Evaluation of enhanced autogenous self-healing ability of UHPC mixtures

Enhancing and characterization of self-healing ability of ultra high performance concrete (UHPC) is the main aim of this study. The self-healing mechanisms of macro/micro cracks were investigated through different techniques with some novel procedures. Two different mix designs have been considered to increase the amount of unreacted particles in the matrix. In spite of the positive effect of supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) on self-healing ability of UHPC, it was observed that the detected self-healing ratios depend on critical parameters such as damage type/level and the methods used to verify the phenomenon of self-healing. Depending on the composition of the UHPC mixtures, the age of specimens and the assessing method, up to 70-76% recoveries were obtained in the compressive strength and permeability of specimens pre-loaded up to -400% of their corresponding compressive strength. In addition, up to 88-100% crack sealing was observed in the pre-cracked UHPC specimens assessed via various methods. (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.