Self-Healing Performance and Microstructural Characterization of Concrete Containing Energetically Modified Cement with a High Volume of Pozzolans

Self-healing can increase the lifetime and durability of concrete structures. The self-healing properties of concrete made with Energetically Modified Cement (EMC), which has a pozzolan content of up to 70%, have been investigated. In such concretes, pozzolanic reactions within the cement cause the gradual formation of fresh C-S-H gel, which seals cracks as they form. The self-healing of small EMC concrete samples was tested in a laboratory, and field observations of an EMC concrete highway pavement were made. The EMC concrete exhibited fewer cracks than conventional concrete, and was observed to self-heal cracks with widths of up to 0.2 mm.