Self-Healing Effects of Silica Fume and Quicklime on Microcracks in Cement-Based Materials

Abstract

The self-healing capability enchancement upon microcracks in cement-based materials; silica fume and quicklime were incorporated into the cement-based materials. Through the design of multifactor experiments, the study investigated the effects on crack repair ability, mechanical property restoration, and impermeability under different curing conditions and ages. The results show that after damage to the cement-based materials, silica fume and quicklime undergo pozzolanic reactions, precipitation, and complexation reactions in a water environment, producing repair products such as C-S-H gel and calcium carbonate, which promote the stable healing of microcracks. Under water curing conditions, cement-based materials with a combined addition of 10% silica fume and quicklime exhibited the most significant self-healing effect on cracks.