
Prof. Rahbar displays healed concrete
Research published in Applied Materials Today focuses on using an enzyme found in red blood cells; longer-lasting concrete would reduce CO2 emissions
Researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) are using an enzyme found in red blood cells to create self-healing concrete that is four times more durable than traditional concrete, extending the life of concrete-based structures and eliminating the need for expensive repairs or replacements. The work, published in the peer-reviewed journal Applied Materials Today, uses an enzyme that automatically reacts with atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) to create calcium carbonate crystals, which mimic concrete in structure, strength, and other properties, and can fill cracks before they cause structural problems.
“The global use of concrete is ubiquitous,” said Nima Rahbar, associate professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and lead author of the paper. Concrete is the most widely used man-made building material in the world: it is a critical component in everything from bridges to high-rise buildings, family homes, sidewalks, and parking garages. But concrete is brittle and prone to cracking from exposure to water, thermal changes, stress, road salt, flaws in design, and other factors that can lead to a loss of structural integrity and the need for costly repairs or replacements.
“If tiny cracks could automatically be repaired when they first start, they won’t turn into bigger problems that need repair or replacement. It sounds sci-fi, but it’s a real solution to a significant problem in the construction industry.”
Inspired by the process of CO2 transfer in nature, Rahbar’s research, which previously received funding from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), uses carbonic anhydrase (CA), an enzyme found in red blood cells that quickly transfers CO2 from the cells to the blood stream. The CA enzyme, which is added to the concrete powder before it is mixed and poured, acts as a catalyst that causes atmospheric CO2 to create calcium carbonate crystals, whose matrix is similar to that of concrete. When a small crack forms in the enzymatic concrete, the enzyme inside the concrete connects with CO2 in the air, triggering the growth of a new matrix that fills in the crack.
“We looked to nature to find what triggers the fastest CO2 transfer, and that’s the CA enzyme,” said Rahbar, who has been researching self-healing concrete for five years. “Since enzymes in our bodies react amazingly quickly, they can be used as an efficient mechanism to repair and strengthen concrete structures.”
The process, which Rahbar has patented, can heal millimeter-scale cracks within 24 hours.
Original Article: WPI Researcher Develops Self-Healing Concrete that Could Multiply Structures’ Lifespans, Slash Damaging CO2 Emissions
More from: Worcester Polytechnic Institute
The Latest Updates from Bing News & Google News
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Self-healing concrete
- Balancing professional and folk medical wisdom
A few weeks ago, as I was getting out of a taxi, a bike messenger whipped by me, and I was thrown to the ground. I hit the concrete pretty hard, but I landed on my posterior. As a century of cartoons ...
- Self-Healing Concrete: What Ancient Roman Concrete Can Teach Us
Could so-called ‘hot mixing’, with pockets of reactive lime clasts inside the cured concrete provide self-healing properties? At its core, this is the recipe which any hydraulic cement uses ...
- Five things you should know about self-healing technology
Currently, the most promising applications for self-healing materials are in the automotive/aerospace, building and construction, and oil and gas sectors, and the top material choices are polymer ...
- A Roman solution to Raac’s ruin – is self-healing concrete the answer?
After recent building failures, researchers are looking to ancient materials for inspiration in creating more durable materials that repair themselves ...
- Biologic Additive May Lead To Self-Healing Concrete
This everyday miracle is what inspired [Congrui Jin] to try to find a way to make concrete self-healing. The answer she and her colleagues are working on might surprise you. They are adding fungus ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Self-healing concrete
[google_news title=”” keyword=”self-healing concrete” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Longer-lasting concrete
- Durant driver goes through wet concrete
Now for the bad news, a few hours later, someone drove across the wet concrete, leaving tire streaks near the intersection of Westside Drive. The city says they know the driver’s identity and plans to ...
- MBTA says concrete left by contractor is harmless, but riders uncertain
Pieces of concrete on the tracks at the MBTA Harvard Station were left by a contractor and not a safety issue, the agency said Thursday. But some riders say after previous issues, it's concerning.
- C-Crete Makes Concrete Without Cement – Is it the Future for Infrastructure?
C-Crete Technologies, whic has developed cement-free concrete, gets nearly $1 million from the U.S. Department of Energy to expand its development.
- Proposed concrete plant across from LBJ Hospital could endanger patients' health, officials say
Houston community leaders are pushing back against a company’s effort to build a concrete crushing plant across the street from Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital, just as the Harris Health System prepares ...
- Albuquerque Concrete Experts Now Brings Its Unmatched Concrete Contractor Services to Albuquerque
Albuquerque Concrete Experts, known for providing exceptional concrete services, is expanding to Albuquerque. Albuquerque, NM - In a major development, Albuquerque Concrete Experts, known for providin ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Longer-lasting concrete
[google_news title=”” keyword=”longer-lasting concrete” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]