Abstract
The goal of this study is to explore a new self-healing concept in which fungi are used as a self-healing agent to promote calcium mineral precipitation to fill the cracks in concrete. An initial screening of different species of fungi has been conducted. Fungal growth medium was overlaid onto cured concrete plate. Mycelial discs were aseptically deposited at the plate center. The results showed that, due to the dissolving of Ca(OH)2 from concrete, the pH of the growth medium increased from its original value of 6.5 to 13.0. Despite the drastic pH increase, Trichoderma reesei (ATCC13631) spores germinated into hyphal mycelium and grew equally well with or without concrete. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) confirmed that the crystals precipitated on the fungal hyphae were composed of calcite. These results indicate that T. reesei has great potential to be used in bio-based self-healing concrete for sustainable infrastructure.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 275-285 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Construction and Building Materials |
| Volume | 164 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Mar 10 2018 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Civil and Structural Engineering
- Building and Construction
- General Materials Science
Keywords
- Concrete
- Fungi
- Self-healing