Quasi-Brittle Self-Healing Materials: Numerical Modelling and Applications in Civil Engineering.

Abstract

Self-healing materials is a novel class of smart material which can detect and repair damages automatically. From the beginning, researches in this field have been targeted towards aerospace applications. Multiple experiments have been conducted to enhance the self-healing performance. To complement the experimental effort, a numerical model that is able to predict the macro behaviour of this composite is necessary. To tap on the potential of this smart material, attempts have been made to extend the self-healing concepts to cementitious materials for civil engineering applications, where the automatic crack repair can help to increase the durability of the material or to reduce the loss of stiffness and strength of the structure. The objectives of the current study are to develop a numerical modelling strategy that can efficiently predict the macro behaviour of self-healing composites and to extend the self-healing concept to reinforced concrete, the most commonly used civil engineering material.