Engineering

Biology

Geotechnical engineering

Materials science

Mineralogy

Precipitation

Biochemistry

Calcite

Botany

Self-healing

Chemical engineering

Cellulase

Trichoderma reesei

Hypha

Dissolution

Alternative medicine

Physics

Cement

Spore

Enzyme

Composite material

Medicine

Chemistry

Scanning electron microscope

Mycelium

Meteorology

Germination

Spore germination

Pathology

Construction and Building Materials

The goal of this study is to explore a new self-healing concept in which fungi are used as a self-healing agent to promote calcium mineral precipitation to fill the cracks in concrete. An initial screening of different species of fungi has been conducted. Fungal growth medium was overlaid onto cured concrete plate. Mycelial discs were aseptically deposited at the plate center. The results showed that, due to the dissolving of Ca(OH)2 from concrete, the pH of the growth medium increased from its original value of 6.5 to 13.0. Despite the drastic pH increase, Trichoderma reesei (ATCC13631) spores germinated into hyphal mycelium and grew equally well with or without concrete. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) confirmed that the crystals precipitated on the fungal hyphae were composed of calcite. These results indicate that T. reesei has great potential to be used in bio-based self-healing concrete for sustainable infrastructure.

Interactions of fungi with concrete: Significant importance for bio-based self-healing concrete