Raw data and supplementary material of the fifth inter-laboratory testing program (RRT5, self-healing concrete with macrocapsules) of the EU COST action SARCOS

This data is the result of a collaboration of scientists working on the development of self-healing concrete within the framework of the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Action “Self-healing as preventive repair of concrete structures” SARCOS CA15202.

In the framework of SARCOS 6 inter-laboratory testing programs are being executed to investigate possible standard test methods for self-healing concrete, each of the testing programs focusing on a different self-healing technique:
(1) Concrete with mineral additions,
(2) Concrete with the addition of magnesium oxide,
(3) Concrete enhanced with crystalline admixtures,
(4) High performance fibre reinforced concrete enhanced with crystalline admixtures,
(5) Concrete with preplaced macrocapsules containing polymeric healing agent, and
(6) Concrete with encapsulated bacteria.

The data which can be found here have been obtained in the inter-laboratory testing program 5 "Concrete with preplaced macrocapsules containing polymeric healing agent". In total 6 labs participated in this testing program: Ghent University, Politecnico di Torino, Riga Technical University, Cracow University of Technology, Cambridge University, and KU Leuven (Ghent Technology Campus). All specimens were cast at Ghent University and were then distributed to the different labs, where they were tested.

The testing program consisted of tests on both concrete and mortar specimens. The reinforced concrete specimens were cracked in a displacement-controlled three-point bending setup. Subsequently, they were subjected to two capillary water absorption tests, each with a different waterproofing technique. The mortar specimens were not reinforced, instead they were provided with a Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) laminate at the top. They were cracked in a force-controlled three-point bending setup, and immediately an active crack width control technique was applied to restrain the crack width of the specimens to a desired crack width range. After measuring of the crack width, the water permeability of the mortar specimens was accessed in a water flow test. In the end, the specimens were cracked open to assess the spread of the polyurethane healing agent.