A review of biomineralization in healing concrete: Mechanism, biodiversity, and application

Abstract

Concrete is the main ingredient in construction, but it inevitably fractures during its service life, requiring a large amount of cement and aggregate for maintenance. Concrete healing through biomineralization can repair cracks and improve the durability of concrete, which is conducive to saving raw materials and reducing carbon emissions. This paper reviews the biodiversity of microorganisms capable of precipitating mineralization to repair the concrete and their mineralization ability under different conditions. To better understand the mass transfer process of precipitates, two biomineralization mechanisms, microbially-controlled mineralization and microbially-induced mineralization, have been briefly described. The application of microorganisms in the field of healing concrete, comprising passive healing and intrinsic healing, is discussed. The key insight on the interaction between cementitious materials and microorganisms is the main approach for developing novel self-healing concrete in the future to improve the corrosion resistance of concrete. At the same time, the limitations and challenges are also pointed out.

Keywords: Bio-concrete; Biomineralization; Crack healing; Self-healing.