Will cracks in basement foundations become a thing of the past?
Scientists in the Netherlands have created a "bioconcrete" that amazingly uses bacteria in a
very unusual way:
When cracks eventually begin to form in the concrete, water enters and open the capsules.
The bacteria then germinate, multiply and feed on the lactate, and in doing so they combine the calcium with carbonate ions to form calcite, or limestone, which closes up the cracks.
The bacteria can lie dormant for years and becomes active only after water seeps in through a crack. Needless to say, this may be a revolutionary discovery for building in the future. Could the days of cracked basement foundations, driveways and walls be coming to an end?
Watch a brief video explaining how bioconcrete works and how it can be applied to modern construction: