Bio-FM-Spray restoration of concrete pavement: Experimental investigation

This study explores bio-mineralizing bacteria and pore-fillers as an eco-friendly, cost-effective solution for autonomous crack healing in concrete pavement, addressing a key challenge in sustainable infrastructure maintenance. The methodology involved the spraying treatments using Sporosarcina urea...

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Main Authors: Alireza Soleimanbeigi, Parham Hayati, Jafar Sobhani, Parvaneh Saffarian
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-12-01
Series:Case Studies in Construction Materials
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214509525008988
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author Alireza Soleimanbeigi
Parham Hayati
Jafar Sobhani
Parvaneh Saffarian
author_facet Alireza Soleimanbeigi
Parham Hayati
Jafar Sobhani
Parvaneh Saffarian
author_sort Alireza Soleimanbeigi
collection DOAJ
description This study explores bio-mineralizing bacteria and pore-fillers as an eco-friendly, cost-effective solution for autonomous crack healing in concrete pavement, addressing a key challenge in sustainable infrastructure maintenance. The methodology involved the spraying treatments using Sporosarcina ureae (S. ureae) and Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) suspensions, either independently or in combination with calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) as a filling material (FM) on the cracks appeared on the surface of concrete pavements. Controlled cracks ranging from 0.5 to 3 mm were intentionally introduced during the plastic state of concrete specimens. The Average Crack Area (ACA) index and healing efficiency was evaluated through visual inspection, image digitization, and image processing, complemented by FESEM/EDX, FTIR, and XRD analyses. The experimental results demonstrated that ACA index and healing efficiency was significantly influenced by treatment method and crack width. The FM spraying method showed superior performance in narrow cracks (0.5 mm), achieving approximately 97 % efficiency through C-S-H formation, while microbial treatments exhibited varying effectiveness through S. ureae demonstrated 66 % efficiency compared to 57 % for B. subtilis. Combining bacterial agents and FM established a dual healing system, demonstrating enhanced crack repair capabilities. FM alone achieved a high healing efficiency of 97 % at a 0.5 mm crack width due to C-S-H formation, while bacterial sprays reached 68 % efficiency for the same crack width via MICP. The synergistic effect was most pronounced at 1 mm cracks, where bacterial spray alone achieved 78 % efficiency while the combined treatment reached 73 %, demonstrating complementary healing mechanisms for enhanced structural recovery. As crack width increased to 3 mm, all treatments showed reduced effectiveness, though FM maintained better performance than biological methods alone, demonstrating an extended repair range. These findings highlight the importance of selecting repair strategies based on specific crack dimensions.
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spelling doaj-art-a7fb4fd33bda49e3aac454063cf9ade42025-08-20T04:03:25ZengElsevierCase Studies in Construction Materials2214-50952025-12-0123e0510010.1016/j.cscm.2025.e05100Bio-FM-Spray restoration of concrete pavement: Experimental investigationAlireza Soleimanbeigi0Parham Hayati1Jafar Sobhani2Parvaneh Saffarian3Department of Civil Engineering, SR.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, IranDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran; Corresponding author.Department of Concrete Technology, Road, Housing & Urban Development Research Center (BHRC), Tehran 13145-1696, IranDepartment of Biology, SR.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, IranThis study explores bio-mineralizing bacteria and pore-fillers as an eco-friendly, cost-effective solution for autonomous crack healing in concrete pavement, addressing a key challenge in sustainable infrastructure maintenance. The methodology involved the spraying treatments using Sporosarcina ureae (S. ureae) and Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) suspensions, either independently or in combination with calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) as a filling material (FM) on the cracks appeared on the surface of concrete pavements. Controlled cracks ranging from 0.5 to 3 mm were intentionally introduced during the plastic state of concrete specimens. The Average Crack Area (ACA) index and healing efficiency was evaluated through visual inspection, image digitization, and image processing, complemented by FESEM/EDX, FTIR, and XRD analyses. The experimental results demonstrated that ACA index and healing efficiency was significantly influenced by treatment method and crack width. The FM spraying method showed superior performance in narrow cracks (0.5 mm), achieving approximately 97 % efficiency through C-S-H formation, while microbial treatments exhibited varying effectiveness through S. ureae demonstrated 66 % efficiency compared to 57 % for B. subtilis. Combining bacterial agents and FM established a dual healing system, demonstrating enhanced crack repair capabilities. FM alone achieved a high healing efficiency of 97 % at a 0.5 mm crack width due to C-S-H formation, while bacterial sprays reached 68 % efficiency for the same crack width via MICP. The synergistic effect was most pronounced at 1 mm cracks, where bacterial spray alone achieved 78 % efficiency while the combined treatment reached 73 %, demonstrating complementary healing mechanisms for enhanced structural recovery. As crack width increased to 3 mm, all treatments showed reduced effectiveness, though FM maintained better performance than biological methods alone, demonstrating an extended repair range. These findings highlight the importance of selecting repair strategies based on specific crack dimensions.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214509525008988Bio-spray, Filling material (FM), Self-healing capabilitiesSporosarcina ureaeBacillus subtilisConcrete pavementAverage crack area (ACA) index
spellingShingle Alireza Soleimanbeigi
Parham Hayati
Jafar Sobhani
Parvaneh Saffarian
Bio-FM-Spray restoration of concrete pavement: Experimental investigation
Case Studies in Construction Materials
Bio-spray, Filling material (FM), Self-healing capabilities
Sporosarcina ureae
Bacillus subtilis
Concrete pavement
Average crack area (ACA) index
title Bio-FM-Spray restoration of concrete pavement: Experimental investigation
title_full Bio-FM-Spray restoration of concrete pavement: Experimental investigation
title_fullStr Bio-FM-Spray restoration of concrete pavement: Experimental investigation
title_full_unstemmed Bio-FM-Spray restoration of concrete pavement: Experimental investigation
title_short Bio-FM-Spray restoration of concrete pavement: Experimental investigation
title_sort bio fm spray restoration of concrete pavement experimental investigation
topic Bio-spray, Filling material (FM), Self-healing capabilities
Sporosarcina ureae
Bacillus subtilis
Concrete pavement
Average crack area (ACA) index
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214509525008988
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AT parhamhayati biofmsprayrestorationofconcretepavementexperimentalinvestigation
AT jafarsobhani biofmsprayrestorationofconcretepavementexperimentalinvestigation
AT parvanehsaffarian biofmsprayrestorationofconcretepavementexperimentalinvestigation