A new porous ‘self-healing’ asphalt made of simple materials is currently being tested in the Netherlands.
Erik Schlangen, a civil engineer and pioneer of experimental micromechanics, has pioneered the material which he and his team are testing on the A58 road near Vilssingen. It is hoped that the self-healing asphalt can be used in future roads elsewhere.
This special asphalt is made with tiny steel wool fibres, which, when heated with induction, extends the life of the material. With the introduction of small steel wool fibres, self-healing asphalt is said by Schlangen to be capable of repairing micro-cracks and significantly extending the service life of roadways.
Schlangen, who is professor at Delft University of Technology and the chair of Experimental Micromechanics, is also leading research on self-healing concrete. By infusing concrete with a harmless limestone-producing bacteria that feeds off of calcium lactate – a component of milk – Schlangen says the material has the potential to self-heal micro-cracks in the presence of rainwater.
