Self-healing bacterial concrete: A bibliometric overview and state-of-the-art review on fundamentals, techniques and future perspectives

Abstract

The augmentation of micro-cracks in concrete is unavoidable, and under varying external ambience, such cracks have the potential to cause concrete deterioration due to the ingress of deleterious substances. The utilization of bacteria enabled self-healing methods displayed promising outcomes in the sealing of such minute cracks, offering considerable benefits and reducing the need for human intervention. From this point of view, this article aims to provide comprehensive review of the existing literature on bacteria based self-healing concrete using Bibliometric analysis. The critical evaluation of the significant features that have a notable impact on the self-healing efficacy of cementitious composites incorporating bacteria is presented. These factors encompass primary aspects involving bacteria selection, healing conditions, influence of crack width, effect of pre cracking, influence of carrier compounds etc., emphasizing their significance on the healing performance. Also, the improvement in mechanical and durability properties through the utilization of bacteria-enabled cementitious composites for self-healing purposes is scrutinized. Furthermore, the performance of bacteria based self-healing concrete in aggressive environments like corrosion and carbonation exposure are critically reviewed. Additionally, this article delves into research on the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in relation to bacteria enabled self-healing concrete. Finally, suggestions for future research directions and practical implementations in this domain are put forward. © 2025 Elsevier Ltd