Capacity of Self-Sealing Concrete Embedding Crystalline Admixture

Abstract

Concrete is one of the most intelligent and widely utilized man-made materials in the construction industry. Despite this, even high-quality concrete is susceptible to porosity, which reduces its serviceability period. Furthermore, there is an increasing need to increase longevity due to environmental exposure such as soil moisture, corrosive outside elements, or structural defects forming in the surface of concrete. The use of crystalline admixtures in concrete is one of the many approaches to reducing these risks. When crystalline admixtures come into contact with water, they form thin crystals that fill pores, capillaries, and micro fractures, as a result making concrete a self-sealing material. When the concrete has dried, the crystalline particles remain dormant until they come into contact with additional water, which causes them to crystallize once more. This research aims to analyze and compare the material properties between commonly used concrete and concrete where crystalline waterproofing is present.  Furthermore, experiments are conducted to evaluate each of the concrete samples: compressive strength, water permeability and flexure strength. As a result, demonstrating benefits or negative aspects in the use of crystalline admixture in the early stages of concrete is important. It is not yet defined, weather this is the future of cutting-edge concrete and the impact that it will have in the Albanian building market.