Self-healing concrete research in the European projects SARCOS and SMARTINCS

Nele De Belie, Kim Van Tittelboom, Mercedes Sánchez Moreno, Liberato Ferrara and Elke Gruyaert

Abstract: Self-healing concrete and preventive repair of structures will slow down the development of cracks and/or arrest the ingress of aggressive agents. When the cracks are closed or a decrease in crack width is achieved, this will be associated with improved durability of the structure. This paper describes the literature review and inter-laboratory comparison carried out within the COST Action CA15202 (SARCOS), as well as the research planned within the recently started International Training Network SMARTINCS.

Reference of this article: De Belie, N., Van Tittelboom, K., Sánchez Moreno, M., Ferrara, L., Gruyaert, E. (2020). Self-healing concrete research in the European projects SARCOS and SMARTINCS. Plenary keynote lecture. RILEM Spring Convention, University of Minho,  Guimarães, Portugal,  9-10 March 2020. (In press).

As Riccardo Maddalena and Diane Gardner report, self-healing concrete represents an environmentally-friendly choice, for increasing the service life of a structure, and reducing its overall maintenance and the subsequent usage of concrete.