Construction Dive
Researchers at Binghamton University-State University of New York and Rutgers University have developed a self-healing fungi concrete that could help permanently repair cracks, according to Science Daily.
The team of researchers found that when the fungus Trichoderma reesei is mixed with concrete it will lie dormant until the first crack appears. As water and oxygen infiltrate, the fungal spores then germinate, grow and produce calcium carbonate that heal the cracks.
This research is in its early stages, and questions of how the fungus will survive within concrete’s harsh environment remain to be fully answered.
