# Flexible Concrete Researchers Develop Self-Healing Concrete By Michael Plishka | Published 2009-05-06 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/concrete-future-researchers-develop-self-healing-flexible-concrete References: [news.nationalgeographic](http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/05/090505-self-healing-concrete.html) & [impactlab](http://www.impactlab.com/2009/04/24/self-healing-bendable-concrete-for-a-safer-infrastructure/) The human body is an amazing piece of engineering. Cut your skin, and the body recognizes the cut and starts a series of reactions that closes off the injury and heals the wound. Taking a cue from the the body, researchers at the [University of Michigan](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/3dprinting-resin) have developed [concrete that also heals itself](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/selfrepairing-uv-tech) with chemical elegance. Concrete cracks because, while it is very strong under compression, it does not do well under tension or flexing--it cracks and breaks. This concrete is more flexible, however, due to its chemical makeup and as a result is well suited for use in [highways, bridges and buildings](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/breathing-sea-wall) where bending and flexing causes cracks. With this concrete, even if it does micro-crack, exposure to a light rain shower causes the concrete to heal and the resulting concrete is as strong as the uncracked material. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.1/10 - Popularity: 25% | Activity: 30% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) > [Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/design) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Self-healing Materials:** The development of flexible self-healing concrete can lead to the creation of self-healing materials that can repair themselves when damaged. - **Sustainable Construction:** The use of flexible self-healing concrete can revolutionize the construction industry by reducing the maintenance cost of industrial constructions like highways, bridges, and buildings, making them more sustainable. - **Advanced Civil Engineering:** The use of high-tech materials like flexible self-healing concrete by civil engineers can lead to the development of more advanced structures and infrastructures that can self-repair, improving both safety and long-term performance. ### Who This Affects Most - **Civil Engineering:** Civil engineering can benefit from using flexible self-healing concrete for construction of highways, bridges, and buildings, leading to more secure and cost-effective infrastructures. - **Construction Materials:** Construction material manufacturers can introduce new products that incorporate self-healing properties to their product lines, creating a new market segment for their products in the construction industry. - **Environmental Technology:** Environmental technology industries can benefit from the adoption of self-healing materials, such as flexible self-healing concrete, because it contributes to sustainable practices in the construction industry through reduced maintenance and repair. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Shrimp Cell-Fused Cements](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/shrimp-cell-fused-cement.md) - [Coastal Concrete Building Materials](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/econcrete.md) - [Flexible Concrete Water Tanks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/inflatable-concrete-tanks.md) - [Living Printable Materials](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/living-ink.md) - [Underwater Concrete Printing Systems](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/darpa-1.md) - [Flexible Gel Glues](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/rapidfuse-flex-gel-super-glue.md) - [Adaptable 3D Printing Resins](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/3dprinting-resin.md) - [Reusable Framework Systems](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/unfold-form.md) - [Ultra-Flexible Hip Implant Materials](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/superelastic-alloy.md)