome the problems arising from the current practice where self-healing agents are added just ‘on top’ of the normal concrete mixes. Sina Sayadi Moghadam (ESR5, also part of WP2), developed a micromechanical model and a lattice model to simulate the different self-healing processes in cementitious materials.
In WP2, Suelen da Rocha Gomes (ESR6) developed two grout formulations containing crystalline admixtures and layered double hydroxides and investigated their effect on rebar corrosion. Priya Arul Kumar (ESR7) developed multi-functional tailored repair mortars incorporating crystalline admixture and microcapsules both suited for waterproofing in physically and chemically triggered damage scenarios. In order to prevent the use of excessive amounts of healing agents, Shan He (ESR8) developed a bacteria based self-healing strain hardening cementitious composite (SHCC) and evaluated it in a hybrid beam system with 10 mm of SHCC as the concrete cover. Gabriele Milone (ESR9) developed an intelligent coating capable of autonomously detecting mechanical changes and tested the sensing capability in large-scale tests.
In WP3, Niranjan Prabhu (ESR10) conducted experiments on the self-healing characteristics of ultra-high performance concrete under extreme scenarios, including cyclic and impact loading, as well as exposure to freeze-thawing and high temperatures. Vanessa Giaretton Cappellesso (ESR11) developed a selection matrix for self-healing methodologies that can be tailored to specific environments, among which frost salt scaling, a marine and a chloride-rich environment. Pardis Pourhaji (ESR12) worked on mitigating chloride and carbonation induced corrosion through self-healing technologies. Kiran Dabral (ESR13) integrated the self-healing functionality into the structural design of concrete structures for serviceability under marine exposure conditions and validated the approach for industrial-scale concrete beams. Finally, to clearly substantiate the benefit of self-healing solutions, Davide di Summa (ESR14) developed Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Cost (LCC) analyses and applied these on the self-healing technologies developed in SMARTINCS and demonstrators that were realized previously.
SMARTINCS results were widely disseminated in journal articles, conference papers and social media; various outreach activities were organized. The realized demonstrators showcase the technology and will pave the way for future exploitation.
