Bio-Concrete

 

Well, we all are familiar with CONCRETE, its a mixture of cement, sand and aggregates. Its a grey coloured substance with cracks and gaps. We vilipend them. We rarely think of those tiny gaps present in concrete but Professionals know how those tiny cracks conduce to cataclysmic dangers and try new techniques to avert them.

These cracks grow adamantly if not cared for. They may grow over time and eventually detriment the reinforcement. But do you know that concrete can heal itself?

You might be thinking, how can concrete heal itself? but let me tell you it does. We all have seen that cracks are formed in concrete after it is freshly cast, this eventually can grow and damage the reinforcement bars present in it, to prevent these Engineers have developed SELF HEALING CONCRETE/ BIOCONCRETE. And this is all possible because of Bacteria.

But In 2006 Hendrick Jonkers developed one of the most innovative features that concrete could have. By slightly tweaking the composition of regular concrete, he infused a biological ingredient that made concrete have self-healing properties.

 

           Bio-Concrete work's on a very basic principle.

               Input-Process-Output

 

Image Credit: ASCElibrary

 

                Bacillus Pseudofirmus is the most commonly used bacteria in concrete. It uses calcium lactate to produce limestone which hardens overtime eventually filling the cracks present in Concrete.

             When cracks appear in Concrete, water seeps in this causes bacteria to germinate and feed on calcium lactate which along with bacteria is added in wet concrete mix.

                                   Chemical Process-

                                

 

 

                This bacteria’s can be in a dormant stage for around 200 years.as the oxygen is consumed by the bacteria to convert calcium into limestone, it helps in the prevention of corrosion of steel due to cracks. This improves the durability of steel-reinforced concrete construction.

                 But all these things come at a cost, the overall concrete cost increases because of special bacteria used and also Bacillus Pseudofirmus grow only in specific conditions which ain't available all over the globe.