It ’s been used since the Roman times , but concrete has never been more popular than today , with China using more of the stuff in thelast three yearsthan the United States in the last century . Concrete is one of the most widely used material in the world , but at some head , no matter how it is sundry , it will break through and devolve .
It was to this job that microbiologistHendrik Jonkerset his mind . Whilst think about how the body can heal osseous tissue through mineralization , he face into whether a like method could be used with concrete . By mixing it with limestone - grow bacteria , he found that any cracks that formed in the concrete were patched over . For this innovation , Jonker is now afinalistfor theEuropean Inventor Award 2015 .
The bacteria , eitherBacillus pseudofirmusorSporosarcina pasteurii , are found naturally in highly alkaline lakes near volcano , and are capable to survive for up to a staggering 200 class without O or food for thought . They are spark off when they come into physical contact with piss and then use the calcium lactate as a food source , producing limestone that , as a result , closes up the cracks .
He telephone the fabric “ bioconcrete ” that can “ self - heal . ” to keep the bacteria abeyant until it is needed , it is placed in small , biodegradable capsules take the food . When the concrete crack , and piss introduce the gap , it come into liaison with the bacteria and the food source , setting the healing summons off . The bacteria then eat on the calcium lactate , joining the calcium with carbonate to shape limestone , posit the fissure .
The process has been show to work effectively , and can even be added to a liquid that could then be sprayed onto existing buildings . The trouble , however , as always is the price . It is presently twice the price of traditional concrete , but Jonker says that this is mainly due to the price of the Ca lactate , and if they can get the bacterium to practice a sugar - based food instead , the price would be dramatically reduce .
If they can classify out the pricing , then little would stop the unbelievable ego - healing cloth from being used in bridges , tunnel , roads and other construction , with the bacterium lay dormant for century and only ' come to life history ' when needed .
