Research on the production of cement composites with autonomous self-healing performance

Abstract

In a time when the attention paid to identifying the possibilities of reducing problems due to urban pollution is increasing, the construction industry has a lot to gain if it aligns itself with the new trends of sustainable development in the field. In this context, the objective of obtaining a concrete with self-healing properties of cracks is more than appropriate, becoming a sustainable alternative for reducing the maintenance costs of transport infrastructure by increasing their operating time and by decreasing the need for the volume of repair and maintenance works, thus indirectly contributing to the reduction of environmental pollution. Preliminary results obtained using a cementitious composite with waterproofing admixture content by mass crystallization are encouraging by identifying the existence of an autonomous healing degree (closure of cracks with average opening 20-40 µm) in a proportion of at least 65% after only 96 hours of exposure in a wet-dry environment, respectively and of at least 96% after 480 hours of conditioning. The degree of novelty and value of this research is mainly due to the approach of this type of composite produced by adapting the general principles to local raw materials, including the use of specific industrial waste and by-products available in Romania (fly ash and limestone slurry).