Autogenous Self- Healing of High Strength Concretes

IntroductionConcrete elements can be easily cracked due to several reasons, such as tensile stresses. When these cracks are connected to each other, permeability will increase and bearing capacity will decrease. Therefore, cracks may decrease the durability of concrete structures. Repair of cracked concrete structures is often expensive and sometimes impossible. Therefore, researchers by inspiration from autogenous recovery of small scratches in the body of live creatures, have presented self-healing concrete based on concrete characteristics.  Utilization of such concretes may increase the durability of concrete structures and minimize repair and rehabilitation costs. Self-healing phenomenon is not new; Academy of science in France has observed the healing of micro cracks in 1836 (Hearn, N, Morley, 1997). The self-healing refers to the reduction of crack width itself. Systematic investigation of self-healing was started by Glanville in 1926. Autogenous self-healing is a case of healing that happens without using external agents (Glanville, 1931). Cementitious materials have such ability, because rehydration of cement particles may be continued and reaction products such as C-S-H and Portlandite will fill the cracks. Of course, when the unhydrated cement particles and water are available in the cement paste, this type of self-healing will occur. Parameters such as crack width, pH of curing water, temperature, the chemical composition of cement and etc. may influence on the self-healing process.