2024-12-22T07:27:09-05:00 https://archinect.com/news/article/133039152/bacteria-laden-concrete-helps-cracks-fix-themselves Amelia Taylor-Hochberg 2015-07-29T17:06:00-04:00 >2018-01-30T06:16:04-05:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/a5/a54666e9eba1ff46231eb4086ec008a8?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><em><p>Inspired by the human body, Jonkers, who works at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, created self-healing concrete. He embeds the concrete with capsules of limestone-producing bacteria, either Bacillus pseudofirmus&nbsp;or&nbsp;Sporosarcina pasteurii, along with calcium lactate. When the concrete cracks, air and moisture trigger the bacteria to begin munching on the calcium lactate. They convert the calcium lactate to calcite, an ingredient in limestone, thus sealing off the cracks.&nbsp;</p></em><br /><br /><p>More concrete news:</p><ul><li><a title='Celebrating concrete architecture in a mini "block party"' href="http://archinect.com/news/article/131897122/celebrating-concrete-architecture-in-a-mini-block-party" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Celebrating concrete architecture in a mini "block party"</a></li><li><a title='Getty awards over $1.75 million to fix crappy concrete in "Important Modern Buildings"' href="http://archinect.com/news/article/130331695/getty-awards-over-1-75-million-to-fix-crappy-concrete-in-important-modern-buildings" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Getty awards over $1.75 million to fix crappy concrete in "Important Modern Buildings"</a></li><li><a title="Ten Top Images on Archinect's &quot;Concrete&quot; Pinterest Board" href="http://archinect.com/news/article/129890744/ten-top-images-on-archinect-s-concrete-pinterest-board" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ten Top Images on Archinect's "Concrete" Pinterest Board</a></li><li><a title="Could this revolutionary new material replace concrete?" href="http://archinect.com/news/article/125359981/could-this-revolutionary-new-material-replace-concrete" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Could this revolutionary new material replace concrete?</a></li><li><a title="China used more cement in 3 years than the U.S. did in the entire 20th century" href="http://archinect.com/news/article/123814572/china-used-more-cement-in-3-years-than-the-u-s-did-in-the-entire-20th-century" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">China used more cement in 3 years than the U.S. did in the entire 20th century</a></li></ul>