Self healing of cracks, in an ultra high performance concrete, is investigated in this paper, and especially the role of the phenomenon on mechanical properties. An experimental program is thus developed in order to characterize the mechanical behavior of prismatic…
Self healing of cracks, in an ultra high performance concrete, is investigated in this paper, and especially the role of the phenomenon on mechanical properties. An experimental program is thus developed in order to characterize the mechanical behavior of prismatic specimens, initially cracked and then submitted to self healing, by total immersion in water. The most significant results are a fast recovery of global stiffness and a slight improvement of flexural structural resistance. Microscopic investigations are also proposed to qualify the nature of newly-formed crystals that precipitate in the crack. Then, a first approach of modeling of the mechanical behavior of concrete specimens, including the self healing process, is proposed. A coupling between hydration and elastic-damage models is thus developed and permits to get first qualitative results showing the experimental tendencies.