Crack Healing in Cementitious Mortars Using Enzyme-Induced Carbonate Precipitation: Quantification Based on Fracture Response
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 30, Issue 4
Abstract
This paper evaluates a nonmicrobial means of carbonate precipitation to heal cracks in concrete. Enzyme-induced carbonate precipitation (EICP) that relies on plant-derived urease enzyme is used to catalyze the reaction between calcium chloride and urea to precipitate calcium carbonate. The faster rate of carbonate precipitation and the absence of microbes makes this method attractive for surface applications for crack healing of concrete. Notched mortar beams in which precracking is induced are subjected to EICP solutions with different concentrations and a fixed molar ratio of of 1.2. X-ray diffraction and thermal analysis of samples collected from the vicinity of the notch clearly demonstrate the presence of calcium carbonate in the cracks. A flexural strength enhancement of approximately 33% is observed for mortars treated with an EICP solution made using 0.5 M compared with the mortars that are just moist cured, and the fracture toughness doubled. The strength and fracture parameters (fracture toughness and critical crack tip opening displacement) scale well with the carbonate content. Digital image correlation (DIC) is used to quantify the reduction in crack extension after the beams are treated with the EICP solution.
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Acknowledgments
The authors gratefully acknowledge support for this study from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) under the Engineering Research Centers (ERC) program, Grant No. EEC-1449501. Hannah Hansen acknowledges the Fulton Undergraduate Research Initiative (FURI) program at ASU for support. Farooq Hanoon acknowledges the NSF REU program and Carlos Perla acknowledges the NSF RET program for support. Any opinions or positions expressed in this paper are those of the authors only and do not reflect the opinions or positions of the NSF.
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Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 30 • Issue 4 • April 2018
Copyright
©2018 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Mar 15, 2017
Accepted: Sep 25, 2017
Published online: Jan 19, 2018
Published in print: Apr 1, 2018
Discussion open until: Jun 19, 2018
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