Experimental investigation on repair and self-healing of tension-induced cracks in reinforced concrete panels

This research concentrates on repair and self-healing of tension cracks in RC panels subjected to direct tensile loading and hydrostatic water pressure by incorporating high-performance materials including High-strength epoxy, Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) laminate, Engineered Cementitious Composite (ECC) slag, and ECC fly ash. The test setup simulates repairing internal surface of a cracked wall segment of a containment exposed to internal hydrostatic pressure. The study showed the applicability of ECC fly ash in repairing RC specimens with the ability to restore the structural strength along with reduced cracking, leakage, and enhanced self-healing behavior. GFRP exhibited high effectiveness in waterproofing and repair of damaged RC structures.

Applicability of epoxy injection in local repair of cracked RC specimens was confirmed, while brittle failure of epoxy resulted in development of a large crack and high leakage rate. Moreover, GFRP was found to be the most economical technique for repair of RC containments.