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The Hard Truth on Self-Repairing Concrete
You know that feeling when the wrecking ball slips off the crane and shatters the pavement? Sure you do, it happens to everyone now and then. Sure would be nice if concrete was able to repair itself like when you have a torn muscle. Actually, there are some similar scenarios.
While the wrecking ball thing was an exaggeration for dramatic impact (heh!) and such a thing would require replacement, there is such a thing as self-repairing concrete. The concept is based on how our muscle tissue is made of bundles of bundles, all the way down to proteins. This means the load and stress are not all in one place. Using biomimetics, biological principles made by the Master Engineer are utilized for concrete.
Engineers are now looking to God’s creation for innovative ideas in architecture. From new ventilation systems that imitate termite mounds to plots of plants on rooftops, building design will never be the same. Even the basic building block, concrete, has been altered based on insights from human muscles.
Three basic types of muscles exist in the human body—smooth, skeletal, and cardiac (heart). Two are of special interest to concrete engineers. Smooth muscles control most involuntary actions, such as digestion. Their fibers are arranged randomly and don’t bulk up. Skeletal muscles allow us to move voluntarily, and these can be strengthened with exercise.
To finish reading, click on "Self-Healing Concrete".
