Bio Concrete
For generations, concrete has been used as a building material in the world of construction, used in everything from roads to building bridges. When constructed correctly and under the right conditions, the structures last for 50 to 100 or more years. But no matter whether the concrete is reinforced or preserved, it will eventually crack with time due to rain, wind, and shifts in the earth's crust. It is a common problem found in structures that allows debris and moisture to creep inside and slowly eat away the reinforced steel and finally crumbling the structure.
But, a renowned microbiologist, Henk Jonkers introduced a new kind of concrete that has self-healing properties and might just prove immune to decay, that is, bio concrete.
To heal cracks in the concrete, Jonkers chose bacteria, which is able to produce limestone on a biological basis. The concrete can actually rebuild itself as moisture enters the cracks, gaps, and holes. The moisture disintegrates the biodegradable plastic shell of calcium lactate, awakening the bacteria to produce limestone. The limestone expands to fill the cracks and therefore rebuilds the structure from inside out, sealing the initial point where the crack began.
This bio concrete has the ability to save billions on annual maintenance fees when used in the construction of buildings, bridges, tunnels, and roads. In the present scenario, a cubic meter of bio concrete costs about 200 Euros or approximately 239 US Dollars. Jonkers is hoping that his method of encapsulating bacteria and calcium lactate will reduce the cost by fifty percent, causing the bio concrete to cost slightly more than traditional concrete.
By:-
Swadhenshree
But, a renowned microbiologist, Henk Jonkers introduced a new kind of concrete that has self-healing properties and might just prove immune to decay, that is, bio concrete.
To heal cracks in the concrete, Jonkers chose bacteria, which is able to produce limestone on a biological basis. The concrete can actually rebuild itself as moisture enters the cracks, gaps, and holes. The moisture disintegrates the biodegradable plastic shell of calcium lactate, awakening the bacteria to produce limestone. The limestone expands to fill the cracks and therefore rebuilds the structure from inside out, sealing the initial point where the crack began.
This bio concrete has the ability to save billions on annual maintenance fees when used in the construction of buildings, bridges, tunnels, and roads. In the present scenario, a cubic meter of bio concrete costs about 200 Euros or approximately 239 US Dollars. Jonkers is hoping that his method of encapsulating bacteria and calcium lactate will reduce the cost by fifty percent, causing the bio concrete to cost slightly more than traditional concrete.
By:-
Swadhenshree
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