# Living Bacterial Cement The Self Healing Concrete Project Involves Limestone and Bacteria By Meghan Young | Published 2012-11-05 | Eco Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/self-healing-concrete-project References: [dvice](http://dvice.com/archives/2012/11/living-concrete.php) & [citg.tudelft.nl](http://www.citg.tudelft.nl/index.php?id=17205&L=1) The Self Healing Concrete project is not the first attempt at creating a cement mixture that stands the test of time. In 2009, researchers at the University of Michigan developed a [flexible concrete](http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/concrete-future-researchers-develop-self-healing-flexible-concrete) while a year later [Michelle Pelletier](http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/self-healing-concrete) conceived of a concrete that would produce a sort of goo when a crack surfaced. This time around, scientists from the TU Delft-wide Self-healing Materials research programme at the Delft Center for Materials (DCMat) have put together the Self Healing Concrete project, which involves the use of bacteria. When tension creates a crack in the cement surface and the bacteria is activated by water, a limestone substance is produced to fill it in. The Self Healing Concrete project is currently undergoing extensive testing and can be commercialized in as little as two years. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.8/10 - Popularity: 19% | Activity: 58% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Eco](https://www.trendhunter.com/eco) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Self-healing Concrete:** The development of self-healing concrete using bacteria creates opportunities for more durable and low-maintenance infrastructure. - **Bacterial Cement:** The use of bacteria in cement production offers a sustainable alternative to traditional cement manufacturing processes. - **Flexible Concrete:** Advancements in flexible concrete technology pave the way for more resilient and crack-resistant infrastructure. ### Who This Affects Most - **Construction:** The construction industry can benefit from self-healing concrete by reducing maintenance costs and improving the longevity of structures. - **Biotechnology:** The use of bacteria in cement production opens up opportunities for innovation in the biotechnology industry. - **Materials Science:** Advancements in flexible concrete and self-healing materials present disruptive innovation opportunities for the materials science industry. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Shrimp Cell-Fused Cements](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/shrimp-cell-fused-cement.md) - [Living Printable Materials](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/living-ink.md) - [Barcon-Negative Architecture](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/picoplanktonics.md) - [Coastal Concrete Building Materials](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/econcrete.md) - [Probiotic Sustainable Structures](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/alive.md) - [Underwater Concrete Printing Systems](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/darpa-1.md) - [AI Construction Optimizers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/braincrete.md) - [Flexible Concrete Water Tanks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/inflatable-concrete-tanks.md) - [Potato-Based Ultra-Strong Bricks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/starcrete.md)