Self-Healing Concrete using Encapsulated Bacterial Spores in a Simulated Hot Subtropical Climate

Concrete is one of the most commonly used construction materials in the world, due to its relatively low cost and high compressive strength. However, its weakness in tension makes it susceptible to cracking and thereby exposes any steel reinforcement to harmful agents that cause corrosion. Several techniques are currently used for crack-sealing, but with the current funding limitations, it is especially harder to afford the costly and labor-intensive maintenance and repair services needed to extend a structure’s service life. A potential solution is a bacterial concrete, which has become one of the most promising self-healing alternatives due to its capability to seal crack widths up to 1 mm by reacting directly with the cementitious matrix to form calcium carbonate. It is developed by adding alkali-resistant bacterial spores, which do not impose hazards to human health, in the concrete mixing process. Furthermore, microbial induced calcium carbonate precipitation is directly compatible with Portland cement materials and promotes economic and environmental benefits by increasing durability and water-tightness in concrete. In this study, the authors aim to develop an encapsulation procedure that will allow for testing two bacterial strains at varying dosages (by weight of cement) in concrete. The effects of encapsulated bacteria will be evaluated with respect to the crack-sealing efficiency observed, the effects on the intrinsic mechanical properties, as well as the self-healing processes over time after inducing damage. The concrete specimens will be cured in wet-dry cycles to determine their feasibility in region 6.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • 18CLSU02

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Completed
• Funding: $128930
• Contract Numbers:

  69A3551747106

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Department of Transportation

  Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office
  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Managing Organizations:

  Department of Transportation

  Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office
  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  Transportation Consortium of South-Central States (Tran-SET)

  Louisiana State University
  Baton Rouge, LA  United States  70803

  Louisiana State University and A&M College

  202 Himes Hall
  Baton Rouge, LA  United States  70803
• Project Managers:

  Hassan, Marwa

• Performing Organizations:

  Louisiana State University and A&M College

  202 Himes Hall
  Baton Rouge, LA  United States  70803

  Louisiana Transportation Research Center

  4101 Gourrier Avenue
  Baton Rouge, LA  United States  70808
• Principal Investigators:

  Milla, Jose

  Hassan, Marwa

  Rupnow, Tyson

• Start Date: 20180315
• Expected Completion Date: 20190915
• Actual Completion Date: 20190915
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bacteria; Concrete; Cracking; Encapsulation; Feasibility analysis; Hot weather; Materials; Microorganisms; Sealing compounds
• Subject Areas: Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01664116
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Consortium of South-Central States (Tran-SET)
• Contract Numbers: 69A3551747106
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Mar 23 2018 11:39AM