Self-healing of the textile-reinforced concrete: Additives and coatings

Textile reinforced concrete (TRC) is an attractive alternative to the classic steel rebar reinforcement since the textile is stronger, more flexible, and non-corrosive compared to steel. Moreover, the TRC approach promotes the formation of multiple thin cracks pattern upon loading instead of a few wide cracks in rebar reinforcement. We found that the self-healing of these multiple thin cracks was accelerated by modifying the concrete matrix (addition of crystalline additive and alumina nanofibers) and by decorating the carbon-based textile with micro silica particles. Exposing the TRC samples to a saturated NaCl environment (as in coastal constructions) improved the bonding strength between the textile and the matrix, hence increasing the self-healing capability (compared to samples cured in tap water).