Heesup Choi

Effective Crack Control of Concrete by Self-Healing of Cementitious Composites Using Synthetic Fiber

Although concrete is one of the most widely used construction materials, it is characterized by substantially low tensile strength in comparison to its compression strength, and the occurrence of cracks is unavoidable. In addition, cracks progress due to environmental conditions including damage by freezing, neutralization, and salt, etc. Moreover, detrimental damage can occur in concrete structures due to the permeation of deteriorating elements such as Cl− and CO2. Meanwhile, under an environment in which moisture is being supplied and if the width of the crack is small, a phenomenon of self-healing, in which a portion of the crack is filled in due to the rehydration of the cement particles and precipitation of CaCO3, is been confirmed. In this study, cracks in cementitious composite materials are effectively dispersed using synthetic fibers, and for cracks with a width of more than 0.1 mm, a review of the optimal self-healing conditions is conducted along with the review of a diverse range of self-healing performance factors. As a result, it was confirmed that the effective restoration of watertightness through the production of the majority of self-healing products was achieved by CaCO3 and the use of synthetic fibers with polarity, along with the effect of inducing a multiple number of hairline cracks. In addition, it was confirmed that the self-healing conditions of saturated Ca(OH)2 solution, which supplied CO2 micro-bubbles, displayed the most effective self-healing performance in the surface and internal sections of the cracks.

Self-Healing Properties of Fiber-Reinforced Cement Composite (FRCC) Depending on Various Curing Conditions

In this study, the self-healing effect of a fiber-reinforced cement composite (FRCC) was examined using a drying-wetting test and an outdoor exposure test. The influence of various curing conditions on the self-healing effect of the FRCC was also investigated. The effect of self-healing was evaluated using a permeability coefficient and by investigating the cracks using a optical microscope. The results confirmed that the FRCC was capable of self-healing under a long wetting time and a low drying temperature. In addition, watertight performance by self-healing was shown to have a significant influence on wetting time. Meanwhile, this self-healing effect was enhanced by hydration as a result of rainfall when the FRCC was put under actual environmental conditions. Moreover, it was determined that cracking self-healing can be improved by using the appropriate admixture materials.