Estado del arte de tecnologías autoreparantes en concretos y pavimentos

Abstract

This document was carried out with the objective of conducting a review of the state of the art and the implementation of self-healing technologies in existing concrete and pavements, in order to establish the bases for future researches. It is relevant to mention that this is a qualitative investigation where a documentary analysis was made of the different methods that have emerged to help concrete and pavements heal themselves, recovering the mechanical properties of the material or even improving them. The importance of knowing these new technologies is that the maintenance costs and their derived costs are too expensive, and could be mitigated if the materials could extend their life - cycle, being cured microscopically to avoid macroscopic damages that compromise the performance of the materials and the structures themselves. This can be achieved in various ways. Different authors have developed technologies, some more effectively than others. In terms of concrete, these technologies can be grouped into three; natural, chemical and biological. The natural is mainly due to the formation of calcium hydroxide and calcium carbonate, chemical one includes artificial curing due to the injection of chemical components into the cracks of the structure, these chemical components can be either encapsulated in microcapsules or in capillary tubes inside the concrete matrix, and the biological one also uses microcapsules, but the healing agent used is bacterial spores. In asphalt there are three technologies, incorporation of nanoparticles, induction heating and rejuvenators. Nanoparticles has two different materials, nanoclay and nanorubber, these are used as modifiers to improve the physical and mechanical properties of the binders, helping the in-situ performance of the asphalt pavement. Induction heating consists of conductive additives that can heat and help re-agglomerate asphalt components helping to close microcracks, the main ones used were steel wool, steel fibers and carbon fibers. And the last one; the rejuvenators, these were also used in microcapsules that went together with the bituminous mixture, the purpose of the rejuvenators is to diffuse into the aged binder and help restore the original molecular structure to extend the life - cycle of the pavement. In the end, it can be seen that the initial investment costs by including self-repairing technologies are higher, but these are offset by the extension of the useful life of the structures, reducing maintenance and repair costs, which if it is contrasted with a regular structure, it is possible to understand the benefit of pavements and concretes that use self-healing technologies.