Abstract

Nature has always been a source of inspiration in engineering applications and vascular networks, as in human skin and in a tree leave, are one attribute that has received attention in the design of resilient structures. A vascular system houses healing agents within its interconnected networks which are incorporated within a cement matrix. It is the only self-healing approach that has the capability to address different scales of damage in cementitious materials. The main aim of the work is to develop novel vascular networks inspired by nature for self-healing in cementitious systems. To achieve this, biomimetic three-dimensional (3D) vascular networks were designed and generated circulatory blood volume transfer. The designed structures were constructed through 3D printing and assessed in a cement-based matrix. Mechanical testing assessed the compatibility of the system with the surrounding matrix as well as the functionality of the network in delivering and releasing the healing agent at the location of damage. This initial proof of concept work confirmed the ability of the vascular systems to deliver the healing agent via physical and chemical triggers, and demonstrated a significantly enhanced healing performance.