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posted by cmn32480 on Saturday May 16 2015, @05:57PM   Printer-friendly
from the it's-alive! dept.

A team of microbiologists from the Delft University of Technology claims to have invented "bioconcrete" — concrete that heals cracks and breaks using bacteria. The goal was to find a type of bacteria that could live inside concrete and also produce small amount of limestone that could re-seal cracks. This is a difficult prospect because concrete is quite dry and strongly alkaline. The bacteria needed to be able to stay alive for years in those conditions before being activated by water. The bacteria also need a food source — simply adding sugar to concrete will make it weak. The scientists used calcium lactate instead, adding biodegradable capsules of it to the concrete mix. "When cracks eventually begin to form in the concrete, water enters and open the capsules. The bacteria then germinate, multiply and feed on the lactate, and in doing so they combine the calcium with carbonate ions to form calcite, or limestone, which closes up the cracks."

One thing that is left out of the articles mentioned above is the amount of time needed for a given crack to "heal" closed.

 
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  • (Score: 2) by t-3 on Saturday May 16 2015, @06:30PM

    by t-3 (4907) on Saturday May 16 2015, @06:30PM (#183796)

    Maybe Michigan roads won't be so shitty once this gets rolled out. I really hope it works.

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  • (Score: 4, Funny) by Jeremiah Cornelius on Saturday May 16 2015, @07:18PM

    by Jeremiah Cornelius (2785) on Saturday May 16 2015, @07:18PM (#183808) Journal

    I believe that this is how Greyscale was introduced to Westeros.

    --
    You're betting on the pantomime horse...
  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 16 2015, @08:06PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 16 2015, @08:06PM (#183813)

    Nah. There are just way too many freeze-thaw cycles. What would happen is a crack would form with contraction, the crack would be filled in, then expansion would cause the whole are to buckle. Instead of potholes you would get ridges. We already see that when they decide it is a good idea to run road maintenance into the colder months. Come spring, right now, these ridges form where cracks were the year before.