A review of the encapsulation strategy in structural self-healing materials

Abstract

A fascinating property of the human skin is the ability to recover after suffering an injury. Bio-mimicking the process of healing after being injured when withstanding the test of time has paved the way for the advancement of self-healing materials. After presenting an overview of the self-recovering process of the human skin, this thesis will focus on the commonalities and differences between the encapsulation of healing agents in the concrete matrix and the skin regeneration process. A methodology will then be developed to implement this strategy in structural elements, as a realistic answer to the topical issue of aging concrete facilities. This thesis aims to explore in-depth the encapsulation strategy, which is at the forefront of the current research in innovative self-healing materials, in order to assess its efficiency in terms of structural properties and cost-effectiveness.