Large-Scale Laboratory Trials of Self-Healing Technologies

Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

^* Corresponding author: sr973@cam.ac.uk

Abstract

Prolonging the life of the reinforced concrete structure is the most promising solution to reduce the carbon emissions from concrete. To achieve that, the structure should be protected from crack formation, which acts as an easy pathway for deleterious agents. Self-healing technologies are intended to provide long-term resilience against cracking due to various deterioration processes. Technologies that performed well in small, laboratory-scale studies are taken to the next level to assess their performance on a larger scale and monitored using various NDT equipment. A 1m long beam with a cross-section (140×120 mm) was cast with two rebars – one with a cover depth of 50 mm from the top and another with a cover depth of 20 mm from the bottom. The mix design consists of CEM IIIA (50 OPC: 50 Slag) cement and 30% lightweight aggregate as a replacement for coarse aggregate. At 28 days of curing, the concrete beams are subjected to accelerated corrosion (by applying a voltage to the bottom rebar) to induce internal cracking. Once internal cracking is induced, the beams are subjected to another 28 days under water for healing. The performance of the beams is monitored via ultrasonic pulse velocity and half-cell potential before and after voltage application. This paper shows the preliminary results and the self-healing efficiency and corrosion resistance of these beams are continuously being monitored under severe chloride conditions to predict the long-term performance.