FEASIBILITY STUDY OF A PASSIVE SMART SELF-HEALING CEMENTITIOUS COMPOSITE

The basic concept of a passive smart-healing cementitious composite ha s been demonstrated, in the laboratory, to be feasible. The basic elem ents of this smart material include the sensors and actuators in the f orm of controlled microcracks and hollow glass fibers carrying air-cur ing chemicals. Controlled microcracking is offered by a strain-hardeni ng engineered cementitious composite developed previously. The mechani sms of sensing and actuation are revealed through in situ environmenta l scanning electron microscopy observations. The self-healing effectiv eness is confirmed by measurement of the elastic modulus of the compos ite. The elastic modulus is found to regain its original value in a re peat loading subsequent to damage in a first load cycle. (C) 1998 Else vier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.