6-9-2023 Concrete that heals

itself. From fiction to

reality! Meet the
specific Bio
Gustavo Martínez Albornoz

ALEXANDER ARAUZ; JOSUE MORALES

Concrete, the most widely used material in the world, from which reinforced concrete is derived,
involving steel that reinforces its mechanical characteristics in tension, offering us a more versatile
material with a greater number of uses.

However, this increases its costs, because at the time of designing it, a greater amount of steel
must be included to reduce permissible failures. When these failures are not completely
eradicated due to fatigue, age or natural disasters, cracks appear in the structures, requiring
maintenance to prevent moisture from reaching the reinforcing steel and weakening it by
oxidizing it and causing failure of the element.

Therefore, the maintenance of the structures is essential to prevent cracks from propagating or
allowing the passage of moisture or oxidizing agents.

Inconveniently, this results in additional cost. Thus, the need arises for concrete that requires less
reinforcing steel and maintenance to reduce its direct manufacturing costs, as well as its indirect
life cycle costs.

Concrete regeneration thanks to moisture

Bioconcrete" was created to meet this need. This involves the use of bacteria, which, when a crack
in the structure is produced with the humidity of the environment, are activated and begin to
feed, and thus, through the digestive process, the product of their metabolism is expelled as the
necessary material to fill the crack, in a period of time that is determined by the ratio of the length
and thickness of the crack.

Henk Jonkers, a Dutch scientist, together with a team of researchers from the Technical University
of Delft in the Netherlands, invented this innovative building material that repairs its cracks on its
own, a Bio concrete that behaves as if it were a living being. Thanks to this invention, Jonkers won
the award for best European inventor in 2015.

How does it work?

This feat of engineering could be achieved by mixing common cement with those with strains of
the bacterium Bacillus Pseudofirmus, not forgetting that these micro-organisms need food to
create something like limestone, so calcium lactate is added to these compounds.
  Phase 1: The crack - fissure appears.
 Phase 2: Moisture enters the space.
 Phase 3: Chemical reaction occurs.

Bio concrete uses hazards as opportunities.

When a structure made with this concrete cracks, the bacteria that live in it are exposed to
moisture, the undisputed enemy of construction sites. In this case, the moisture in the cracks
causes the bacteria to "wake up" and begin to eat the calcium lactate, and as a result secrete
calcite, which is the main component of limestone, which is created and takes charge of occupying
the free spaces resulting from the cracks.

"The amazing thing about these bacteria is that they form spores and can survive for more than
200 years in the building," explains scientist Jonkers.

There is no limit to the length of the crack that this material can repair, but there is a limit to its
thickness: eight millimeters. The total restoration of these cracks can take approximately 21 days.

What is expected from Bio concrete?

A considerable improvement in the useful life of the concrete is expected, providing cost savings,
and allowing constructions to be much more profitable.

One of the great benefits of this invention is the savings that Bio-Concrete generates in terms of
maintenance of structures.

Although it may be more expensive than traditional concrete, the economic benefit is soon
noticed because it saves on long-term maintenance costs.

Is it already on the market?

It is not yet on the market, but it has been used to build irrigation canals in Ecuador, a highly
seismic country.

It is expected that in a couple of years, this material will be available worldwide.

 Introduction
Concrete, a material widely used throughout the world, has become the basis for reinforced
concrete by incorporating steel to improve its mechanical properties under tension. Although this
improvement has increased its versatility, it has also increased costs due to the need for more
steel to prevent failure. The resulting cracks, caused by various factors, require costly
maintenance. Thus, the need arises for concrete that requires less steel and maintenance. In
response, "bioconcrete," an innovative material that is regenerated by moisture-activated bacteria
in cracks, has been developed, offering a promising solution to reduce costs and extend the life of
structures. Although not yet widely available, bioconcrete is expected to revolutionize the
construction industry in the coming years.

Main Idea
The presentation of the "bioconcrete" concept as an innovative solution in the construction
industry.

Personal Comment
It is exciting to see how science and innovation can address common problems in creative and
efficient ways, and bioconcrete is an excellent example of this. I hope that this type of technology
will continue to develop and become more widely implemented in the construction industry to
make our infrastructure more robust, resilient, and sustainable.

Key Words and Definition

 Concrete: Building material composed of cement, sand, gravel, and water, widely used in
the construction industry.

 Bioconcrete: A type of concrete that incorporates bacteria capable of self-repairing cracks

when activated by moisture, improving the durability of structures.

 Bacteria: Single-celled microorganisms that perform various functions, including the ability
to regenerate concrete in the case of bioconcrete.

 Repair: The process of correcting or restoring damage or defects in a structure or material,

such as repairing cracks in concrete.

 Innovation: Introduction of new ideas, methods or technologies that generate significant

improvements in a specific field, such as materials engineering in the case of bioconcrete.
 What did you learn?
In short, what we learned or what caught our attention the most was that bio-concrete is a
promising technology that has great potential to transform the construction industry and make
our infrastructures more resilient and sustainable in a certain place such as:

1. Improved Durability

2. Long-term cost reduction

3. Diversity of Applications

4. Technical Challenges

5. Sustainability

6. Increased Security

These mentioned aspects highlight the challenges surrounding bio-concrete in civil engineering, as
well as its potential to transform the way we build and maintain structures in the future.

The truth is that through this article we were able to learn something new in our lives and why
not? put them into practice in the not-too-distant future, since we have the knowledge and notion
of what this interesting investment is about.

What did you like most about the article??

Bio-concrete perfectly aligns with the growing environmental awareness that is a factor of the
utmost importance. Its biological repair process uses natural ingredients and reduces the need for
demolition and reconstruction, which decreases the carbon footprint of the construction industry
and these benefits both high-ranking companies, the government and even sustainability global as
it is a tangible promise of a better planned future in the civil sphere.

Conclusion
As a conclusion we can say that using this method represents a great revolutionary advance in civil
engineering. This innovative concrete mix incorporates special bacteria that can bridge or
regenerate cracks in given structures, increasing their durability, usefulness, and compatibility. It
also reduces the environmental impact by minimizing the need to replace damaged materials as
mentioned above.

Without a doubt, it would be a great investment when it comes to building buildings, for two
reasons it is more affordable in terms of price, and it would be a structure that would constantly
repair itself.