In a true sustainable innovation in construction, a team of Argentine scientists has managed to repair concrete with bacteria.
Concrete is one of the most widely used materials in construction globally, but it presents a recurring problem: the formation of microcracks during setting. That is, during hardening, or due to environmental factors.
Traditionally, these cracks are repaired with synthetic products such as polyurethane or epoxy resin, but an Argentine scientific project proposes an innovative and sustainable alternative. The use of non-pathogenic bacteria that regenerate the material naturally.
How the concrete-repairing bacteria work
The interdisciplinary team is made up of researchers from the Faculty of Exact, Physical, and Natural Sciences of the National University of Córdoba (UNC).
The team that developed the innovation. (Photo: unciencia).
Also alongside specialists from the Research and Development Center for Construction and Housing (CECOVI) of the National Technological University – Santa Fe Regional Faculty.
As reported by the Uniciencia site, which covered the innovation, the “restorative agent” they use is kept confidential for intellectual property reasons, but its key capacity lies in metabolizing minerals.
Under suitable conditions, the bacteria produce calcium carbonate (CaCO₃), a mineral used in construction that progressively fills the cracks until fully repairing them.
This process, known as biocementation, allows for “biologically induced mineralization”, that is, restoration mediated by microorganisms.
“It is a solution more compatible with concrete and more environmentally friendly,” explained María Gabriela Paraje, project director, full professor of Microbiology at UNC, and principal researcher at CONICET in the Multidisciplinary Institute of Plant Biology (Imbiv, UNC-Conicet).
Results and outlook of the work
In the initial tests, the results were highly positive. According to Anabela Guilarducci, a member of CECOVI (UTN-Santa Fe), the technique allows for repairing cracks of significant dimensions for the construction industry, opening the door to concrete applications on a large scale.
The project brings together specialists in microbiology, chemistry, geology, and civil, environmental, and mechanical engineering. It is being developed in the Microbiology chair and the Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology Linkage Center (LaMAB) at UNC.
Thanks to its innovative nature, the initiative won the first place in the 2024 call of the Fund for Technological and Social Innovation (FITS), promoted by the Innovation and Technological Linkage Secretary of UNC.
A solution friendly to the environment
The concrete industry consumes a large amount of natural resources and energy. It is estimated that its mass production generates 11% of greenhouse gases and more than 5% annually of global human-induced carbon dioxide emissions.
The environmental damage caused by concrete. (Photo: Freepik).
Scientific research in this field aims to improve production processes to make them more environmentally friendly and extend the lifespan of concrete structures.
The innovation team aims to develop a prototype that allows for a simple application of the formulation on the microcracks. It would act over the course of days with minimal intervention until the faults are covered.
The UNC work team
María Gabriela Paraje, José Baronetti, Sofía Bongiovanni, Manuela Maldonado, Josefina Marzari, Karina Crespo Andrada (Faculty of Exact, Physical, and Natural Sciences).
The complete team
Anabela Guilarducci, Dianela González, Néstor Ulibarrie, Rudy Grether (Research and Development Center for Construction and Housing, CECOVI, UTN – Santa Fe Regional Faculty); Jordy Morato (UNESCO Sustainability Chair – Polytechnic University of Catalonia); Iván Manrrique Hughes (Technical Evaluation Area – General Directorate of Environmental Impact of the Ministry of Environment and Circular Economy of the Province of Córdoba); and Sergio Farchetto (CUDAR – Córdoba Regional Faculty UTN).
