College - Author 1
College of Architecture and Environmental Design
Department - Author 1
Construction Management Department
Degree Name - Author 1
BS in Construction Management
Date
6-2026
Primary Advisor/Subject Matter Expert (SME)
Daniel Knight, College of Architecture and Environmental Design, Construction Management Department
Abstract/Summary
The construction industry is steadily pursuing sustainable and regenerative materials that extend service life and reduce maintenance requirements. Self-healing concrete containing crystalline admixtures represents one such technology. This study evaluated the compressive strength performance of a commercially available high-strength concrete with and without a crystalline self-healing admixture. Three 6-inch by 12-inch cylinders were cast using Quikrete High Strength Concrete. One cylinder served as the control specimen, while two cylinders contained Penetron Admix at approximately 1% of cement weight. One admixture cylinder was intentionally cracked after 14 days to allow time for healing before testing. All specimens were tested in compression after 28 days of curing. Both admixture specimens achieved approximately 17% greater compressive strength than the control cylinder. The damaged and healed specimen exhibited nearly identical strength to the uncracked admixture specimen. Visual observations showed partial crack closure, and the induced crack did not become the primary failure plane during testing. This evidence suggests that crystalline self-healing admixtures may improve compressive performance and support crack healing in residential concrete applications.
URL: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/cmsp/975
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