Self-healing Roads
Self-healing properties are relatively new to materials science. The technology used for this is a concrete blend that is full of bacteria hidden in tiny capsules. This healing principle is based on our body’s mechanism of healing bones through mineralization. Essentially, researchers tried to employ this same principle to concrete. The concrete was mixed with limestone-producing bacteria and it was observed that the cracks formed in the concrete were getting healed.
In one hand rains is a good sign for the planet as a whole, because water signifies life. However, for the citizens of metro cities like mumbai, rains can spell disaster. Area gets flooded in heavy rains, Trains get delayed, as there are majority of people are dependant on public transport. They have no option than to come out of their houses simultaneously and take a journey. Worst of all, the roads basically become pathetic and full of pot holes, making dangerous.
Over the years, we have shifted from asphalt to concrete in terms of road-building. Despite that, nothing is resistant to weathering. No matter how well a material is mixed, the concrete will always crack and degrade.
Causes of Cracks And Potholes?
Numerous factors play a role in the formation of cracks and potholes. The biggest enemy is water (the life-giving entity does have its evil side).
Potholes generally forms during rainy season in the tropics, as well as in the spring season in temperate zones .
When water accumulates in any small depression on the road, gets penetrates beneath the pavement, it weakens the underlying soil. The sustained stress due to the flow of vehicular traffic weakens it further, until it crosses its breaking point, thus leading to the formation of cracks and potholes. In severely cold areas, frost can also damage the pavement, thus carving out an opening for water to enter in.
What is the Healing mechanism ?
Cardiff University, and the University of Cambridge Scientists have created a concrete blend that is full of bacteria hidden in tiny capsules. The concrete was mixed with limestone-producing bacteria and it was observed that the cracks formed in concrete were started healing by reacting water/moisture and after some time because green concrete like oroginal.
Mechanism behind :– How it works ?
The bacteria, called “Sporosarcina pasteurii“, are found naturally in highly alkaline lakes near volcanoes, and are able to survive for up to a staggering 200 years without oxygen or food. These bacteria are triggered as soon as they come in contact with water, using the calcium lactate present in water as a food source, thus producing limestone. The limestone seals up the cracks formed on the roads. The mechanism is pretty simple isn’t it ?, it was a matter of discovering the utilization of these bacteria.
The Road to the Future
This technology will reduce the overall cost of maintaining the roads by about 50%. Minor Cracks of roads will be stopped at the initial level by self healing properties of roads. This technology will be very useful for countries like India where there is very high road maintenance because of temperature variation because of weather change across the year.
In future this mechanism can also be utilized in building construction by mixing these tiny capsules in concrete to increase the self life of concrete followed by the long life of the building.
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