PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT OF SELF-HEALING CONCRETE USING BACTERIAL AND MINERAL-BASED AGENTS IN TROPICAL CLIMATES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16903482Keywords:
Self-healing concrete, bacterial concrete, mineral-based agents, tropical climate, durability, crack closure, water permeabilityAbstract
The durability of concrete in tropical climates is compromised by high temperatures, intense solar radiation, and heavy rainfall, which accelerate microcrack formation and promote chemical deterioration. This study investigates the performance of self-healing concrete (SHC) incorporating bacterial and mineral-based healing agents in tropical environmental conditions. The bacterial agent used was Bacillus subtilis spores encapsulated in lightweight aggregates, while the mineral-based agent consisted of micro-encapsulated calcium carbonate and silica fume. Experimental specimens were prepared in three mixes: control concrete (CC), bacterial self-healing concrete (BSHC), and mineral self-healing concrete (MSHC). Samples were subjected to accelerated crack induction and exposed to simulated tropical weather cycles (wet–dry and heat–cool) for 90 days. Healing efficiency was evaluated based on crack closure percentage, water permeability reduction, and compressive strength recovery. Results revealed that BSHC achieved an average crack closure of 82% and 78% strength recovery, while MSHC achieved 76% crack closure and 73% strength recovery, both significantly outperforming CC, which showed negligible self-healing. Water permeability decreased by 65% for BSHC and 59% for MSHC, indicating substantial improvement in durability. The findings confirm the suitability of bacterial and mineral-based agents for enhancing concrete resilience in tropical climates, with bacterial agents exhibiting slightly superior performance. The study recommends the integration of SHC in infrastructure projects within tropical regions to reduce maintenance costs and extend service life.
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