Objective
"Within the call “Self-healing materials for prolonged lifetime”, self-healing concrete is an important topic. Adequate perpetuation of the road, tunnel and bridge network, is crucial to preserving European cohesion and business operations; and around 70% of this infrastructure is made of concrete. In order to guarantee liquid tightness of concrete structures, and enhance durability of elements prone to bending cracks, smart concrete with self-healing properties will be designed. Thanks to the existing expertise of the consortium in the field of self-healing concrete at a lab scale, a thoughtful selection of promising techniques is possible. For early age cracks a non-elastic repair material can be proposed, such as calcium carbonate precipitated by bacteria, or new cement hydrates of which the formation is stimulated by the presence of hydrogels. For moving cracks under dynamic load, an elastic polymeric healing agent is suggested. Different healing agents and encapsulation techniques are tested and scaled up. Self-healing efficiency is evaluated in lab-scale tests using purposefully adapted monitoring techniques, and optimized with the help of suitable computer models. Finally the efficiency is validated in a large scale lab test and implemented in an actual concrete structure. Life-cycle cost analysis will show the impact of the self-healing technologies on economy, society and environment compared to traditional construction methods."
Fields of science
Programme(s)
Call for proposal
FP7-NMP-2012-SMALL-6
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Funding Scheme
CP-FP - Small or medium-scale focused research project
Coordinator
9000 Gent
Belgium
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Participants (12)
Participation ended
02044 VTT Espoo
9032 Gent-wondelgem
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2628 CN Delft
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28108 Alcobendas
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80333 Muenchen
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70569 Stuttgart
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02150 Espoo
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2800 Kongens Lyngby
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2630 Taastrup
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12100 Castellon De La Plana
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4470 605 Maia
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05830 Hyvinkaa
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