Application of modified-alginate encapsulated carbonate producing bacteria in concrete: A promising strategy for crack self-healing

Improvement of train-track interaction in transition zones via reduction of ballast damage

Transition zones in railway tracks are locations with considerable changes in the vertical stiffness of the rail support. Typically they are located near engineering structures, such as bridges, culverts, tunnels and level crossings. In such locations, the differential settlement always exists and continually grows without proper maintenance....

Characterization of Failure and Permanent Deformation Behaviour of Asphalt Concrete

Asphalt concrete is a viscoelastic material consisting of aggregates, filler and bitumen. The response of asphalt concrete is highly dependent on temperature, loading rate and confining pressure. Permanent deformation is one of the most important distresses developing during the flexible pavement service life. The total deformation which is...

A novel capsule-based selfrecovery system with a chloride ion trigger

Steel is prone to corrosion induced by chloride ions, which is a serious threat to reinforced concrete structures, especially in marine environments. In this work, we report a novel capsule-based selfrecovery system that utilizes chloride ions as a trigger. These capsules, which are functionalized via a smart response to chloride ions, are...

Experimental Study on Cementitious Composites Embedded with Organic Microcapsules

The recovery behavior for strength and impermeability of cementitious composites embedded with organic microcapsules was investigated in this study. Mortar specimens were formed by mixing the organic microcapsules and a catalyst with cement and sand. The mechanical behaviors of flexural and compression strength were tested. The results showed...

Performance assessment of cement-based materials blended with micronized sand: Microstructure, durability and sustainability

Concrete is one of the most important construction materials in the world. However, Portland cement which is one of the constituents of concrete is responsible for about 5-10% of global CO2 emission. From sustainability point of view, therefore, it is important to search for materials which can be used to reduce or to replace Portland cement in...

Evaluation of a microcapsule based self-healing system for cementitious materials

An international cooperation research project has been financially supported by China Nature Science Foundation, which consists of three relatively independent, but strategically integrated research sub-programs, aiming at the formation of a selfhealing system based on the microcapsule principle for the cementitious composites. In this paper, a...

Interaction between microcapsules and cementitious matrix after cracking in a self-healing system

A new type of self-healing cementitious composites by using organic microcapsules is designed in Guangdong Key Laboratory of Durability for Coastal Civil Engineering, Shenzhen University. For the organic microcapsules, the shell material is urea formoldehyde (UF), and the core healing agent is Epoxy. The effect of organic microcapsules on...