Anagrafe della ricerca

Alongside with some very positive features such as versatility and economy, that have contributed to make it the most used construction material in the world,concrete presents a high liability to cracking, a phenomenon that hampers its structural integrity and durability. Deteriorating reinforced concrete structures and buildings have a large negative impact on the sustainable use of natural resources, on the environment and on human health and safety; their maintenance and renewal is responsible for remarkable energy consumption, environmental overburden and waste production. For this reason, the ability to self-repair cracks (from micron to millimeter scale), would be highly desirable and have a profound effect on the longevity of concrete structures. The SHEcrete project aims to investigate and develop novel self-healing (SH) concrete systems with improved functionality, superior and measurable performances, higher reliability and durability, through the autonomic release of encapsulated healing agents, also in combination with the use of specifically formulated cements. SHEcrete proposes several new key ideas and advances related with: functional SH agents (inorganic and organic), novel flexible encapsulation materials and methods and powerful inspection techniques for SH effects characterization. Application-driven multiscale and multiphysics modeling and simulation will be a key step to reduce the experimental burden. SHEcrete will also address prototype development and demonstration activities at suitably large scale to prove the solution effectiveness in terms of SH concrete functionality, prolonged life time and favorable cost/benefit ratio. SHEcrete will definitely lead to relevant advances for the Civil Engineering and Construction sectors and in the long term to significant social and economic benefits.