Mimicrete – Advancing Self-Healing Concrete Using Vascular Networks.

混凝土是骨料和水泥的混合物，是世界上使用最广泛的建筑材料之一，用于私人和公共建筑，包括道路、建筑物、桥梁、机场、海事和工业厂房。全球每年使用300亿吨混凝土。然而，混凝土容易开裂和退化，如果不加以处理，反过来又会损害结构的完整性和安全性。建筑和基础设施的倒塌与未处理的裂缝有关，例如最近佛罗里达州的一座人行天桥倒塌\[New Civil Engineer, 2019\]。因此，过度设计的解决方案和昂贵的、密集的监测、维修和更换制度到位，以尽量减少对公共安全的威胁。英国每年花费约510亿英镑用于维护，包括维修和更换其主要的混凝土建筑基础设施资产\[ONS, 2020\]。此外，混凝土生产负责4 - 8% of global carbon emissions via cement production. Technologies and strategies to lower the carbon associated with both concrete production and its concrete intensive repair and replacement are absolutely vital.Self-healing concrete whereby cracks are automatically healed as soon as they are formed can lengthen concrete lifetimes and minimise the maintenance regimes required to maintain infrastructure. These benefits will translate into both cost and carbon savings as newly installed concrete requires lower levels of repair/replacement.**Mimicrete Ltd, a start-up founded in 2021, have developed a self-healing concrete innovation. Our technology works by embedding a network modelled on the vascular systems of plants and animals into the pre-fabricated concrete blocks.** The network is filled with a healing agent that can be deployed when the crack forms to heal the crack autonomously.We aim to develop and test our vascular networks via manufacture and testing of a full scale network, including development of manufacturing and design recommendations. We will conduct accelerated stress testing of the concrete to trigger cracking and healing. Results will demonstrate the performance at scale, define manufacturing parameters, quantify costs and lifetime extension facilitated by our self-healing system to support our innovation journey towards commercialisation.

Concrete, a mix of aggregate and cement, is one of the most widely used building materials throughout the world, being used for both private and public construction including roads, buildings, bridges, airports, maritime and industrial plants. Globally, 30 Billion tonnes of concrete are used each year. However, concrete is prone to cracking and degradation which in turn can compromise structural integrity and safety if left untreated. Building and infrastructure collapses have been linked to untreated cracking e.g. a recent Florida pedestrian bridge collapse \[New Civil Engineer, 2019\]. Consequently, overengineered solutions and expensive, intensive monitoring, repair and replacement regimes are in place to minimise threats to public safety. The UK spends approximately £51 Billion per year on maintenance including repair and replacement of its predominantly concrete built infrastructure assets \[ONS, 2020\].Furthermore, concrete production is responsible for 4 - 8% of global carbon emissions via cement production. Technologies and strategies to lower the carbon associated with both concrete production and its concrete intensive repair and replacement are absolutely vital.Self-healing concrete whereby cracks are automatically healed as soon as they are formed can lengthen concrete lifetimes and minimise the maintenance regimes required to maintain infrastructure. These benefits will translate into both cost and carbon savings as newly installed concrete requires lower levels of repair/replacement.**Mimicrete Ltd, a start-up founded in 2021, have developed a self-healing concrete innovation. Our technology works by embedding a network modelled on the vascular systems of plants and animals into the pre-fabricated concrete blocks.** The network is filled with a healing agent that can be deployed when the crack forms to heal the crack autonomously.We aim to develop and test our vascular networks via manufacture and testing of a full scale network, including development of manufacturing and design recommendations. We will conduct accelerated stress testing of the concrete to trigger cracking and healing. Results will demonstrate the performance at scale, define manufacturing parameters, quantify costs and lifetime extension facilitated by our self-healing system to support our innovation journey towards commercialisation.