Can we make infrastructure that repairs itself?
In a climate of harsh winter weather, Canada’s roads, bridges, sidewalks and buildings face a frequent problem: cracks caused by large temperature swings. These cracks weaken infrastructure and cost millions to repair every year.
But what if concrete could heal itself like human skin, keeping our structures, roads and bridges strong and saving millions of dollars?
Mouna Reda, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Civil Engineering, and Samir Chidiac, professor of Civil Engineering, are researching the potential of self-healing concrete with an approach known as ‘encapsulation’.