Self-healing microcapsules were synthesized by in situ polymerization with a melamine urea-formaldehyde resin shell and an epoxy resin adhesive. The effects of the key factors, i.e., core–wall ratio, reaction temperature, pH and stirring rate, were investigated by characterizing microcapsule morphology, shell thickness, particle size distribution, mechanical properties and chemical nature. Microcapsule healing mechanisms in cement paste were evaluated based on recovery strength and healing microstructure. The results showed that the encapsulation ability, the elasticity modulus and hardness of the capsule increased with an increase of the proportion of shell material. Increased polymerization temperatures were beneficial to the higher degree of shell condensation polymerization, higher resin particles deposition on microcapsule surfaces and enhanced mechanical properties. For relatively low pH values, the less porous three-dimensional structure led to the increased elastic modulus of shell and the more stable chemical structure. Optimized microcapsules were produced at a temperature of 60 °C, a core-wall ratio of 1:1, at pH 2~3 and at a stirring rate of 300~400 r/min. The best strength restoration was observed in the cement paste pre-damaged by 30% f_max and incorporating 4 wt % of capsules.

The response of underground structures subjected to internal blasts is an important topic in protective engineering. Due to various constraints, pertinent experimental data are extremely scarce. Adequately detailed numerical simulation thus becomes a desirable alternative. However, the physical processes involved in the internal explosion and blast wave propagation are very complex, and hence, a realistic and detailed reproduction of the phenomena would require sophisticated numerical models for the loading and material responses. In this article, a fully coupled numerical model is established to simulate dynamic responses of tunnel structure in soils under internal blasting loads. The approach considers all the stages of the process: detonation of the internal charge; shock wave propagation in the internal gas; coupled fluid–structure interaction between explosive wave and tunnel structure; structure damage; soil–structure dynamic interaction; and wave propagation in the surrounding soil medium. Effects of soil–structure interactions, soil stiffnesses, buried depths, cross-sectional shapes and locations of charge are thoroughly investigated on dynamic responses of tunnel structures subjected to internal blasting loads. Results show that the tunnel responses are driven by the soil stiffness rather than by the interface friction, and the location of charge has a significant effect on the tunnel responses.

Thermoporometry (TPM) is a calorimetric-based technique for characterizing pore structure according to the freezing and melting point depression of liquid confined in pores which attributes to a varying phase-transition free energy by interface curvature. TPM has demonstrated an emerging success in applications for determining the mesopores of cement-based materials in recent decades. To improve its resolution and accuracy, this paper discussed these factors which show a great influence on the baseline heat flow and the derived pore structure using two molecular sieves with discontinuous size for calibration, referring to the sample handling, the mass of sample and the varying temperature. The pore size distributions of ordinary and high-strength concrete by TPM were favorably compared to the results taken by nitrogen adsorption/desorption (NAD) and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP). The results illustrated that both the accuracy and resolution improve with the decreasing cooling/heating rate until 1 °C/min; however, if the rate is too slow, it can lead to an unstable result. The mass of the sample tested has much less an effect on the accuracy when it increases to more than 30 mg. TPM is demonstrated to be more accurate to characterize the mesopores with the size bigger than 4 nm as compared to NAD and MIP.

The breakage of capsules upon crack propagation is crucial for achieving crack healing in encapsulation-based self-healing materials. A mesomechanical model was developed in this study to simulate the process of crack propagation in a matrix and the potential of debonding. The model used the extended finite element method (XFEM) combined with a cohesive zone model (CZM) in a two-dimensional (2D) configuration. The configuration consisted of an infinite matrix with an embedded crack and a capsule nearby, all subjected to a uniaxial remote tensile load. A parametric study was performed to investigate the effect of geometry, elastic parameters and fracture properties on the fracture response of the system. The results indicated that the effect of the capsule wall on the fracture behavior of the matrix is insignificant for t_c/R_c ≤ 0.05. The matrix strength influenced the ultimate crack length, while the Young’s modulus ratio E_c/E_m only affected the rate of crack propagation. The potential for capsule breakage or debonding was dependent on the comparative strength between capsule and interface (S_c/S_int), provided the crack could reach the capsule. The critical value of S_c,cr/S_int,cr was obtained using this model for materials design.

This paper presents a new insight into the autolytic mineral self-healing method for cementitious materials. The clinker/PVP (polyvinyl pyrrolidone) autolytic microsphere was prepared via the film coating method with cement clinker as a healing agent and PVP as the autolytic coating film. The morphology and chemical structure of the microsphere were characterized by environmental scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) equipped with energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), respectively. The clinker retaining original mineral healing composition was successfully coated with a PVP film confirmed by FTIR. The maximum film thickness was 7.54 μm, which was determined by laser particle size measurement. The autolytic behavior was measured using isothermal calorimetry and successfully controlled by pretreatment degree (i.e., silane coupling agent amount). Experimental results showed that the compressive strength recovery of cement paste with a 30% microsphere was 54% higher than ordinary cement paste specimens. The damage degree of the specimen was also decreased by adding the autolytic microsphere.

In this study, a new type of cement-based healing pellets (CHPs) were proposed to accelerate the healing efficiency of concrete, which was mainly based on the introduced Na₂CO₃ on promoting the formation of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) in cracks. The effects of Na₂CO₃ on the characteristics of CHPs were firstly investigated, and then the properties of cement mortar mixed with CHPs were studied quantitatively, including the workability, mechanical properties and healing ability. The results showed that higher dosages of Na₂CO₃ in CHPs decreased the size range of pellets and reduced the setting time, fluidity and heat of hydration of mortar. Still more, CHPs reduced the early strength of mortar but kept the intensity growth rate stable such that it had nearly no negative effect on the later strength. With the content of CHPs increasing, the strength of mortar showed a decreasing trend, while the pore-filling efficiency and strength healing rate of mortar were further improved. In addition, as a new type of self-healing pellets for concrete based on the “build-in” carbonation, CHPs improved the strength and healing effectiveness of cement mortar. When the dosage of Na₂CO₃ in CHPs and the content of CHPs in mortar were at 10% and 25%, respectively, mortar obtained highest strength in the later stage and the best healing effect.