The below article from Archiexpo caught our attention this week. Self-healing concrete is a growing trend, as it reduces the cost of maintenance and repair for stress cracks and gaps found in standard concrete. Researchers had been trying to produce self-healing concrete for many years. In early 2016, Delft University microbiologist Hendrik Jonkers discovered a new ingredient to create it: living bacteria.
The process uses a strain of living bacterial organisms that can withstand the high pH levels of concrete. The bacteria lie inactive until a crack in the concrete exposes them to atmospheric moisture. They then feed on the calcium lactate in the cement and form limestone which fills the cracks, causing the concrete to “self-heal” within a few weeks!
Check out the video below for a detailed look at how this works